In Oscar Wilde's famous novel, Dorian Gray is tempted by Henry Wotton to sell his soul in order to hold on to beauty and youth. Dorian succumbs and murders the portrait painter Basil Haliward, who stands between him and his goal. Though in the end vice is punished and virtue rewarded, the novel remains one of the most important expressions of fin de siecle decadence. It is in the preface to the expanded edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray that Wilde coined the most famous expression of his aesthetic: "There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well-written or badly-written. That is all."

Like other Broadview Editions, this edition includes a wide range of materials from the period that help to set the text in context. In particular, the editor locates the text both in relation to elements in the mainstream culture of the day (such as the aesthetes); and in relation to the gay subculture.

About the Author
Norman Page, who has written numerous books on nineteenth- and twentieth-century fiction, has also edited The Mayor of Casterbridge for the Broadview Literary Texts series.

Reviews

"This is a fine edition of Oscar Wilde's novel, ideally suited to readers approaching the work (and all its accompanying mythology) for the first time. The informative introduction, as well as the collection of supplementary materials contained in the appendices, helpfully place the work in historical, biographical, political, and literary contexts. The edition is especially appropriate for undergraduate students, on whom the scandalousness of Wilde's story might be lost, without benefit of such contextualizations." - William A. Cohen, University of Maryland

Book Information
ISBN 9781551111261
Author Oscar Wilde
Format Paperback
Page Count 280
Imprint Broadview Press Ltd
Publisher Broadview Press Ltd
Weight(grams) 311g
Dimensions(mm) 216mm * 140mm * 14mm