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The Picture of Dorian Gray

English, published in 1890
78,612 words (215 pages)
Categories: Fiction, Audiobook

The artist is the creator of beautiful things. To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim. The critic is he who can translate into another manner or a new material his impression of beautiful things.

Excerpt

just of you!" cried Lord Henry, tilting his hat back and looking up at the little clouds that, like ravelled skeins of glossy white silk, were drifting across the hollowed turquoise of the summer sky. "Yes; horribly unjust of you. I make a great difference between people. I choose my friends for their good looks, my acquaintances for their good characters, and my enemies for their good intellects. A man cannot be too careful in the choice of his enemies. I have not got one who is a fool. They are all men of some intellectual power, and consequently they all appreciate me. Is that very vain of me? I think it is rather vain."

"I should think it was, Harry. But according to your category I must be merely an acquaintance."

"My dear old Basil, you are much more than an acquaintance."

"And much less than a friend. A sort of brother, I suppose?"

"Oh, brothers! I don't care for brothers. My elder brother won't die, and my younger brothers seem never to do anything else."

"Harry!" ex

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2009.05.13
Keith Leggott

Absolutely love this book. It is in my top ten of all time classics, and worthy of being so. All i can say is a big thank you as i now have it to read on my computer whenever i wish. I am currently on my third copy of the book itself and that is a little worn. Thank you for the free download.

2008.08.22
homme bleu

My absolute favorite. It is strikingly whitty throughout, with lush and vivid description and wonderfully entertaining characters. It is altogether aesthetically pleasing and an absolute joy to read, assuming that it is to your taste.

2008.06.02
mlerch

I'm a huge fan of classical literature and I know this is a classic. Having said that, although I am a fan of 98% of what is considered classic, I simply do not enjoy this work. Whenever that happens I consider it to be a lack of comprehension on my part, because after all - it's a classic!

What happens in this book? Dorian has a painting made of him. His psyche spirals downward but is manifest by the deterioration of the painting, apparently not him. That's about it folks.

There are far too many deeply penetrating studies of the human psyche to spend your time on. Reach for a Russian classic. Reach for something, but I'd move this one to the bottom of the stack.

2007.01.18
Alyssa

I read this book for an English report, and it is pure Oscar Wilde. It is a very interesting book, and holds your attention all the way through to the end.