Dorian Gray is a remarkably handsome young man who views a painting of himself drawn by a friend and wishes that he could retain his youth and beauty, while the painting ages. His wish is granted, and he embarks on a life of debauchery and pleasure-seeking that leads to a predictably tragic end.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde's first and only novel, often regarded as his most famous work, and one of the most controversial books of the late nineteenth century. Its daring embrace of decadence and sexuality sparked an uproar in Victorian-era England, as did Wilde himself, who fell under a scandalous cloud of his own making that landed him in prison. Today, his novel is widely regarded as one of the great Gothic horror tales, a suspenseful and thought-provoking masterpiece that is as disturbing as it is intriguing.

This Academic Edition combines the full text of Oscar Wilde's classic, lightly edited for modern readers, with a study guide and workbook that includes an Editor's Foreword with historical context on the book; an author bio; a study guide with chapter summaries and discussion prompts; and chapter-based quizzes readers can use to assess their understanding of key concepts, characters, and events in the story. The book is designed for classroom use by English, literature, and writing students, as well as casual readers in search of a great story.

This edition also features an interactive component,giving readers free online access to a "virtual classroom" devoted to The Picture of Dorian Gray, hosted on the Virtual University Press website. This e-learning environment provides interactive chapter quizzes with randomized questions and auto-scoring in real-time; a Web Resources section with curated videos; Web-based study materials; and an expanded Vocabulary Guide organized by chapter. A link to the virtual classroom is given in the Editor's Foreword.