The Picture of Dorian Gray van Oscar Wilde door Charlie Bird

Are gossip and cronyism the keys to all societies?

The British Empire was at its worst in 1890, when it failed and effectively killed the great gay Irish writer Oscar Wilde. "The Picture of Dorian Gray" was his only novel. Cancelled, of course, but his plays are timeless.

Synopsis: In 1882, Oscar Wilde met the painter Frances Richards in Ottawa, where he visited her studio. She painted his portrait. Wilde described that incident as the inspiration for his novel:

The story revolves around a portrait of Dorian Gray painted by an artist obsessed with Dorian’s beauty. Dorian, a narcissist, understands that his beauty will fade as he ages, so Dorian makes a deal to sell his soul, ensuring that the IMAGE, rather than he, will age and fade. The wish is granted, but of course ends badly for Dorian in this classic Gothic novel.

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