by Oscar Wilde

illustrated by John Murphy

Though it is not common to hear the words “Catholic fiction” and “Oscar Wilde” in the same breath, the fact is that Wilde not only died a Catholic, he also wrote an iconic horror story which, perhaps in spite of his initial intentions, turned out to be a classic morality fable in the Catholic tradition: The Picture of Dorian Gray. Idylls Press is very proud to offer a new edition of Wilde’s classic, beautifully illustrated by John Murphy in a neo-Symbolist style inspired by another Catholic convert of the same era, Aubrey Beardsley.

See sample illustrations here.

“Eternal youth, infinite passion, pleasures subtle and seccret, wild joys and wilder sins-he was to have all these things. The portrait was to bear the burden of his shame…”

Such is the fateful wish of Dorian Gray, the young aristocrat who, enthralled by his own beauty, makes a Devil’s Bargain: his portrait will age while he remains eternally young. Poisoned by the influence of the insidiously charming Lord Henry Wotton, Dorian makes the pursuit of new and sinful sensations his highest aim in life. As he tests Lord Henry’s theories of Hedonism in the decadent underbelly of Victorian London, Dorian’s good looks remain unblemished. His portrait must bear the burden of his sins.

Paperback, 256 pages, $18.95
ISBN-10: 1-59597-015-0
ISBN-13: 978-1-59597-015-2

TO ORDER:

from Idylls Press (autographed by illustrator, we pay shipping)
from your local indie bookstore
from Powell’s
from Amazon
from Amazon.co.uk