Best Selling Books by Oscar Wilde

The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Gothic and philosophical novel by Oscar Wilde, first published complete in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott''s Monthly Magazine.Fearing the story was indecent, the magazine''s editor deleted roughly five hundred words before publication without Wilde''s knowledge. Despite that censorship, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, some of whom said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding public morality. In response, Wilde aggressively defended his novel and art in correspondence with the British press, although he personally made excisions of some of the most controversial material when revising and lengthening the story for book publication the following year.

One of the best masterpieces of the written world. Complete Original Unabridged Illustrated with book-end doodles about reading

"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."

Sir and Lady Chiltern are the picture of responsibility: he a member of the House of Commons, she a member of the Women’s Liberal Association. When Mrs. Cheveley arrives in London, she brings with her a letter that threatens to ruin Sir Chiltern forever—his whole life threatens to come crumbling down. The following twenty-four hours are filled with theft, blackmail, farce, and biting social commentary. An Ideal Husband was first performed in 1893 at the Haymarket Theatre, and it was immediately successful. On April 6th, the same day it transferred to the Criterion Theatre, Oscar Wilde was arrested for gross indecency, and his name was removed from the play. Wilde revised the play for publication in 1899, taking steps to add written stage directions and character descriptions in order to make the work more accessible to the public. Today it’s Wilde’s second most popular play, after The Importance of Being Earnest.

An Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. The action is set in London, in "the present," and takes place over the course of twenty-four hours. "Sooner or later," Wilde notes, "we shall all have to pay for what we do." But he adds that, "No one should be entirely judged by their past." Together with The Importance of Being Earnest, it is often considered Wilde''s dramatic masterpiece. After Earnest, it is his most popularly produced play.In the summer of 1893, Oscar Wilde began writing An Ideal Husband, and he completed it later that winter. His work began at Goring-on-Thames, after which he named the character Lord Goring, and concluded at St. James Place. He initially sent the completed play to the Garrick Theatre, where the manager rejected it, but it was soon accepted by the Haymarket Theatre, where Lewis Waller had temporarily taken control. Waller was an excellent actor and cast himself as Sir Robert Chiltern. The play gave the Haymarket the success it desperately needed. After opening on 3 January 1895, it continued for 124 performances. In April of that year, Wilde was arrested for "gross indecency" and his name was publicly taken off the play. On 6 April, soon after Wilde''s arrest, the play moved to the Criterion Theatre where it ran from 13-27 April. The play was published in 1899, although Wilde was not listed as the author. This published version differs slightly from the performed play, for Wilde added many passages and cut others. Prominent additions included written stage directions and character descriptions. