Book Description
A unique one-volume anthology which includes all of Wilde's stories, plays, and poems. It also features a large portion of his essays and letters and an introduction by Wilde's son, Vyvyan Holland.
Customer Reviews:
Collectable.......2007-05-12
Not practical book to carry and to read it while outside, but it is just the way how ALL-IN-ONE book is...However, good to have all his works together...
Magnificent!.......2006-10-13
I wish there was some way to make this large tome more compact, because (if it were possible) I would probably carry it around with me wherever I went! I originally became familiar with his work because Carl Barat and Pete Doherty (band members of The Libertines, a fantastic British band) had mentioned him amongst their favourite authors. I decided to read "The Picture of Dorian Gray". I liked so much that I decided to buy the whole collection of Wilde's plays, poems, and stories.
Perhaps I am biased because I particularly enjoy literature from the 1800s (Edgar Allan Poe, Emily Dickinson, Mark Twain, Lewis Carroll, Edwin A. Abbott), though I must admit that I haven't come across anything similar to Oscar Wilde's work before. Wilde's profound ability of creating rich, imaginative dialogue is especially evident in his plays and his one novel, "The Picture of Dorian Gray". Many of his plays, especially The Importance of Being Earnest, are too fantastic, too purely Victorian in nature to be imaginable as happening in real life. However, I think that it is the underlying fanciful, almost surrealistic quality of much of his stories and poems that make them most interesting. The sheer amount of quotable phrases found in his work is something to really be marvelled at. Not only the dialogue, but the quality of the plot is brilliant as well. "The Picture of Dorian Gray", a tale of a handsome youth's descent into madness and debauchery, is particularly striking. It makes me wonder what other stories Wilde could have produced if his life had not been so tragically short (1854-1900).
Though he might be more well-known for his plays and novel, his first published material was poetry. His poetry, as does his other work, embodies his ideals of aesthetics: "art for art's sake". The articulate, minute description of details which might go unnoticed or seen as obsolete matter a great deal in the aesthetic philosophy, as does the beautification of objects and art in everyday life. Wilde even had a tour of lectures on the aesthetic movement in the United States and Canada in 1882, though his philosophy wasn't well-received by the majority of critics.
Wilde had said that "The House of Pomegranates", one of his collections of fairy-tales, was "intended neither for the British child nor the British public". This is believable to an extent, because the majority of Wilde's material seems to be encompassed in a world of his own. He was incredibly proficient at putting down onto paper the very heart and soul of what he was trying to convey, which eventually contributed to getting him into trouble later on. The "The Picture of Dorian Gray" became notorious amongst critics as being a "corrupt" and "unclean" work, chiefly due to the apparently "sinful" nature of Dorian Gray and his misadventures.
This collection is 1000+ pages in length, though it didn't take me a considerably long time to read because I found the bulk of it incredibly interesting and well-written. Even for those who have read some of his work before (any poems, stories, essays, and/or letters), and especially for those who haven't...get this book! You will not regret for a moment the decision to delve further into the literature of one of the greatest authors that I know of.
no dates.......2006-03-26
This is a very well priced volume. It lacks any notation as to the source or dates of all the texts. In fact, the copyright doesn't even tell you when this volume was published. No named editor. Nevertheless, it's got so much: De Profundis, decay of lying, artist as critic, and then the plays, Dorian, etc. No letters and nothing from trials, but a great volume for the price.
"I Hate It When Everyone Agrees With Me, For Then I Must Consider That I Might Be Wrong".......2005-12-21
The title says it all. This is THEE complete works of Ireland's gift to Victorian London. Wilde's plays, essays, poems, his sole novel, The Picture of Dorian Grey, and his last bitter work, De Profundus, (From The Depths) a letter to his lover and betrayer, Lord Alfred Douglas, is re-printed as well. For the price, it's the best way to add this celebrated, tragic wit to your library.
the cover (thin film).......2005-09-06
was peeled off and stuck on to the shipping bag.
Customer Reviews:
my favorite work by WIlde.......2007-06-25
My introduction to WIlde was through his dramatic work. I thought it was dull and dated. SO I assumed he was over rated and ignored his work for years. A few moths ago one of my homies was raving about Pictures of Dorian grey so I gave it a go. I found the first half to be very impressive, the second half wasnt bad either. I was glad to know that Wilde had earned his rep. I wasnt even aware of his fairy tales. wowza! homie can write! this is the strongest work ive read by him. each tale is profound and beautiful. six star classic work.
