• The Picture of Dorian Gray

  • By: Oscar Wilde
  • Narrated by: Simon Prebble
  • Length: 8 hrs and 6 mins
  • 4.1 out of 5 stars (2,360 ratings)

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The Picture of Dorian Gray  By  cover art

The Picture of Dorian Gray

By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: Simon Prebble
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Editorial reviews

Oscar Wilde’s classic endures with its gems of astute observation and cynical wit. The eerie story follows a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty in the form of a supernatural portrait. Life's mysterious paradoxes are laced throughout Lord Henry's brilliant aphorisms. Gray is urged by Henry to "love the wonderful life that is in you." The novel's qualities are mired in decadence, "art for art's sake," the new hedonism of the Victorian-era upper class, and societal moral corruption. Simon Prebble perfectly achieves Lord Henry's "low, languid voice" and sparkling conversation, while avidly expressing the other characters' more torrid emotions. Prebble brings the fable's gothic horror to life, but the more youthful characters lack believable intonation.

Publisher's summary

Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray, the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged---petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral---while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying and enchanting readers for more than 100 years. Taking the reader in and out of London drawing rooms, to the heights of aestheticism, and to the depths of decadence, The Picture of Dorian Gray is not simply a melodrama about moral corruption. Laced with bon mots and vivid depictions of upper-class refinement, it is also a fascinating look at the milieu of Wilde's fin-de-siècle world and a manifesto of the creed "Art for Art's Sake."The ever-quotable Wilde, who once delighted London with his scintillating plays, scandalized readers with this, his only novel. Upon publication, Dorian was condemned as dangerous, poisonous, stupid, vulgar, and immoral, and Wilde as a "driveling pedant." The novel, in fact, was used against Wilde at his much-publicized trials for "gross indecency," which led to his imprisonment and exile on the European continent. Even so, The Picture of Dorian Gray firmly established Wilde as one of the great voices of the Aesthetic movement and endures as a classic that is as timeless as its hero.
Public Domain (P)2008 Tantor

What listeners say about The Picture of Dorian Gray

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    4 out of 5 stars
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Satire of aestheticism

Oscar Wilde's only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray tends to be classified as "horror" because the underlying premise is indeed one of supernatural horror: a dissolute young man is blessed/cursed with eternal youth, thanks to a portrait painted by an artist friend of his which reflects all the sins and depravities of his debauched life. As Dorian Gray stays young and beautiful, his portrait becomes more and more ghastly, until the karmic climax.

Nonetheless, if you actually read the novel, the "horror" aspects, particularly the supernatural parts, are understated. Dorian Gray, who begins as a rather callow but not evil youth, falls under the cynical influence of Lord Henry Wotton, a professional member of the do-nothing aristocratic class. When the painter Basil Hallward captures Dorian's Adonis-like perfection on canvas, Dorian is overcome with the tragedy of his own face growing old and wrinkled while the painting will always capture him as he was, young and perfect. He wishes it could be the reverse, and gets his wish.

Unlike in the movie versions, there is no magical Egyptian cat-god or explicit deal with the Devil that makes this happen — for Oscar Wilde, Dorian Gray's selling of his soul was entirely metaphorical. He was apparently satirizing the Aesthetic Movement (though he was himself one of its more prominent representatives) which can best be summarized as "Art for Art's Sake." It was associated with decadence and disregard for social and moral judgments; Dorian Gray was a literal manifestation of the Aesthetic ideal: he sold his soul for Art (or rather, a piece of art).

Dorian becomes increasingly heartless after his cruel treatment of Sylvia Vane, whom he loved for her art but then jilted when she let him down artistically. After a brief attempt at redemption, he becomes one of the most notorious men in London, though notably, the precise nature of his many evil deeds is never described, leaving it all up to the reader's lascivious imagination. He ruins lives and destroys everyone close to him, yet still manages to keep a few close friends like Lord Henry and Basil.

(I definitely picked up some homoerotic vibes between Dorian, Lord Henry, and Basil, which is interesting since apparently Wilde had to cut out some of the more overt homoeroticism when it went from serialization in a magazine to publication as a novel.)

So, read as a horror novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray is kind of lightweight — it's definitely not "scary" — and as a satire/criticism of the Aesthetic Movement, it is not terribly subtle. However, Oscar Wilde was most famous for his bon mots, and reading Dorian, Lord Henry, and Basil exchange wry witticisms is the real pleasure of the novel, even if none of them talk like actual people having real conversations. This book could be mined for quotable lines on every page, and as a story of a man falling headfirst into Faustian temptation, it definitely has its literary moments. It is not perfect (it's awfully convenient how often Dorian escapes judgment by someone else's timely death, and the prose is a bit turgidly Victorian), but it's a solid 4 star book. Definitely worth reading for the one-liners and for absorbing a very readable literary classic.

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40 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

This Should be Next In Your Library, Period

What made the experience of listening to The Picture of Dorian Gray the most enjoyable?

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a stunningly beautiful book, among my very favourites. I had not read it for many years when I stumbled upon this performance of it, and it has instantly rocketed to the top of the "Top 10" list in my Audible library.

