The Picture of Dorian Gray
1890 · Oscar Wilde · 272 pages · Gothic Fiction
Oscar Wilde's only novel remains one of the most quotable, provocative, and thematically rich works of the Victorian era. Its exploration of vanity, moral corruption, and the cost of living without consequence still resonates more than a century later. The prose sparkles with Wilde's legendary wit, and the central premise is as creepy and compelling now as it was in 1890. Some readers find the philosophical passages heavy and the middle section slow, but those willing to sit with Wilde's ideas will find a book that rewards every page.