Sublime and Beautiful.......2007-06-21
Oscar Wilde has an eloquence that involves and transports the reader to magical lands that he in his mind has envisioned for us; lands where love, goodness, and kindness are the victors. I have often thought that we have left the best of us behind us, and Mr. Wilde is a prime example of this.
If you allow his powerful mastery of words for imagery and emotion to capture your heart and imagination, you will enjoy his literary works quite well.
Great, Unique Tales With Wonderful Morals.......2007-05-18
This is actually the first time I've read Oscar Wilde. I started The Picture of Dorian Gray a long time ago, but never finished it for some reason. His compete fairy tales were wonderful! I loved them all. They were all quite unique, but revisited common themes seen in children's fairy tales. The moral lessons were the same.
The book is broken up into two separate collections. The first is called The Happy Prince and the second is A House of Pomegranates. Wilde must have loved pomegranates as I think they are mentioned in nearly every fairy tale in the book.
The Happy Prince consists of 5 tales:
The Happy Prince: A statue of a prince asks a bird friend to deliver precious gems on his body to people who are in need in the town so that they may survive and in turn is deemed to be no longer beautiful.
The Nightingale and the Rose: A Nightingale makes the ultimate sacrifice in the form of a song so that a a boy may win the heart of a maiden.
The Selfish Giant: A grumpy giant closes his courtyard off to children so Spring refuses to come back leaving Winter to constantly blunder him. This one has a very bizarre ending in my opinion.
The Devoted Friend: A friend accepts a small favor and is expected to do entirely too much in return.
The Remarkable Rocket: A rocket (firecracker) who is quite arrogant ends up being the bottom of the bunch.
and A House of Pomegranates consists of 4 tales:
The Young King: A King has a series of dreams which lead him to no longer want the royal treatment once he sees what it costs others.
The Birthday of the Infanta: A dwarf who performs for the Infanta on her birthday becomes obsessively in love with her and is disillusioned on his way to finding her.
The Fisherman and His Soul: A fisherman gives his soul to be with a mermaid and learns the hard way the price that he has paid for doing so.
The Star-Child: A Child falls from the sky, is taken in by a family, and grows to have a horrible attitude. When he tries to redeem himself, he finds that it may be too late to do so.
Wilde's writing was remarkable and a pleasure to read. Fairy tales from this era are my favorite! The tone, the setting, and above all, the language is just perfect. The English language was at the perfect point for fairy tales at that time. Many of the stories had Christian themes to them, something that I didn't expect from Wilde. I found that interesting. This is definitely a collection that I hope to one day be able to read to my own children as they fall to sleep. Beautiful stories with classic lessons.
WHEN WILDE WAS A FATHER AND A GOOD FAMILY MAN.......2006-07-27
his wit and brilliance shone in tales for his own children. He was of course still an Irishman raising freedom fighters for a just society.
Don't tell anyone but bare text can be downloaded from the great guttenberg project of these stories, but it so much better to have this book to read to your own children at night, instead of the stupidities we see on television. It is so much nicer to have a book in hand to pass on to your own child, and this book has much more to teach and to entertain than any other modern so-called childrne's book.
Fairy Tales for Adults.......2006-02-25
Wilde's Fairy Tales work on many levels, and the moral is not always obvious. Really well-written.
Book Description
In print since 1948, this is a single-volume collection of Oscar Wilde's texts. It contains his only novel, "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" as well as his plays, stories, poems, essays and letters. Illustrated with many photographs, the book includes introductions to each section by Wilde's grandon, Merlin Holoand, Owen Dudley Edwards, Declan Kibertd and Terence Brown. A comprehensive bibliography of works by and about Oscar Wilde together with a chronological table of his life and work are also included.
Customer Reviews:
The Best of Wilde.......2007-06-27
I'm very pleased with the book. All of Wilde's wit is right there at my fingertips. It's a handsome book, too. Thank you.
If you love Wilde, you MUST own this book!.......2006-11-27
Though the print is small for those of us over 40, it's worth it - if not, it would weigh about 10 pounds! As it is, it's a tome, but worth reading, and re-reading time and again. It has everything - everything! - that you'll ever hear mentioned - his stories, his novels, his essay's.
It would make a great gift for a young writer, as well.
This compilation complete, well printed, top 10 library purchase!.......2006-07-28
This particular compilation is not only complete, but is a well printed, well packaged addition to the books you would want in your top 10!
