Oscar Wilde
The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde’s only novel, blending Gothic horror with philosophical musings on beauty, morality, and hedonism. The story follows Dorian Gray, a young man whose portrait ages and records his sins while he remains physically unchanged. As he indulges in a life of excess and corruption, the painting reveals the true cost of his vanity and moral decay. Wilde’s novel is a sharp critique of societal superficiality and the dangers of unchecked desire, making it one of the most enduring works of decadent literature.