Oscar Wilde's first novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, published in 1891, ignited significant controversy and criticism.
This provocative story closely mirrored Wilde's own life, capturing his pursuit of aestheticism and decadent indulgence. As a prominent figure in the Aesthetic Movement, Wilde's flamboyant lifestyle and affairs scandalized Victorian society. Captivated by his own portrait's enduring beauty and youth, Dorian Gray leads a life of excess and vice, while his portrait grotesquely reflects his moral decay.
Wilde's eventual imprisonment for "gross indecency" highlighted the peril of living purely for beauty and pleasure, much like Dorian's tragic end. The Dover Bookshelf presents Wilde's incisive wit and rich prose in a splendid hardcover collectible, illuminating the dangers of vanity, hedonism, and the quest for eternal youth – a profound critique of societal values and the dualities within human nature.