Dorian Gray - no. 46

A Bantam Classic (1982)

Price: a gift from Friend 2; inside pencil suggests it was sold for $3.

History: Friend 2 returned from America with three rather lovely presents for me.

Look: This copy is distractingly unremarkable - just a photo of it's author on the cover, with the tell-tale words "and Other Writings", it just reeks of "cheap edition". And then...

Introductions/appendices: ...its introduction is written by Richard Ellerman, who wrote the definitive biographical tome on Oscar Wilde. This alone gives it extra spangly value - and again, I have no time to review this introduction now, but I read and enjoyed it.

This edition also contains the Ballad, Lady Windamere, Ideal Husband, Earnest and a new translation of Salome. An interesting idea, but even this can't save it from almost total awfulness. I adore Salome, but as far as I'm concerned, the original line:

One would fancy she were looking for dead things

and the new translation:

She might be seeking for the dead.

are more or less equally bad.

Captured: ?-8-10

Dorian Gray - no 45.

Penguin Classics 2010

Price: a gift from Friend 2; back indicates it was $6.99, reduced to $4.99

History: Friend 2 returned from America with three rather lovely presents for me.

Look: This is the best of the three covers, a very punchy cartoon-style youth with a cold, savage expression. It's simplicity - three colours, line drawing - is eyecatching and alluring. Dark blue isn't a colour I'd associate with the book, but it works marvellously. A favourite design.

Introductions/appendices:
Short biography and chronology, plus a facimile of the original front page - nothing worth writing about.

Captured: ?-8-10

Dorian Gray - no. 44

Barnes and Noble Classics (2003)

Price: a gift from Friend 2; back indicates it was $4.95

History: Friend 2 returned from America with three rather lovely presents for me. This is my favourite of the three.

Look: I've ogled this one on the web before, but I've always felt that ordering them over the internet is a very slippery slope. I've always hated collectors to whom completeness is more important than the things themselves, and the chase is part of the fun. A lovely red cover, and a very intriguing painting. I don't technically like young men on the covers of these books, but this is one of my many exceptions. The painting has such a strange expression - I love how wooden he seems.

Introductions/appendices: Lovely! A two page biography, a four page timeline, and a lovely lengthy introduction. No time to discuss it now, but I remember enjoying it.

But it's after the endnotes that get interesting. "Inspired by" lists other media inspired by Oscar Wilde's life, Dorian Gray films and operas, and sequels to the book. I enjoyed having my mind tickled by six "Questions" for a book club or school group. I particularly enjoyed "is sin ugly or beautiful?". There are some comments on the novel from Wilde himself, Alfred Douglas and James Joyce. And a tasty further reading section.

This copy is notable for providing me with a formidable to-devour list. While not necessarily useful to the idle reader, I'm always glad for new related material!

• Lowell Liebermann's Dorian Gray opera. I hope there is a recording...
• The 1997 Dorian sequel in which our hero becomes a master of the dark arts. I unexpectedly enjoyed Will Self's updated take, so am willing to take a chance at Jeremy Reed's.
• Two possible precursours to Dorian:
  
• Ashes of the Future (A Study of Mere Human Nature): The Suicide of Sylvester Gray. Fantastically awful title, proving frustratingly obscure to find.
• Vivian Gray
Mercifully, is on Project Gutenburg. Looking forward to reading this!

Captured: ?-8-10

Dorian Gray - no. 30

Classici Mondadori 1990

Price: €8.40

History: Found it in Italy, summer 2008

Look: the Italians have apparently not lost their appreciation of gorgeous books. Foreign bookshops are always a torment, but this was worse than usual because all the editions were lovely. On a different note, I would love the red dressing gown being worn by the man on the cover.

Introduction/appendices: In Italian, alas - by Masolino d'Amico. But the real tragedy is that includes Andre Gide's memoram letter from 1901. I've wanted to read this for a long time - but I've a nasty feeling the original was in French. Italian is actually one step down - I know nothing of that language except what Latin can do, while my French is competant enough for reading.

Dorian Gray - no. 27

Norton Critical Edition, 2007

Price: $12.50

History: New York, Christmas 2007, although it's been on loan to a friend for a long time, so still has the novelty value of a new copy.

Look: it's thick and heavy (see below...), but is nice to hold and read. You can't go far wrong with a picture of the author.

