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Content snapshot
Flag an inaccuracy →What's in this book, at a glance — five things readers want to know before they start.
Violence
Some
A murder occurs; some descriptions of violence and its aftermath
Language
Barely any
Period-appropriate mild language
Sexual Content
Some
Implied seductions and sexual manipulation; homosexual subtext throughout
Substance Use
Some
Opium den scenes; a character becomes an opium addict
Emotional Intensity
A lot
Psychological corruption, moral degradation, and the horror of a portrait reflecting inner spiritual decay
What this book is about
Dorian Gray, captivated by his own portrait and corrupted by the hedonistic philosophy of Lord Henry Wotton, makes a Faustian bargain—his portrait will age while he remains forever young. As Dorian descends into moral depravity—seducing and abandoning women, experimenting with opium, and committing murder—only the portrait reflects his rotting soul. Wilde's Gothic masterpiece brilliantly skewers Victorian hypocrisy and the perils of aesthetic worship while leaving its homosexual subtext just beneath the surface.
Notes for sensitive readers
Reader-flagged moments and themes that may affect your experience.
Murder
Opium use
Moral corruption themes
Sexual manipulation
Reader Verification
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