This book was written under the influence of Portrait of the Oval and another short story by Poe. Dorian was a handsome young aristocrat who fell in love with Shakespeare's playwright Sybil. And engaged to it, Sybil's younger brother James hates the aristocratic class, because Sybil's brother and sister are illegitimate children of a noble, and they have no birthright because of their mother's birth. James is going to be a sailor soon. Before leaving, he said that if the nobles failed Sybil, they would tear him to pieces.
Dorian was originally a kind-hearted young man, but his life was completely changed because of a painting. His painter friend painted a portrait for him. He is so pure in his paintings that Tao Ren can't help being jealous, because portraits can never be changed, but a person's youth is so short. When he is old, he will be sad to see this painting. So at that time, he made a wish that he would regret for life in the future: let the portrait bear the vicissitudes of time and let himself be young forever.
Sybil's play is a mess because she loves Dorian. Dorian scolded her angrily and left in spite of her entreaties. After that, Dorian felt nothing and wanted to save it, but it was too late. Sybil thought Dorian would never love herself again and committed suicide in despair.
Knowing this fact, Dorian regretted it. But inadvertently, he found a trace of coldness in his portrait. This surprised Dorian. He never thought that his wish would come true. No matter what he does, people will never find a stain on his appearance. For this reason, Dorian's conscience was broken, and he became as evil as his friend Henry, having fun, finding some ordinary girls, playing with their looks and then abandoning them. The fate of these women is naturally tragic.
Unconsciously, eighteen years have passed. Dorian is as young and handsome as he was eighteen years ago, and Henry has become a half-bad old man. Dorian has a mysterious hobby, that is, after every evil deed, he will look at the portrait and become old and evil again and again, but he is still so young and full of vitality, and he enjoys it. He doesn't allow anyone to look at this portrait, so people don't know its secret.
One day, Dorian got entangled with a woman he had abandoned before, and this woman was abandoned by Dorian and became a prostitute. Inadvertently, a man was surprised when he heard the woman call Dorian "Prince Charming". This man is Sybil's brother James. For eighteen years, he has been looking for the killer of his sister. However, he didn't know the name of the noble, only that his sister called her lover "Prince Charming".
James caught up with Dorian and threatened to kill him. Dorian desperately denied it. Finally, Dorian said, "Look at my face in the light!" " "Because Dorian's appearance is only in his early twenties, James thinks he can't be the man who was eighteen years ago. Dorian survived. However, James learned from subsequent conversations with women that Dorian was already a "charming prince" 8 years ago.
Later, the author of the portrait came back to visit Tao Ren, because Tao Ren had a bad reputation and the painter didn't believe it. One night, the painter came to Tao Ren's home alone, and Tao Ren told him the secret of the painting. The painter was heartbroken. He couldn't believe that his hard work was destroyed by Tao Ren. He thinks that Tao Ren ruined the painting. Tao Ren said, you are wrong. It was this painting that ruined me. After that, Dorian began to hate all this and killed the painter himself.
In order to destroy the body, Dorian threatened Campbell, a chemistry enthusiast, with something in his hand. Campbell was forced to destroy the painter's body. No one knows what happened that night. People want to know where the painter went. Anyway, Dorian is safe.
Dorian went on holiday somewhere else. On the way, he found that James had been following him. Dorian had to be on tenterhooks for fear that he would die. However, his worry is unnecessary. In the process of hunting, James died unexpectedly, and no one came to Dorian to kill him.
Dorian turned over a new leaf. This time he didn't touch the little girl who fell in love with him. However, when he returned to his room, he found that the portrait had not changed at all. No matter what he does, nothing can make up for what he did in the past. Dorian wanted to destroy the portrait because it was evidence of his crime. But in the end, the portrait was intact and Dorian killed himself by mistake.
When people found Dorian's body, no one believed that the old and disgusting man would be the young man who stayed young forever the day before, but the portrait was restored to its original appearance.
Perhaps, only Tao Ren's death can make atonement and restore the portrait to its innocent face.
The author begins by saying, "Youth is nothing but it!" It is precisely because Dao Lian agreed with this view that he took youth so seriously, which ruined the youth of many people and made his youth meaningless. It is impossible to go back in time. It is precisely because youth is perishable that we cherish it more. Besides spending a lifetime in love, we can also have many meaningful things to give. After reading so many books, anyone who values love above everything else is often very fragile. Just as Sybil can live, Tao Ren may not have such a tragic ending, although Tao Ren deserved it.
Youth is really precious, but it is not the only thing. In order to stay young forever, Tao Ren lost the happiness of his life.