Book Anatomy · The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1890, 79,299 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1890, 79,299 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
79,299 words. Modern gothic and horror often runs 70,000 to 90,000 words, so this is in the usual range today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At 79,299 words across 20 chapters, the novel is moderate length for Gothic fiction. It is shorter than many Victorian novels but longer than modern novellas. The length allows for psychological depth and philosophical dialogue without excessive plot.
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1890, 79,299 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
The novel was serialised in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in 1890. Chapter breaks align with natural plot divisions: the portrait's creation (chapters 1 to 2), Sibyl's story (chapters 4 to 8), the hidden years (chapters 9 to 11), the murder (chapters 12 to 14), and the reckoning (chapters 15 to 20).
Chapters: Ch 1, Ch 2, Ch 4, Ch 8, Ch 9, Ch 11
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern comps include Tana French's psychological thrillers for moral corruption, Donna Tartt's The Secret History for beauty and evil, and contemporary Gothic like Mexican Gothic for atmosphere. Books exploring the cost of beauty and the Faustian bargain structure align with Wilde's approach.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
The novel shelves in Gothic fiction, horror, and classic literature. It appeals to readers of psychological thrillers, dark academia, and philosophical fiction. Modern audiences interested in beauty, morality, and the supernatural will find it relevant. LGBTQ+ readers may appreciate Wilde's subtext.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: suicide (Sibyl Vane), murder (Basil Hallward), drug use (opium), implied sexual content, class exploitation, and death. The novel contains period attitudes toward women and class that may offend modern readers.
Chapters: Ch 5, Ch 8, Ch 13, Ch 14, Ch 15
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
A beautiful young man makes a Faustian bargain to remain eternally young while his portrait bears the weight of his sins. As he pursues endless pleasure and beauty, his hidden corruption spreads to everyone around him, until the portrait's curse demands a final reckoning.
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The title is straightforward and symbolic, naming the central object rather than the protagonist. This is typical of Gothic and horror fiction (The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Haunting of Hill House). The simplicity masks the novel's philosophical depth and moral complexity.
Ask The Picture of Dorian Gray a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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