1946 PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY 4th Printing Oscar Wilde Hardcover Dust Jacket

This 1946 4th printing of Oscar Wilde's "Picture of Dorian Gray" is a must-have for any collector of classic literature. With a hardcover binding, the book is in excellent condition and comes with a rare dust jacket featuring scenes from the motion picture. There is wear around the edges, and it has been placed in a clear archival sleeve for protection. There is writing in pencil on the front end page, and the interior pages show foxing. Published by The World Publishing Company, this edition of "Picture of Dorian Gray" is sure to be a treasured addition to any library.

"There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book," wrote Wilde. "Books are well written or badly written. That is all." This was his response to critics who denounced his novel as being immoral after its scandalous first appearance in Lippincotts Monthly Magazine. The Picture of Dorian Gray could easily be read as a profoundly moral book, even a cautionary tale against the dangers of vice.  It is a story that poignantly reflects Wilde's own double life and anticipates his own fall. Publication of the novel scandalized Victorian England, and The Picture of Dorian Gray was used as evidence against Wilde when he was tried and convicted in 1895 on charges related to homosexuality. The novel became a classic of English literature and was adapted into a number of films, most notably a 1945 version that received three Academy Award nominations. The Picture of Dorian Gray is a novel by Oscar Wilde, published in 1890. If you are a collector of banned books, this philosophical novel is one you want on your shelf.