Great Books Audio

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Preface

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The quest for eternal physical beauty has plagued societies for centuries. We live in a society that worships beauty. We are bombarded daily, sometimes even subliminally, by this eternal quest for beauty. Oscar Wilde explored this theme in his book, The Picture Of Dorian Gray. The book was written over 100 years ago but even today the emphasis on beauty and youth in our culture are stronger than ever. Our media always seems to feature young and beautiful people. How often do we see the elderly or fat people featured in advertisements? We have been taught to place more value on physical appearance than on the quality of character. The Picture of Dorian Gray is set during the late nineteenth century in England, a period marked with the exceeding importance of social stature and personal image [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Preface.mp3]

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Chapter 20

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The final chapter: Our protagonist meets a tragic end. [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Chapter20.mp3]

NEXT: The Scarlet Letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Chapter 19

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Dorian Gray resolves to change his life: He will become “good.” [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Chapter19.mp3]

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Chapter 18

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A man is killed during a rabbit hunt on Dorian Gray’s property; Dorian lives in fear of James Vane. [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Chapter18.mp3]

The Picture of Dorian Gray – Chapter 17

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Dorian Gray hosts a party with the Duchess of Monmouth, Lady Narboroughand Lord Henry;Dorian has a fright. [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Chapter17.mp3]

The Picture of Dorian Gray- Chapter 11, Part II

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London society disdains Dorian Gray’s hedonistic lifestyle, [audio:http://media.blubrry.com/greatbooks/greatbooksaudio.com/audio/Dorian-Chapter11Part2.mp3]