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The Picture of Dorian Gray
- Narrated by: Russell Tovey
- Length: 8 hrs and 35 mins
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Publisher's Summary
Exclusively from Audible
The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1890 in the July edition of the Lippincott Magazine. Now, this special anniversary edition marks 50 years since the 1967 Sexual Offences Act was passed in England. 25p from every copy downloaded over the next 12 months will be donated to Stonewall, Britain’s leading LGBT charity, to help the organisation further its work in securing full equality for lesbian, gay, bi and trans people everywhere.
A damning portrayal of Victorian society, Wilde used his narrative to chastise his contemporaries for their superfluous and hypocritical values. Having also interspersed homoerotic scenes within the story, The Picture of Dorian Gray was unsurprisingly condemned for its 'indecency', forcing Wilde to publish a second, censored edition in 1891. Wilde defended his vision to the last, whilst simultaneously challenging assumptions about his private life and sexuality. He credited his inspiration for the text to the classic Faustian suggestion that given the chance, a man would undoubtedly sell his soul in exchange for eternal youth.
When the protagonist, Dorian Gray, meets with the audacious Lord Henry Wotton, he is encouraged to indulge in his most vain and hedonistic of ambitions, thereby testing the boundaries of the law and living a life of unpunished anarchy. As handsome as he is charming, Dorian beguiles those around him, in particular, the artist Basil Hallward. Hopelessly enamoured by the young socialite, Basil sets out to capture his likeness in a full-length portrait. It is the finished product which ultimately engenders Dorian the ultimate weapon; control over the passing of time.
Modern audiences now recognise The Picture of Dorian Gray as an enticing gothic masterpiece and highly astute cautionary tale. Experience the unique and fractured world created by Oscar Wilde in this new audiobook adaptation, made in collaboration with Stonewall and narrated by award-winning actor, Russell Tovey.
Narrator Biography
Russell Tovey is a TV, film and stage actor, known for The History Boys, Grabbers, Angels in America, The Night Manager, Pride, Quantico and The Pass. He has narrated many audiobooks throughout his career including, Nick Hornby's High Fidelity, Anna Sewell's Black Beauty and Mark Michalowski's Being Human.
In collaboration with Stonewall, who are celebrating the 50th anniversary of the decriminalisation of homosexuality in the UK, Tovey brings us this new adaption of Oscar Wilde's The Picture of Dorian Gray. Having starred in The Old Vic's production of Queers and The National Theatre's Angels in America, Russell is a keen advocate of LGBT rights and, bringing years of stage training experience, the perfect narrator for this epic tale of masculine beauty.
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What listeners say about The Picture of Dorian Gray
Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Kristy Williams
- 2021-05-06
Captivating!
It’s pretty easy to find free audiobooks for public domain works, but the quality of narration can be meh. I’m SO glad I decided to pay for this specific version. Russell Tovey is a goddamn treasure.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Sarah Whiteside
- 2021-11-30
Simply Superb
This novel has been one of my favourites since I was but a little girl. The amount of care that Oscar Wilde has taken in describing his subjects and the vain desire to prolong youth and beauty is astounding.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Jermaine
- 2021-03-26
very entertaining
I definitely would recommend this . it is a piece of intellectual genius .
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Alana Barker
- 2023-10-18
I highly recommend this.
I have decided to revisit the classics and like audiobooks as I can walk and listen. This version of the penultimate parable of the human condition and how we are the enemy of our best selves is wonderful. Russell Tovey moved us along, offering audio sketches of the various characters that were just right and did not interrupt the story with verbal pyrotechnics and mangled accents, as can sometimes happen. Especially with period pieces. The story is a contemporary one in that it applies to todays societies as well as those od the 1800s. ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Joe
- 2019-12-28
Russell Tovey vocal mesmerizer
I've had the pleasure to listen to one of the best suited voice actors do an amazing performance of Dorian Gray. I was enthralled with toveys ups and downs, his t's and his q's. Every character had a unique voice which I had to listen to very closely to tell it was still trovey.
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1 person found this helpful
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- cheyenne amil
- 2019-09-26
Excellent narration for this beautiful story
Russell Toveys voice acting was great and really brought life to the characters. The use of language is very flowery and wonderfully descriptive
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- J
- 2022-03-25
WONDERFUL
I thought first of all that it was a tremendous story and also that it was exceptionally well read.
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story3 out of 5 stars
- Anonymous User
- 2022-09-26
Murderous youth
Iiked the language disliked pretension of the century London dining clubs too
Slow pace altogether
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Overall4 out of 5 stars
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Performance2 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Langer MD
- 2022-11-12
Set Playback Speed at 1.25X
Besides being satisfyingly paranormal and horrifying (Dorian's descent into ignominy includes unparalleled debauchery and selfish murder), this thought-provoking classic novel confronting excessive pride, corruption, and hedonism contains DOZENS of the witticisms that made Oscar Wilde famous for his clever wordplay. Just a few examples:
•"The only thing worse than being talked about is *not* being talked about"
•"I suppose you need money.. the young think that there is nothing more important than money." "Yes, uncle - and the old *know* it.."
• "When good Americans die, they go to Paris." "And where do bad Americans go?" "Huh?" " Where do bad Americans go when they die?" "Well, to America, of course."
This "must-read" book definitely belongs in your library.
Other reviewers are absolutely correct: reader Russel Tovey exhibits straight-up spectacular voice-acting and introduces a tone to the novel that impresses. Unfortunately, he often sounds disinterested and reads at a positively *glacial* pace (reading at 1.25X restores a more "normal" experience). The speeded playback technique makes the audiobook much more enjoyable, but in general, Audible Studios could have done better than enlisting Mr. Tovey.
In toto, I have heard better, but this version of 'The Picture Of Dorian Gray' merits 8.5 stars out of 10. As a "Public Domain" novel, there are free versions of the book all over the Internet (Librivox, YouTube, etc.).. so it's appropriate to include it as a 'Plus' selection (asking for a Credit would be questionable). Listening to this audiobook while driving or at a task that takes concentration would be a mistake, but I would definitely recommend this cerebral narrative.
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Overall5 out of 5 stars
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Performance5 out of 5 stars
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Story5 out of 5 stars
- Elle
- 2023-01-19
Wonderful
I wish there were more like this. Russell Tovey does amazing, and would be great at doing all of Oscar Wilde’s works.
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