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In celebration of pride month, we’ve decided to explore the brilliant works of Irish poet and playwright, Oscar Wilde. Wilde was a prolific writer and in the early 1890s, became one of the most popular playwrights in London. His fame extended far beyond his own generation however and his works continue to captivate readers and audiences today.
Wilde came from a prominent family and was educated in Ireland before coming to England to study at Oxford. He wrote a great number of works in his lifetime, including poetry, plays, essays and novels. Wilde is perhaps best known for his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, a study of beauty, vanity and the evil that can come with both. He was at the forefront of the Aestheticism movement which centred on the idea that art exists for the sake of beauty alone.
Wilde was known for his witty and satirical plays. This collection contains many of his most famous works, including Lady Windermere’s Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Ernest and Salome. The first four are all considered social comedies, using satire to explore the double-standards of upper class Victorian society and themes such as romance, scandal and mistaken identities. Salome, in contrast, is a tragedy. Originally written in French, it tells the story of King Herod’s stepdaughter and John the Baptist. All of the plays in this collection showcase Wilde’s eloquence and masterful use of satire.
Often considered Wilde’s greatest masterpiece, The Picture of Dorian Gray offers a fascinating insight into the human soul. Obsessed with his own beauty, the vain protagonist sells his soul in pursuit of eternal youth and perfection. He seeks to capture his beauty in a portrait of himself but the painting merely becomes a record of his evil endeavours. His descent into a world of crime and sensuality symbolises the loss of innocence and the effect of debauchery and a life lived without care for the consequences. Wilde’s witty epigrammatic style and gothic themes present him as a most accomplished writer.
This volume contains eight brilliant short stories written between 1887-1891. It includes: ‘Lord Arthur Savile's Crime’, ‘The Canterville Ghost’, ‘The Sphinx Without a Secret’ and ‘The Model Millionaire’ – all brilliant, partially comical mystery stories. Filled with dandies, anarchists, murders, romance and more, these stories are both humorous and poignant. All eight are fine examples of Wilde’s cynical voice and lyrical style.
Written for Wilde’s children, The Happy Prince tells a sad but profound tale. Left behind by its flock, a lonely swallow befriends the statue of the Happy Prince. The Prince has never experienced true sorrow and asks the swallow to strip his statue of all its jewels so that he might experience it. Wilde draws upon Christian ideas in his story and seeks to impress valuable lessons in this inspiring and enchanting tale. Containing illustrations by Lars Bo, this volume can be enjoyed by readers of all ages.
This short story was again written for Wilde’s children. One day, a giant builds a wall around his garden to keep children out. In his garden, it is continually winter until the day some children slip through a hole in the wall and enter the garden. As Spring flourishes, the giant’s heart begins to thaw. This beautiful fairy-tale has enchanted readers for generations. It reveals Wilde as a brilliant children’s writer as well as a satirist.
Oscar Wilde is often remembered for the trials that sent him to jail. First trialled for libel, then gross indecency with men, he was sent to prison for several years. De Profundis is the lengthy letter he wrote during his incarceration, addressed to Lord Alfred Douglas with whom he was in love. Following his release, he sent the letter away to be published. Extracts were released but the fuller version wasn’t printed until 1949. The letter’s tone is both passionate and bitter, exaggerated and plain speaking. It offers an insight into the mind and heart of Oscar Wilde while also observing his literary processes.
Hesketh Pearson’s biography truthfully and objectively discusses the life of Oscar Wilde. As a contemporary of Wilde, Hekseth had a great interest in the life of the famed writer. He deals successfully with the complicities of Wilde’s often controversial personality, exploring his life in a witty and entertaining manner while clearly presenting the facts. As a book about Wilde, this volume feels like one not to be missed from this brilliant list.
Wilde’s ability to write in a variety of different formats is astonishing. His criticism of Victorian society and of human behaviour convey his earnest intentions to expose the issues in the world around him.
Condemned for his sexuality, he understood the importance of identity and the difficulties attached to sexuality in Victorian England. His fearlessness when it came to dealing with complex topics is just one of the reasons his works remain so popular today.
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