Introduction/appendices: This is the grandmother of all Dorian Grays - if you want a copy to study, or get into the background, this is the one to buy. BOTH the 1891 and 1890 versions in one book, with copious notes describing the editing process. Even more notes explaining references and ideas. 7 critical essays, from "Irishness" in the novel to sexual politics and character design. Lots of contemporary reviews, and as many open letters from the author defending his book to the newspapers. Extracts from other Wilde work, A Rebours and Walter Pater, on topics which reflect the novel's themes. And a chronology.

Accordingly, this is also my "desert island" copy, provided I had pen and paper to note down my thoughts, because it's going to keep me going for ages.

Dorian Gray - no. 25

Great Writers Library, 1986

Price: £4.99

History: A birthday present from my aunt and uncle in New Zealand. Maybe I should move there? All of my really nice copies seem to come from there...

Look: gorgeous in every way. The black leather has an evil, medieval feel; the cover image is pleasingly sepia (even if the gent on the right resembles Sgt Andy "your dad sells apples" Wainwright from Hot Fuzz). The thin paper and splotchy text just increases the antique feel.

Introduction/Appendices: None, but my relations sent it with a cutting from the Weekend Herald about a priest who quoted Oscar Wilde in a book entitled Aphorisms for an Anti-Conformist Christian. It sounds pretty exciting to me. It's a fairly good little article, even if a Catholic establishment figure thinking Wilde had something relevant to say isn't exactly what I'd call news. And the journalist makes the mistake of claiming the book's "moral" is drawn from Catholicism, with "the painting clearly stands for the soul steadily stained by sin regardless od outward claims or the appearance of piety". If there is a moral in there, then I have never found it with any certainty, and I'm positive it isn't that simple...

Dorian Gray - no. 24

Insel Verlag, 2003 (think that's the publishers... )

Price: £4.99

History: A present from my parent's anniversary in Vienna.

Look: quite nasty. Nasty shade of beige, not a particularly nice picture of the author, and threatening typeface on the cover. It's very odd seeing in in German. Dorian is intrinsically linked with France - it is related to the Victorian idea of a "scandalous French novel", and Oscar Wilde went so far as to write his play Salome in the language. Fairly badly I believe, but what do I know? A French copy makes sense - there is no such connection with Germany, and I have always considered the language very harsh for such a delicate novel.

Introduction/Appendices: Norbert Kohl has written a fascinating piece called Culture and Corruption, and my knowledge of German is sufficiently bad that I would never be able to read it.

Dorian Gray - no.22

GF Flammarion, 2006

Price: Don't know.

History: Another French copy, a present from Friend 3.

Look: A very interesting cover image, with a splintered portrait. The French make their books in a wonderfully floppy way, which makes them nice to hold. Presumably, if read, this translation would be slightly different from my other french edition. The translation of books is an interesting area - I've a bilingual friend who claims, for example, that Twilight's Spanish translation is actually a stylistically better written book.

Introduction/Appendices: Pascal Aquien provides what could be a fascinating introduction, if I could read it...

Dorian Gray - no.17

Oscar Wilde: the complete works (illustrated)

Price: suprisingly cheap.

History: This is the absolute baby of my collection. It also came from the aptly name "7th Heaven" new Zealand shop - I could hardly leave it behind.

Look: This is also the most beautiful thing you ever laid eyes on. Green hardback, gold-edged pages, and did I mention it was illustrated? Particularly lovely are Aubrey Beardsly's Salome illustrations. Despite its size, it is also luxury to read.

Introduction/Appendices: nothing special - a two-page potted biography, with focus on the literature - but quite frankly, with a book this adorable, who cares?

Dorian Gray - no.16

Modern Classics Library 2004

Price: NZ$19.99 - approx £6

History: The shop "Scorpio Books" in Christchurch, New Zealand, claims to be 7th heaven for book lovers. They're not lying. There were some of the loveliest things in there. I managed to leave only with numbers 16 and 17 on this list, but it was a strain. They've even cinched stickers on books which peel off easily. Now I recognised this cover - I think it might have been the third copy I restrained myself from buying in Salt Lake City. Ironically enough, I finally did purchase it along with another copy. Such is life...this morning, I picked it up and read it. I've rarely felt so much sympathy for Basil...

Look: It's another soft, floppy, readable one. The cover colours are muted and quite lovely. And the image, if you can't quite see it, is an eye. The more I look at it, I think it may be the author's eye, but I can't be sure. Hang on...*checks inside cover etc* nope, no concrete detail. Oh well. Love this copy. Love love love it...The Modern Library Classics ones are all wuvvy.

