★ 本書錄音採用英式發音
★ 英語級數：Lower-Intermediate（初中級）
《道林．格雷的畫像》是一部哥德式的恐怖小說，也是奧斯卡·王爾德唯一問世的小說。1890年，這部小說首次刊登於月刊，旋即受到撻伐。王爾德後來作了大幅的改寫，新改寫的故事於1891年以小說的形式發行，但同樣再次招致批評，當時並引爆了王爾德個人的醜聞。王爾德的夫人曾說：「打從奧斯卡寫了《道林．格雷》之後，就沒有人要跟我們打交道了。」知名書店W.H. Smiths拒賣這本書；不過儘管飽受爭議，這本書仍然暢銷。
奧斯卡．王爾德是一位成功的劇作家，《道林．格雷的畫像》的寫作風格更像戲劇而非小說，小說的對白多於敘述，並集中於三位主要人物之間的機智對話。小說中，主人翁道林．格雷是一位青春貌美的青年，一位畫家為他畫了一幅出色的肖像畫，之後他受到友人的慫恿，人生的態度丕變，轉而追求享樂主義的生活。崇尚美與享樂的空虛生命，是小說主要的主題之一。
故事就由「道林．格雷的畫像」開場，這部小說始於此，亦終於此。一幅俊美的肖像畫，到底隱藏了什麼樣的秘密？放蕩的生活、數條的人命，究竟是什麼樣的墮落人生？青春與美貌、良心與罪惡、天堂與地獄，何處是人性價值的光芒閃耀之處？
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a gothic horror story, and it is the only published novel written by Oscar Wilde. When it first appeared in a monthly magazine in 1890, it was criticized. Wilde then made a lot of changes to the story. The new story was published as a novel in 1891. Again, it was criticized, and it caused scandal at the time. Wilde’s wife, Constance said, ”Since Oscar wrote Dorian Gray no one will speak to us.” W.H. Smiths, the famous bookseller, refused to sell the book, but despite the controversy, it was still very popular.
Oscar Wilde was a successful playwright and The Picture of Dorian Gray is written more in the style of a play than a novel. There is more dialogue than description and the novel focuses on the witty conversations between its three main characters: Basil Hallward, the artist, Lord Henry Wotton, his wealthy friend, and Dorian Gray, a handsome young man.
One of the main themes of the novel is the emptiness of worshipping beauty and pleasure. Life, Lord Henry Wotton says in the novel, should be lived for beauty and pleasure and not for duty. He encourages Dorian Gray to enjoy himself. He tells Dorian he should make the most of his youth and beauty before they fade. Dorian Gray takes his advice and leads a selfish, hedonistic life. In the end, he realizes his mistake but it is too late. He has destroyed his soul. The novel has always been very popular and thirteen film versions of it have been made to date. Marvel Comics made an illustrated adaptation of the novel in 2007.