All Wilde.......2006-07-09
I had purchased this complete works of Oscar Wilde since I'd seen several of the recent releases of the theatrical versions of his plays and wanted to know more. As far as one volume complete works go, this has the usual weight (but not to heavy), small print (but not microscopic), and thin paper. It does have intros by Wilde's son and grandson which are interesting. Not having read much of Wilde it's been great being able to read not only his famous works (The Importance of Being Ernest, the Canterville Ghost) but also his lesser known ones (Lady Windemere's Fan). His plays are witty and often make interesting observations on human interactions, but they start seeming redundant after you've read more than three (every one seems to include a debonair, worldly cynic who offers his insights on the world--the characters played by Rupert Everett if he performs Wilde). I've yet to finish all the works but I look forward to attempting to do so.
I would recommend this book to new Wilde fans, literature majors, etc. For those just looking to read one or two of his works this would not be the way to start.
fantastic.......2005-12-25
Oscar Wilde is one of the best writers that ever lived and this book is a must have!
Average customer rating:
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The Complete Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Manufacturer: Quality Paperback Club, 1996
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
 Wilde, Oscar
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ASIN: 4555699629 |
Average customer rating:
- An enjoyable mix
- Wilde is Wonderful
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The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde (Dover Value Editions)
Oscar Wilde
Manufacturer: Dover Publications
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The Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde
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Oscar Wilde's Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations (Dover Thrift Editions)
ASIN: 0486452166 |
Book Description
Ranging from fairy tales to detective yarns, this collection showcases Wilde's brilliant storytelling skills and stylistic versatility. Contents include the complete texts of The Happy Prince and Other Tales, A House of Pomegranates, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories, Poems in Prose, and "The Portrait of Mr. W. H."
Customer Reviews:
An enjoyable mix.......2007-01-05
This anthology collects Wilde's shorter and generally earlier writings. It's an eclectic mix (but what did you expect?), in a number of styles.
The first few pieces adopt a faux archaic language, lending a faux antiquity to these "fairy tales." In an anachronistic mix of styles, Wilde delivers talking animals and other cuteness as modern fairy tales demand - but an underlying chill, a memory of the adult horror that such stories had in the ages when only a glimmer of fire kept the night terrors at bay. One longish (25 page) story breaks up this section, the "Portrait of Mr. W. H." When that became tedious, I skipped ahead to the next writings in that classicoid style. BTW, P. Craig Russell has done graphic adaptations of some of these stories, and I recommend them highly
The book's next 60 pages, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories," present four brief tales in which many readers will recognize Wilde's wiles. They are drawing-room comedies of manners. They're rhinestones - they sparkle and please, without offering or pretending to offer any profound value. If you liked "The Importance of Being Earnest" for that character, you'll like these for the same reason.
The book winds down with a few "Poems in Prose," epigrammatic stories of a page or two each. It must be a demanding literary form, compressing so much breadth of concept into so very few words. Wilde, of course, mastered it, as he proves here. It's a fitting finish, a tightly concentrated savory, to the end of this literary feast.
//wiredweird
Wilde is Wonderful.......2007-01-04
Up to this point I have been unfamiliar with Oscar Wilde's short stories, having only read The Importance of Being Earnest, which I absolutely loved. This book is an intriguing collection of delightful works that is not only entertaining, but thought-provoking too. As always, Wilde cleverly stashes plenty of wit and personality in his writing with a classic style claimed by him alone. I highly recommend this book, it is definitely worth the price.
Average customer rating:
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The Complete Illustrated Stories, Plays and Poems of Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde
Manufacturer: Sterling
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover
Wilde, Oscar
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ASIN: 185152102X |
Book Description
He was brilliant, flamboyant, and unconventional, one of the great figures of his--or any other--age. Although Oscar Wilde's reputation now rests primarily on his sparkling, sophisticated plays with their razor-sharp wit, his body of work goes far beyond even those. Here, in one volume, is the sum of his artistic genius: all his stories, plays, fairy tales, and poems, complete with period illustrations. To find evidence of Wilde's theatrical savvy, one need look no further than The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband, both of which satirize and humorously highlight the hypocrisy of Victorian life. The Picture of Dorian Gray captures a profound knowledge of the depths to which the human soul can plunge, and in the years since it was written, its final moments have lost none of their power. In his fairy stories, including The Happy Prince and Other Tales, written for his own children, Wilde reveals heights of tenderness and beauty. There are classics like the Canterville Ghost and more-more than 850 pages worth! 864 pages (50 in color), 5 3/4 x 8 1/4.
