The Picture of Dorian Gray

by Oscar Wilde

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In a word: corruption

In a sentence: The value of beauty, inner and outer.

Synopsis: Dorian Gray, innocent and beautiful, is having his portrait painted by his friend Basil Hallward when he meets Lord Henry, a pessimistic aesthete. Overcome by Lord Henry's manipulations, Dorian makes a desperate plea for his aging and evils to alter the painted face rather than his own.

Reactions: I found this book to be much more introspective than I anticipated. I found the commentary on beauty and conscience captivating and provocative.

Read if: a novel for the pensive reader curious about conscience and consequence.