The Picture of Dorian Gray

The narrator takes the experience to new heights! very gifted indeed : ) I have read this book several times and very much prefer the audible version. So into it!!

The fact that the writer directly engaged the moral issue, which can be summed up as, "Is it better to be beautiful than good?" Oddly he answers his own question in the conventional way, which is not what I was prepared for. It seems Gray gets his just punishment at the end. But along the way there is the idea that fate, accident, random occurrences also can determine one's outcomes. So this isn't a straightforward justification of the "wages of sin." I think Wilde was more subtle than that in his contemplation of art and aesthetic appreciation and their effects on human life.

There isn't a single likeable character in the story. Dorian is immorality incarnate, Basil allows his appreciation of aesthetics to get in the way of his judgment, Sir Henry is a loathsome upper class idiot, and Sybil is a fool. But Dorian's development from a beautiful young innocent to a decadent monster is fascinating.

The narration was very good and Page did all the characters well.

No, but I learned more about the 19th century foppish British aristocracy--possibily Wilde's own circle--that I might have wanted.

A very interesting story about vanity and corruption. I really enjoy the works of Oscar Wilde.

Love it? Adore it! The decadence of human soul, having been corrupted by humanity. Wilde knew a great deal about it, for he had his own demons (nothing different from what we experience nowadays).
But it's not the novel I would like to commend, but the performance. Indeed, what a performance! Wow! Mr Page, hats off!

Not sure I could ever call an audio edition better than the printed version. It was, however, a great way to experience Dorian Gray. I compare an audio edition to a movie, not to a book.

Henry - I was guessing at who he truly really was throughout the whole book - was he a devil or just a free spirited Englishman?

No, but I certainly will. He made this book come alive.

I hadn't planned it but I did. Well, not sitting, but it was in my robe pocket as I went around the house.

Dorian Gray has been sitting in my Audible library for a while. I am so glad I finally listened to it (in less than a 24 hour period, I might add!). The characters hooked me from the start. And Michael Page's narration was fantastic. Great combination of writer and narrator!

Great story idea and fairly well executed. I deducted a star for preachiness. Some of it is essential to the story, but IMHO it's overdone a bit. Michael Page's performance was good, but didn't grasp my attention in any special way. If you like classic SF and Horror, but missed Wilde's contribution to the genre along the way, then it will be worth your time, but probably not a credit. I bought it for $0.99 by getting the Kindle version (free) first under Amazon's offerings of classics at low prices to introduce WhisperSync. At $0.99 for e-book and a-book, you can't go wrong. If you haven't discovered this secret, and read Kindle e-books, check out classics on the Amazon site. You'll find that many are very inexpensive or free and entitle you to the a-book for $0.99. It's a great way to add classics to your library

In order to read this book, you must really need to pay attention. The story is great, but I needed to be "in the mood" to listen to its content. The book outlines how evil people can be when they have absolutely everything they want, similar to a spoiled child who gets everything they desire (much like those that play call of duty or halo online while talking smack with high pitched voices saying things about your mom for some odd reason... pesty lil buggers), the Kardashians or some rich college chick who drives the latest BMW car.

Anyway, good book. Really happy with how Dorian turned out in the end. :)

the story was dry at time but overall, a great work. The narrator was slightly monotone with the reading

It's sad that this novel is often summarized or portrayed in movies as a horror novel about some sort of deal with the devil, or an alter ego along the lines of Jekyll and Hyde, because it's really a movie about the perils of unfettered Hedonism and the misguided belief in the purity and goodness of beauty. The eponymous painting is really just the method that allows Dorian to be as selfish and Hedonistic as he chooses, because he remains youthfully "pure" and beautiful in his appearance, allowing him to, at least transiently, charm his way through a series of friends and playmates.

Oscar Wilde wrote some great stuff, and this is one of my favourites.

This unabridged story by Oscar Wilde was perfectly narrated by Michael Page. I listened to it during my 45 minute commute to work and couldn't wait to get back into the car :) to continue the story.