Chapter 12, The Age of Dorian Summary

Oscar Wilde has his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, published in the magazine Lippincott's on June 20, 1890. It is later published in book form in April 1891. This is not only Wilde's only novel; it is a work that shakes the literary world. Covert homosexuality raises charges of the book's being immoral, and others criticize its artistic and technical merits. Wilde argues back in support of the novel and takes the stance that he did it more for his own pleasure than to garner the acceptance of others. Regardless, The Picture of Dorian Gray becomes one of the great works of English literature.

The plot of the novel involves a deal with some kind of metaphysical force that allows a human, Dorian Gray, to live life without aging, while his portrait reflects all the punishment...