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Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (Collins Classics)
Oscar Wilde , and
Collins Celtic
Manufacturer: Collins Celtic
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
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ASIN: 0004704738 |
Book Description
Here is Oscar Wilde revealed in his own words--including more than 200 previously unpublished letters--available to coincide with the one hundredth anniversary of his death
Deliciously wicked, astoundingly clever, and often outright shocking, Oscar Wilde put his art into his work and his genius into his life. In this collection, replete with newly discovered letters, the full extent of that genius is unveiled.
Charting his life from his Irish upbringing to fame in his fin de siècle London to infamy and exile in Paris, the letters--written between 1875 and 1900 to publishers and fans, friends and lovers, enemies and adversaries--resound with Wilde's wit, brilliance, and humanity. Wilde's grandson, Merlin Holland, and Rupert Hart-Davis have produced a provocative and revealing self-portrait.
Wilde's reputation as a serious thinker, humorous writer, and gay icon continues to flourish. The Complete Letters is an intimate exploration of his life and thoughts--Wilde in his own words.
Customer Reviews:
Wilde speaking for himself.......2002-05-01
This book is an absolue delight, a most wonderful portrait of one of the most interesting figures in history. When people think of Oscar Wilde, they think scandals and love affairs. Wilde has most certainly been made into a larger than life character. This book humanizes Wilde, gives him a chance to speak for himself, to show what he really was. His business corrospondnce, letters to his children, these simple writings from his everyday life show a sign of Wilde that people do not think about. I can't recommend this book highly enough.
The not so "Wilde" writings of Oscar..........2001-01-17
As one of those people who has always found Oscar Wilde an interesting and inscrutable character I had great expectations and an insatiable desire to finally peruse the epistolary output of this remarkable man. Sadly and I will add through no fault of the editors of this opus this compilation will probably leave most readers still searching for insight. Many of these letters (if not the majority) deal with very mundane issues (e.g. business arrangements,inquiries to publishers, very conventional thank you notes and in the post-gaol notes a good number of entreaties for money). Of course this book does contain De Profundis which does present some fascinating insights about the way his mind was functioning during his incarceration as well as the great indignities attendant with this. I would still recommend this to the diehard Wilde fanatic but to the novice would recommend a good standard biography (Ellman's for example).
WILDE with delight!.......2000-12-18
Though Mr. Wilde is indeed dead, his memory and writing is still with us. With this new book, "THE COMPLETE LETTERS OF OSCAR WILDE" you get a total new insiders glance on Oscar Wilde and his life. If you are a fan of Oscar Wilde, merely just heard of him, or a fan of literature, this is a must-have!
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Complete Poetry (Oxford World's Classics)
Oscar Wilde
Manufacturer: Oxford University Press, USA
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback
Wilde, Oscar
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Wilde, Oscar
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ASIN: 0192835262 |
Book Description
`Yet each man kills the thing he loves, By each let this be heard, Some do it with a bitter look, Some with a flattering word, The coward does it with a kiss, The brave man with a sword!' A powerful poem of universal guilt and a protest against capital punishment, The Ballad of Reading Gaol is Wilde's best-known poem, yet it is quite unlike the rest of his poetry. At Oxford Wilde discarded the passion and politics of his mother's Irish nationalistic anti-famine poetry and opted to follow an English Romantic tradition, paying tribute to Keats, Swinburne, and the Pre-Raphaelites. Admiration of French masters gradually led to his writing Impressionist, even decadent poems and his collection Poems (1881) brought accusations of obscenity and plagiarism as well as scathing reviews. Unabashed, Wilde revised and reprinted his final `Author's Edition' in 1892, by which time he was the successful author of fiction, criticism, and Lady Windermere's Fan. This volume follows as closely as possible the chronological order of composition, highlighting autobiographical elements including the young Wilde's conflicting attitudes to Greece and Rome, pagan and Christian, and his fluctuating attraction to Roman Catholicism. The Appendix shows Wilde's original ordering, constructed with great care around a `musical' arrangement of themes. The poems reveal unexpected aspects of a literary chameleon usually identified with sparkling wit and social comedy.
Book Description
Edited with an Introduction by Ian Small.
Customer Reviews:
One of the best books ever!.......1998-07-23
Oscar Wilde is a fantastic writer and person. In this book he devolops his thinking about the world so extrememly good, that he deveserves 5stars. I read a lot of plays by Wilde and some of his short stories and I can only come to one conclusion: This is the best writer ever with Shelley, Keats and Fitzgerald. You have got to love this one.
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Oscar Wilde
The Secret Life Of Oscar Wilde
The Wit & Wisdom of Oscar Wilde