This cautionary, "be careful what you wish for" tale contains many of Oscar Wilde's most celebrated lines, including my personal favourite, "There is only one thing in life worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about." Beautiful-but-outrageous dialogue like this brings a lightness and some comedy to this otherwise sad story.

I'm not sure if I've ever given 5 stars across the board before, but this performance of this wonderful book is surely deserving of it. I can't recommend it highly enough.

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?

Prebble gives a near-perfect performance. Each character has a distinctive voice, but the distinctions are subtle and totally believable, unlike some narrators who I think go overboard. His "Basil Hallwood" in particular is beautifully human; every ounce of the characters kindness, and his love for Dorian, comes shining through.

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30 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully written, brilliantly read.

Having listened to samples of most other readings of this book, I can assure you that this is the most captivatingly read. Simon Prebble conveys the cynicism, wit and drama of the text in a fashion that truly draws you into the world. I'd recommend it to anyone.

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28 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Well, now I'm so veddy depressed.

Would you recommend this audiobook to a friend? If so, why?

Certainly. It's one of those must-read books that I never read before.

What did you like best about this story?

The writing is exceedingly witty but depressingly cynical. What I liked LEAST about the story is that Lord Henry, having amused himself setting up and observing his little social experiment for 18 years, suffers no pangs or punishment. But then, I suppose this is a lot like real life...

Have you listened to any of Simon Prebble’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Prebble never disappoints.

Did you have an extreme reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

The leisure class - gack! There are enough literary portrayals of this class and time that at least some of it must be true. Lives boasting no notable accomplishment other than having picked the right ancestors from whom to inherit. Lives lived with no occupation but dining out, attending theater, and "calling on" one another. The class, gender and race prejudice is astounding. Did no one miss the sense of having done something useful?

Any additional comments?

A language of drama and absolutes. You would fit right in if you could learn to say: "I can't BEAR it!" "You must/must not," "I will not allow it." "Oh, DO (insert any verb here - stay, go, sit.)" "My DEAR (insert any name here.)" Frankly, having any conversation with these people would have worn me out. (Sorry. Would have QUITE have worn me out.)

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15 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Awsome

Despite knowing much of the plot of the story beforehand, it was better than I expected. Lovely prose and keen social commentary. A masterpiece. The narration was excellent.

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    1 out of 5 stars
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    1 out of 5 stars

Pompous and boring

What disappointed you about The Picture of Dorian Gray?

It's a story that could have been told in about 30 minutes. But there is 7 and a half extra hours of describing the type of thread warn on the cuff of the sort of jacket on top of a certain shirt on a top the chest of a man standing a room decorated with a type of.... and so on and so on. Then it goes on with two men obsessed with another man. One who views himself as intellectually superior and another who views himself as morally superior. Everyone in the story is self-absorbed.

Would you ever listen to anything by Oscar Wilde again?

No

Which character – as performed by Simon Prebble – was your favorite?

James Vane, I guess. He's the only one who for a moment seemed to care about anything but himself.

You didn’t love this book... but did it have any redeeming qualities?

It was well written and well read.

Any additional comments?

I was excited to read this book. I was planning to read it a few months before it was time and it was a huge let down.I thought it would be a lot more like the movie, The Man From Earth, with a little extra vanity.

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11 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Beautifully Damaged.

I really enjoyed this book. Lord Henry is wicked and wise all in the same breath and you don't know how to feel for Dorian Gray. I would definitely recommend this to anyone.

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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Oh, this narrator!

At times while listening to this novel, I was astonished to realize that only one individual was reading it. Simon Prebble creates so many distinct voices, one might think several men and women are huddling around the microphone, and they call their ensemble "Simon Prebble." Bravo.

I suppose most people dive into this book already knowing what it's about, so the narrator's talent is especially important. The plot holds few surprises, so it's the performance that delights.

I also guess that most of Audible's subscribers are familiar with Oscar Wilde, his sexual preferences, and where they landed him because of where he lived and when. He was, I think, very courageous for including so many overt references in his book to homosexuality and the tragic end suffered by the men due to shame and the fear of being outed. (Excuse my use of that modern term in reference to this book. It worked better than "exposed.")

A few of the plot developments were easy to guess in advance, but that did not lessen my enjoyment. Sir Henry's worldview is interesting and thought provoking, and he is a solid, consistent character to whom Prebble gives voice.

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9 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

A Cautionary Tale

Really would rate this 4 1/2 stars overall. A classic novella from one of the best prose writers of all time. Wilde was a master at the "turn of phrase", and in this story the character of Lord Henry (called "the prince of paradox") is a stand-in for Wilde himself. This is a novel that needs to be read (or listened to) more than once to catch all the philosophical ramblings. I did not think that Dorian should be blamed for all the degradation he believes he caused. After all individuals are responsible for their own actions and have a choice - they followed Dorian willingly. He himself was greatly influenced by the cynical Lord Henry. The idea of having the picture change with each cruel action was a brilliant literary device. Simon Prebble's narration was excellent although I did have some problems telling Lord Henry and Dorian apart.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant book with Superb Narration

No need to extoll the brilliance of this novel. Simon Prebble's narration however is top-notch.

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