'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' When Dorian Gray has his portrait painted, he is captivated by his own beauty. Tempted by his world-weary, decadent friend Lord Henry Wotton, he wishes to stay forever young, and pledges his very soul to keep his good looks. Set in fin-de-siecle London, the novel traces a path from the studio of painter Basil Hallward to the opium dens of the East End. As Dorian's slide into crime and cruelty progresses he stays magically youthful, while his beautiful portrait changes, revealing the hideous corruption of moral decay. Ever since its first publication in 1890 Wilde's only novel has remained the subject of critical controversy. Acclaimed by some as an instructive moral tale, it has been denounced by others for its implicit immorality. Combining elements of the supernatural, aestheticism, and the Gothic, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an unclassifiable and uniquely unsettling work of fiction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

"The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde" is a celebration of the author's finest witticisms, aphorisms, paradoxes and ironical remarks. It features hundreds of acerbic and razor-sharp quotations from the iconic Victorian Aesthete and rebel and is beautifully decorated with black-and-white illustrations including those by Wilde's contemporary and friend, Aubrey Beardsley - the most controversial artist of the Art Nouveau era. It is an accessible and elegantly organized collection, with quotes gathered according to themes, perfect to dip into on the reader's whim. "The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde" brings before the reader the virtuoso of a well-turned phrase and the master of the studied insult; indeed, so perfect were Wilde's verbal thrusts that his victims were often flattered to have been the cause of them. His aphorisms and paradoxes, ironical remarks and needle-sharp rejoinders were repeated with delight - not least by Wilde himself, who took an artist's pride in his work. Yet for all that, his shafts were rarely cruel, for behind them lay great warmth of character, generosity of spirit, and a profound understanding of human life and human vanities. "The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde" shows us why, more than a hundred years after his death, people of every age and from all walks of life are still drawn to Wilde's dazzling repartee and the wicked brilliance of his social observations, while his plays and stories continue to entertain and enthral succeeding generations.

1911. Wilde, Irish poet and dramatist whose reputation rests on his comic masterpieces Lady Wintermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest. De Profundis was written from Wilde's prison cell at Reading Gaol to his friend and lover Lord Alfred Douglas. It explodes the conventions of the traditional love letter and offers a scathing indictment of Douglas's behavior, a mournful elegy for Wilde's own lost greatness, and an impassioned plea for reconciliation. At once a bracingly honest account of ruinous attachment and a profound meditation on human suffering. See other titles by this author available from Kessinger Publishing.

An extraordinary volume for fans and students
Including The Importance of Being Earnest, An Ideal Husband, A Woman of No Importance, Lady Windermere's Fan , and Salomé , this collection showcases Wilde's brilliance and timeless wit.

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He graduated from Oxford University in 1878 with a reputation as a brilliant scholar and quickly dazzled London society with his wit and his flamboyant dress. His first literary successes came in the 1880s with his lecture tour of America and the publication of his fairy tales. These were followed by five highly polished plays and
, all completed during the first half of the 1890s. After losing a slander suit over accusations of his homosexual behavior, Wilde was prosecuted and spent two years in prison. Following his release in 1897, estranged from his wife and children, Wilde moved to Paris, where he died in 1900.

Oscar Wilde was already one of the best known literary figures in Britain when he was persuaded to turn his extraordinary talents to the theatre. Between 1891 and 1895 he produced a sequence of distinctive plays which spearheaded the dramatic renaissance of the 1890s and retain their power today. The social comedies, Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, and An Ideal Husband, offer a moving as well as witty dissection of society and its morals, with a sharp focus on sexual politics. By contrast, the experimental, symbolist Salome, written originally in French, was banned for public performance by the English censor. His final dramatic triumph was his 'trivial' comedy for serious people, The Importance of Being Earnest' arguably the greatest farcical comedy in English. Under the General Editorship of Dr Michael Cordner of the University of York, the texts of the plays have been newly edited and are presented with modernized spelling and punctuation. In addition, there is a scholarly introduction and detailed annotation. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

Publisher Comments:
The highest standards in editing and production have been applied to the Wordsworth Children's Classics, while the low price makes them affordable for everyone. Wordsworth's list covers a range of the best-loved stories for children, from nursery tales, classic fables, and fairy tales to stories that will appeal to older children and adults alike. Many of these volumes have contemporary illustrations, and while they are ideal for shared family reading, their attractive format will also encourage children to read for themselves. Like all Wordsworth Editions, these children's books represent unbeatable value.
Synopsis:
These fantasies and true-to-life fables were created by Oscar Wilde for his own sons. Here is the tale of the Prince who is not as happy as he seems, of the Selfish Giant who learns how to love children, and of the Star-Child who suffers bitter trials when he rejects his parents.

