The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

In this celebrated work, his only novel, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde\'s most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
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The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

Here is Oscar Wilde's most brilliant tour de force, a witty and buoyant comedy of manners that has delighted millions in countless productions since its first performance in London's St. James' Theatre on February 14, 1895.* The Importance of Being Earnest* is celebrated not only for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot, but for its inspired dialogue, rich with scintillating epigrams still savored by all who enjoy artful conversation. From the play's effervescent beginnings in Algernon Moncrieff's London flat to its hilarious denouement in the drawing room of Jack Worthing's country manor in Hertfordshire, this comic masterpiece keeps audiences breathlessly anticipating a new bon mot or a fresh twist of plot moment to moment. **
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An Ideal Husband

An Ideal Husband

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

This book was converted from its physical edition to the digital format by a community of volunteers. You may find it for free on the web. Purchase of the Kindle edition includes wireless delivery. ** ### From Publishers Weekly Chapman, author of the bestselling *The Five Love Languages,* teams up with psychologist Thomas for thoughtful dissection of another tricky subject. Chapman and Thomas choose to tackle the apology because, as with love, understanding it is essential for developing, maintaining and repairing relationships. Apology, however, covers a much broader scope, applying to all varieties of relationships, from the deeply personal connection between intimate partners to the formal relationships between nations. Chapman and Thomas's basic observation that we don't all agree on what constitutes a sincere apology is perhaps not surprising, but it may, as they show, help couples who can't resolve arguments because their apologies aren't accepted. The authors stress that you need to learn the "language" of the person you are apologizing to: for one person, it may be expressing regret, while for another it's accepting responsibility or making restitution. Especially useful is the chapter that helps readers learn which language of apology feels most sincere to them. Chapman and Thomas are most apt when they seek to repair relationships not with large ideas but with simple basics that are too often taken for granted. *(Sept.)* Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved. ### Review Shows how a good adaptation of a classic can speak to the present age. --*AudioFile*
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The Nightingale and the Rose

The Nightingale and the Rose

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

This scarce antiquarian book is a facsimile reprint of the original. Due to its age, it may contain imperfections such as marks, notations, marginalia and flawed pages. Because we believe this work is culturally important, we have made it available as part of our commitment for protecting, preserving, and promoting the world's literature in affordable, high quality, modern editions that are true to the original work. **
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Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast

Only Dull People Are Brilliant at Breakfast

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

'It would be unfair to expect other people to be as remarkable as oneself'Wilde's celebrated witticisms on the dangers of sincerity, duplicitous biographers, the stupidity of the English - and his own genius. One of 46 new books in the bestselling Little Black Classics series, to celebrate the first ever Penguin Classic in 1946. Each book gives readers a taste of the Classics' huge range and diversity, with works from around the world and across the centuries - including fables, decadence, heartbreak, tall tales, satire, ghosts, battles and elephants.
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The Short Stories of Oscar Wilde

The Short Stories of Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

An innovative new edition of nine classic short stories from one of the greatest writers of the Victorian era."I cannot think other than in stories," Oscar Wilde once confessed to his friend André Gide. In this new selection of his short fiction, Wilde's gifts as a storyteller are on full display, accompanied by informative facing-page annotations from Wilde biographer and scholar Nicholas Frankel. A wide-ranging introduction brings readers into the world from which the author drew inspiration.Each story in the collection brims with Wilde's trademark wit, style, and sharp social criticism. Many are reputed to have been written for children, although Wilde insisted this was not true and that his stories would appeal to all "those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy." "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" stands alongside Wilde's comic masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest, while other stories—including "The Happy Prince," the tale of a...
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The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

In this celebrated work, his only novel, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde\'s most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
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  • 564
The Happy Prince and Other Fairy Tales

The Happy Prince and Other Fairy Tales

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) is deservedly famous for the brilliant plays and other works he wrote for adults. But he also was a wonderful writer for children, the author of two charming volumes of fairy tales. In this captivating collection you will find every one of the nine sensitive, unforgettable stories he wrote for young readers. Included here are "The Happy Prince," a tale of a young nobleman who in his lifetime sought only pleasure, but in death, as a gold-encrusted statue, provides aid to the needy; "The Selfish Giant," in which children are prohibited from playing in the garden of an unfeeling colossus; and "The Star-Child," the tale of a beautiful boy whose ugly spirit causes his physical appearance to become equally grotesque. Also here are such favorites as "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Birthday of Infants," "The Remarkable Rocket," "The Devoted Friend," "The Young King," and "The Fisherman and His Soul." Reprinted complete and unabridged, these enchanting tales...
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The Complete Plays

The Complete Plays

Oscar Wilde

Theatre / Poetry / Fiction

This volume contains everything Wilde wrote in dramatic form. Wilde's masterpiece The Importance of Being Earnest is printed here in its usual three-act form, but with an appendix containing the best material from the original four-act version. Also included are his three 'problem plays', Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance and An Ideal Husband, as well as his once-banned Salome and several other little-known but fascinating dramas. H. Montgomery Hyde, an acknowledged expert on Wilde and author of several books on him, provides an introduction to Wilde's life and work with special attention to the composition and performance of the plays. "Wilde is to me our only thorough playwright. He plays with everything: with wit, with philosophy, with drama, with actors and audiences, with the whole theatre" (George Bernard Shaw).
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