Introduction/Appendices: Jeffrey Eugenides, bless you...not only is he brave enough to criticise the novel (unusual for introductions) but he just says great stuff: “Oscar Wilde says Dorian Gray was “poisoned by a book”, a claim I am ready to believe seeing as I was poisoned by The Picture of Dorian Gray” he begins. The angel! So he’s not a random professor, he’s actually a convert too. He understands. Yes! And he ends: “TpoDG remains a poisonous book, for the old as well as the young, if for different reasons. This warning serves also as a recommendation”. Couldn't have put it better myself...

Dorian Gray - no.9

Classiques de poche 2001

Price: 3,50E

History: Yup, it's in french. I know the text pretty wel, so can almost follow along, but I haven't managed the intro yet. It was a present from Friend 4 c. 30th Nov 2005, and it makes me go gooey just thinking about it.

Look: The cover shows Basil - an unusual, but fitting move. I generally balk at illustrations, but these are really nice. This one's also quite an enjoyable one to just read, it fits cosily in the hand. And there's a pic of the author a few pages in which, que me fait smile...

Introduction/Appendices: It's about 30 pages long, written by Jean-Pierre Naugrette and it looks fascinating. Unfortunately, my French isn't that great...

Another mind blank which brings me up to recently. We're moving house soon. I grudgingly packed up my collection, keeping only my little Collector's Library copy out. That was about three months ago. I now have five copies lying around in my room...like busses, remember?

Dorian Gray - no.7

Chancellor Classics 2005

Price: Not sure.

History: I've no idea whatsoever when or where I got this - I think it might have been a present from mum, during a business trip to South Africa.

Look: Yup, it's pink, but it's also small and hardback and wuvvy, with a red ribbon bookmark. It's got a fantastic black design around the title above the Preface. It's a very lovely copy, with a bit of ye-olde about it. Like what an actual Victorian book would have looked like...

Introduction/Appendices: Only an author biography, but they all have one of them.

Dorian Gray - no.5

Signet Classics 1995 (subdivision of Penguin)

Price: $4.95

History: This was from the airport either on the way to America or back. I was just browsing when the helpful till guy asked if he could help. I said I was looking for this. He positively swept off the desk, straight to the section and pulled this book and two of the plays off the shelf, all in one movement. I'm still pretty amazed by it - he must get people asking for Oscar Wilde a lot or something...

Look: This is another soft, floppy copy...it's nice to hold, but not to read because I worry about damaging the spine. Now here's the crux. I generally don't like covers with Dorian on, and this guy isn't even blonde. But I forgive them because this one's just so pretty...despite looking like Tom Cruise when I squint.

Introduction/Appendices: Apart from the loony assertion that the use of the word "wild" over 25 times in the novel (somebody counted?! Not even I'm that obsessive...) is some sort of unconscious egotism from the author, I like Gary Schmidgall's introduction. There's one or two interesting points in there, and I particularly like the analysis of themes. This copy also contains Lord Arthur Saville's Crime, the Happy Prince and the Birthday of the Infanta. Hmm, I disapprove,but it wins back brownie points for discribing the latter two as "delicate". Spot on, dude...

Mind goes fuzzy again here, until...

Dorian Gray - no.4

Random House 1992

From: Borders, Salt Lake City

Price: $16.95

Look: This is a very, very green copy. Now I adore the colour green, but this is almost too green for me. It's got a nice pic of the author on the cover, but the green makes him look half dead. Still, the inside cover has a nice design and the setting is really nice.

Extras: Only a note at the back informing us that the typeface was inspired by a 16th century calligrapher.

I was bad, OK? I bought this from the same shop as the previous one. I still feel a little guilty for binging on two at the same time, which is a pity as it means I've never appreciated this very lovely copy. There was actually a third one there, but I drew the line at buying three.

Dorian Gray - no.3

Borders Classics 2003

From: Borders, Salt Lake City

Price: $7.95

Look: It's definitely one of the prettiest. It's hardback, and has the novel idea of placing Basil on the cover. Beneath it, the quote "The artist is the creator of beautful things..., which is very very fitting. Underneath the dust-jacket it's even lovlier - black, plain and textured with the title et al down the spine in silver. And finally, actually reading it is a dream.

Extras: None whatsoever

I'm very very fond of this copy, it's one of my favourites. And it was nice to find there, because I'd been thinking about Oscar Wilde's comments on Salt Lake City from his "Personal Impressions of America" tour all day. Not just because I'm basically a stalker. But because we'd visited the Mormon temple, which he describes, so to be there was surreal. Unfortunately, the Tabernacle, which he describes, was closed.