The picture of Dorian Gray;: A moral entertainment

by John Osborne, Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray Oscar Wilde This superb moral entertainment tells the story of a man who preserves his youth and is feted by society, while his portrait visibly deteriorates with time. John Osborne's brilliant and concise dramatization highlights the relevance of this tale in the modern to world, where, as Osborne says, "It is obligatory be slim, trim, careless.

Genres: Plays

224 pages, Paperback

Published June 1, 1973

About the author

People best know British playwright John James Osborne, member of the Angry Young Men, for his play Look Back in Anger (1956); vigorous social protest characterizes works of this group of English writers of the 1950s.

This screenwriter acted and criticized the Establishment. The stunning success of Look Back in Anger transformed English theatre. In a productive life of more than four decades, Osborne explored many themes and genres, writing for stage, film and television. His extravagant and iconoclastic personal life flourished. He notoriously used language of the ornate violence on behalf of the political causes that he supported and against his own family, including his wives and children, who nevertheless often gave as good as they got.

He came onto the theatrical scene at a time when British acting enjoyed a golden age, but most great plays came from the United States and France. The complexities of the postwar period blinded British plays. In the post-imperial age, Osborne of the writers first addressed purpose of Britain. He first questioned the point of the monarchy on a prominent public stage. During his peak from 1956 to 1966, he helped to make contempt an acceptable and then even cliched onstage emotion, argued for the cleansing wisdom of bad behavior and bad taste, and combined unsparing truthfulness with devastating wit.

Reviews

[Lauren · Rating 3 out of 5]

Osborne is not the right person to adapt Dorian Gray for the stage. Even in his introduction, he seems almost apologetic about resurrecting a decades-old novel for a stage adaptation. It's weird, and it made me want to ask who forced Osborne to adapt Wilde. Admittedly, between the two writers, I prefer Wilde. I feel like his work has stood the test of time better than Osborne's.

This adaptation feels like a weak summary, grabbing a few of Wilde's pithier lines and a few highlights of the novel. The result isn't particularly memorable, but it did make me appreciate the brilliance of the original novel. Not recommended.

[Angus Jansen · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5,,, actually really liked it still, I was foolishly fooled into thinking it was the real book but alas maybe I was destined to read my first moral entertainment. Fun fast forward summary of the real thing, although I do not remember all the sexism monologues, do still want to revisit the og I believe I listened and didn’t read it so would def be worth my time. Also need to get my hands on some more Oscar, when trying to find this version I stumbled upon some other adaptations one of which claimed to be the explicit version that was refused publication for its homosexual scenes, Oscar was really trying put the Wilde into society during his time and heyday

[Glenn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I won't lie; I was a bit disappointed that the death of James Vane was cut. Otherwise, the characters are brilliantly brought to life for the stage, and the story along with all the emotion is not harmed by a very lean adaptation.

This one's worth a go. Don't even bother with the 2016 adaptation by Merlin Holland and John O'Connor.

[Sara · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like John Osborne A LOT. Couple that with an Oscar Wilde story, and it's more magical. Strong and in depth personifications of Wilde's characters with deep meaningful speeches married to deterioration, darkness, love and submission. Good stuff, really. 12 Men, 5 women.

[Roger Berry]

This book didn't work for me. Probably not the right time and place.

[Naja · Rating 5 out of 5]

beautifully written