SP Books Publishes Limited Edition of Wilde's "Dorian Gray" Manuscript
SP Books, of Paris, has published this month a limited-edition reproduction of the original handwritten manuscript for The Picture of Dorian Gray. Oscar Wilde's only novel, widely considered a Gothic classic, was first published in a censored version in Lippincott's magazine in 1890, where it still attracted significant controversy. Wilde wrote a revised version for publication again the following year, removing some of the incisive content, but adding in an eloquent preface in defense of the role of art in society. That edition in turn became the standard text for all subsequent publications of the novel.
The new edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray from SP Books is the first publication of the novel in its original, unedited form, in Wilde's own autograph, inclusive of Wilde's own struck-out paragraphs. The SP edition also includes a foreword from Wilde's grandson, the scholar Merlin Holland.
The book itself is presented in a limited, large format, luxury edition of 1,000 hand-numbered copies, with gilt-embossed slipcase and cover ornamentations. It is available for $250 from the publisher.
