The Picture of Dorian Gray

A literary classic, this new edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray features a luxurious graphic design and previously unpublished supporting texts.

"There are no moral or immoral books. Books are only well or badly written," from Oscar Wilde's preface.

Published in 1890 in the legendary Lippincott's Monthly Magazine , Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray was already scandalous. The publisher even subjected the original to cuts, deeming some passages "indecent." The celebrated Irish writer revised this version, excluding some passages, and added a preface and seven chapters. In doing so, he sought to highlight some themes—such as the tension between social classes in the Victorian era—and disguise others—such as the "libertine" homoerotic innuendos. The story was released as a book in 1891. Even after Wilde made changes, seeking a more measured tone, he and the work were labeled "immoral."

In these pages, artist Basil Hallward, the young and handsome Dorian Gray, and his mentor, Lord Henry Wotton, guide readers through the pleasures of body and spirit, proposing reflections on the limits of hedonism. The scenes and dialogues reveal Oscar Wilde's own genius—at times paradoxical—who never shied away from imprinting his personal qualities on the characters.

To explore contemporary emotions through this classic, Editora Civilização Brasileira presents, in this special edition, previously unpublished texts by Fabio Akcelrud Durão, professor of literary theory at Unicamp, and João Silvério Trevisan, award-winning writer and LGBTQIA+ activist. Furthermore, the introduction by writer Carlos Heitor Cony, featured in the previous edition, has been maintained.

“I envy all things whose beauty does not perish. I envy this portrait of me you painted. Why is it given to keep what I must lose? Every moment that passes takes something from me and gives something to it. Oh, if only it were the other way around! If only the portrait could change and I could always remain as I am now! Why did you paint it? It will mock me one day, mock me cruelly.” - The Picture of Dorian Gray

"The Picture of Dorian Gray is [...] the most sensational work of fiction on Earth. Its allure persists, it grows stronger. Today it has become the credo of a new aesthetic across the entire Earth." - João do Rio

“Wilde made it clear that his intention was to show not only the thrills and pleasures of a life devoted to beauty, but also its limits and dangers.” - The New Yorker

“Reread today […], The Picture of Dorian Gray proves to be a fascinating and delightful parable about the aesthetic ideal of art for art's sake.” - The Guardian