The Picture Of Dorian Gray

 Oscar Wilde wrote The Picture Of Dorian Gray. Published in 1890 this story was first published in a magazine and heavily edited. Yet the story shocked people and was highly criticized as indecent. This is the only novel Wilde ever wrote. Most of his other work was writing poems or plays. In this story Dorian Gray is a 17 year old man when his likeness is painted. Dorian is a handsome, impressionable and narcissistic young man. Fearful of loosing his good looks he decides he would prefer that his portrait grow old instead of him. And it works. The portrait changes. When Dorian breaks a young girl's heart, the portrait gets a sneer on it's face. Every sin Dorian commits is evident on the portrait. Dorian has a friend, Lord Henry, who is hedonistic so Dorian follows his path and ends up leading a sad and lonely life. This was an interesting novel about villains and evil and corruption. I think the best part about it, besides the villains, was the surprising ending.