"Criticism is itself an art." This is one of the singular arguments in what must be one of Oscar Wilde's most compelling critical dialogues ever published. The Critic as Artist explores Wilde's defense of criticism through sharp, witty dialogue and riveting, thoughtful arguments. This theoretical dialogue uses prime examples to discuss many elements, such as criticism as an art form, the true definition of a critic, criticism's value over art, and more. A special treasure for admirers of Wilde and a welcome addition to any bookshelf, The Critic as Artist exemplifies the playwright's witty look on the world and his true love of art. --- About the author: Born in Dublin, Ireland in 1854, Oscar Wilde went on to become a prominent playwright, poet, and novelist all throughout the late Victorian Age. His many accomplishments in the field of writing have earned him praise as one of the most successful authors and playwrights of his era and beyond. He died in Paris in 1900 at the age of 46.

"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a familiar story of greed, sin, and arrogance. A young man, infatuated with his own handsomeness and youth as depicted in a perfect portrait, makes a bargain he will come to regret. No one can save him from his appetite for pleasure and his awful fate--not the man who idolizes him, not the woman who loves him, and not even himself!
Published in 1890, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is Oscar Wilde's only novel. At first the subject of intense controversy, it has endured as a classic for years. This Canterbury Classics edition includes the beloved story as well as a special heat-burnished cover, foil stamping, and designed endpapers in an easy-to-carry package.
A cautionary tale of innocence sacrificed for the sake of vice, "The Picture of Dorian Gray" is a classic whose lessons are still relevant today.
About the Word Cloud Classics series:
Classic works of literature with a clean, modern aesthetic! Perfect for both old and new literature fans, the Word Cloud Classics series from Canterbury Classics provides a chic and inexpensive introduction to timeless tales. With a higher production value, including heat burnished covers and foil stamping, these eye-catching, easy-to-hold editions are the

Edited with an Introduction by Ian Small.

Intentions is a unique collection of critical dialogues and essays by Irish playwright and novelist, Oscar Wilde. It is made up of four sections of dialogues including The Decay of Lying, The Critic as Artist and The Truth of Masks. Intentions is highly recommended for those who enjoy the writings of Oscar Wilde and for those who are discovering his writings for the first time.

'He was not blind to the fact that murder, like the religions of the Pagan world, requires a victim as well as a priest...'

A collection of literature anthologies and reference books for Key Stage 3 onwards.

Product Description
Witty and buoyant comedy of manners is brilliantly plotted from its effervescent first act to its hilarious denouement, and filled with some of literature’s most famous epigrams. Widely considered Wilde’s most perfect work, the play is reprinted here from an authoritative early British edition. Note to the Dover Edition.

Young Dorian Gray has his portrait painted by society artist Bill Hallward. Admired by all, the dazzling, wealthy, handsome Gray has everything anyone could wish for -- or so it appears.

This Vintage edition of The Plays of Oscar Wilde contains the plays that made Wilde one of the most important dramatists of his time, including The Importance of Being Earnest, one of the great works of modern literature.
Oscar Wilde's plays demonstrate once again why their author must be seen as both an inaugurator and a master of modernism. In his best work, the subversive insights embedded in his wit continue to challenge our common assumptions. Wilde's ability to unsettle and startle us anew with his radical vision of the artifice inherent in the self's construction makes him our contemporary.
This edition is introduced by John Lahr, author of Prick Up Your Ears: The Biography of Joe Orton. The plays included are Lady Windermere's Fan, Salome, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest.

The Happy Prince and Other Tales (sometimes called The Happy Prince and Other Stories) is a collection of stories for children by Oscar Wilde first published in May 1888.
It contains five stories:
"The Happy Prince"
"The Nightingale and the Rose"
"The Selfish Giant"
"The Devoted Friend"
"The Remarkable Rocket".