The Picture of Dorian Gray

By: Oscar Wilde

Narrated by: Simon Vance

Length: 7 hrs and 44 mins

Publisher's summary

Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic young man, lives thoughtlessly for his own pleasure - an attitude encouraged by the company he keeps. One day, after having his portrait painted, Dorian makes a frivolous Faustian wish: that he should always remain as young and beautiful as he is in that painting, while the portrait grows old in his stead.

The wish comes true, and Dorian soon finds that none of his wicked actions have visible consequences. Realizing that he will appear fresh and unspoiled no matter what kind of life he lives, Dorian becomes increasingly corrupt, unchecked by public opinion. Only the portrait grows degenerate and ugly, a powerful symbol of Dorian's internal ruin.

Wilde's dreamlike exploration of life without limits scandalized its late-Victorian audience and has haunted readers' imaginations for more than a hundred years.

Public Domain (P)2008 Blackstone Audio, Inc.

Simon Vance brought this book to life!

Any additional comments?

I wanted to read some of the classics, but I have a hard time staying interested when they're slow-moving. Dorian Gray is a really great book, but I honestly think the credit goes to Simon Vance for making it come alive. There is a HUGE difference when actors narrate books, and this book is a perfect example of that. If you're trying to differentiate between the 15 different versions of Dorian Grey on Audible, get this one.

Must Read!

The story played out beautifully! My mind was blown once I reached the ending... It most definitely left me completely satisfied. PS: The man narrating was exquisite.

A classic what more needs to be said

The writing is excellent, narration is great. The story line is a painting of the Victorian age, the morality is timeless. A person would want to explore the thoughts of those times to enjoy.

Loved it!

The story was enchanting; it was a delight from beginning to end and the narrator was absolutely splendid.

a great classic and great narrator

i really enjoyed this classic - great story and very well read - narrator is great and makes the story even better. good from start to finish.

Oscar would have been proud

Where does The Picture of Dorian Gray rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

The narrator brought this masterpiece by Mr Wilde to life. The story became more vivid and one can almost sympathize with Dorian's self absorb vanity. More classic pieces should be narrated so that a wider audience could be induce to enjoy them. This one is a real beauty.

Classic!

it's a great story. a true classic. read it in highschool and was feeling a bit nastolgic so I listened to the audible.

A good listen

I purchased this audio book in spite of having seen the movie. It was a good listen but not outstanding. It held my interest so no real complaints here.

Excellent rendition

I think that many comedians are one of two types. One type tells a joke that has you laughing at the end of a story or punch line. The other type has you constantly laughing after almost every sentence. While the Picture of Dorian Gray is not a particularly humorous book one of the characters, Lord Henry, is a master of the one-liner. Almost everything out of his mouth is a hilarious one-liner fraught with cynical humor. But again, while TPoDG is perhaps not meant to be funny it general, it is one of this books attributes, an attribute that I did not always consider a virtue. Eventually, Lord Henry’s cynicism wore thin.

Having received enough reviews overtime about the storyline makes a retelling this century old classic unnecessary. I will say that I enjoyed this particular reading by another master, Simon Vance. Mr Vance brings Dorian and Harry (Lord Henry) completely to life. The brilliant wit, sarcasm and writing is wonderfully narrated. So here are some of Harry’s more memorable one-liners and hopefully, a real flavor for this classic:

“You will always be fond of me. I represent to you all the sins you never had the courage to commit.”

“The only way to get rid of temptation is to yield to it.”

“There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.”

“To define is to limit.”

“Nowadays people know the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

“Nothing can cure the soul but the senses, just as nothing can cure the senses but the soul.”

“I hate vulgar realism in literature. The man who would call a spade a spade should be compelled to use one.”

“Women, as some witty Frenchman once put it, inspire us with the desire to do masterpieces and always prevent us from carrying them out.”

“Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.”

“My dear boy, no woman is a genius. Women are a decorative sex. They never have anything to say, but they say it charmingly. Women represent the triumph of matter over mind, just as men represent the triumph of mind over morals.”

“I can stand brute force, but brute reason is quite unbearable. There is something unfair about its use. It is hitting below the intellect.”

“Life is a question of nerves, and fibers, and slowly built-up cells in which thought hides itself and passion has its dreams. You may fancy yourself safe and think yourself strong. But a chance tone of color in a room or a morning sky, a particular perfume that you had once loved and that brings subtle memories with it, a line from a forgotten poem that you had come across again, a cadence from a piece of music that you had ceased to play... I tell you, that it is on things like these that our lives depend. ”

I'd definitely recommend this book and this particular rendition.

Fantastic and well read

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a timeless classic. Being written in 1891 I thought it was going to be dry and uninteresting but its suprisingly good with fasinating characters, situations, and an olde world charm that I found very pleasing.
The narrator was superb and kept the story paced well and felt the emotions.