The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Recommended By

Book Reviews

This book was on Sam Altman's bookshelf.

Book Synopsis

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" by Oscar Wilde is a classic novel that delves into the themes of morality, art, and the corrupting influence of society.

The story revolves around the handsome and wealthy Dorian Gray, who becomes enthralled by his own portrait painted by the talented artist, Basil Hallward. Faced with the fear of aging and losing his beauty, Dorian makes a pact that allows his portrait to age and reflect the consequences of his actions instead.

As Dorian indulges in a hedonistic and immoral lifestyle, his portrait begins to transform, revealing the hideous effects of his debauchery. Meanwhile, his youthful appearance remains untouched, causing him to lead a double life.

Throughout the novel, Wilde explores the conflicting desires for eternal youth and the pursuit of pleasure. Dorian's transformation from innocent youth to immoral hedonist highlights the destructive nature of vanity and selfishness.

As the tale progresses, Dorian's actions lead to the suffering and downfall of those around him, including Basil and his love interest, the actress Sibyl Vane. The portrait becomes a disturbing reflection of Dorian's soul, representing the consequences of his immoral choices.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a thought-provoking and elegant literary work that presents a captivating exploration of the human condition, shedding light on the delicate balance between moral responsibility and the pursuit of personal desires.

Explore More Books

See All
Radical Uncertainty
Information
It's Earnings That Count
Entangled Life
The Signal and the Noise
Nothing To Lose
The 80/20 Principle
Think Like a Rocket Scientist
A Matter of Degrees
Writing My Wrongs
Mindfulness in Plain English
The Power of Broke
Call of the Reed Warbler
The Forgotten Man
World Order
Startups
Anthropic Bias
P53
Energy And Civilization
Why We Sleep
The Golden Compass
Sexual Personae
Smart People Should Build Things
The Trap
Saving Capitalism from Short Termism
Fahrenheit 451
A Woman Makes a Plan
Models. Behaving. Badly.
The Death of the Artist
Chasing Hillary
How To Talk to Anyone
Strength In Stillness
Grit
Ford vs. Ferrari
Public Opinion
Lean Thinking
Dopamine Detox
Intellectuals and Society
The Only Investment Guide You'll Ever Need
Tools of Titans
The Dragons of Eden
Defend The Border and Save Lives
How Google Works
Out of the Crisis
Poor Charlie's Almanack
The Third Chimpanzee
Pippi Longstocking
The Power of Relentless
The Billionaire Shell Game
A Whole New Mind
The Inflamed Mind
Old Man and the Sea
Bad News
Being Aware of Being Aware
The Blind Watchmaker
United States of Socialism
Moonwalking with Einstein
Fallen Dragon
Slouching Towards Bethlehem
On The Principles of Political Economy and Taxation
Out of Mao's Shadow
Adaptive Markets
The Vision of the Annointed
Fertility Pastures
The Act of Creation
Central Banking 101
River Out of Eden
Fall; or, Dodge in Hell
A Story Lately Told
The Boys Vol. 1
The Discovery of France
The Wisdom of Life
Work Hard. Be Nice.
Dog Man
Talent
Frames of Mind
The Book of Five Rings
Architects of the Web
The Second World War
The Grapes of Wrath
Bitcoin and Black America
Americana
Defender In Chief
Under Saturn's Shadow
Who
The Master and Margarita
Platform Revolution
The Making of Europe
Globalizing Capital
The Viral Storm
Planta Sapiens
Experimental Man
In Praise of Slowness
An Inconvenient Truth
Mohandas K. Ghandi
The Rise of the Rest
Can't Hurt Me
The City In History
The Survivor
Washington