Oscar Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a classic tale of vanity and morality. The story follows the life of Dorian Gray, a young man who becomes obsessed with his own beauty and makes a Faustian bargain to sell his soul for eternal youth and beauty. As he ages and decays on the outside while remaining youthful and beautiful on the inside, Gray's obsession with his appearance leads him down a path of destruction and moral decay. The novel explores themes of identity, morality, and the superficiality of Victorian society. Wilde's writing is witty and satirical, using humor and irony to critique the societal norms of his time. The book has been widely acclaimed for its literary merit and continues to be a popular and influential work in the world of literature.
By Ambrose Bierce · First published 1911 · Genre: Literary criticism, Biography, Non-fiction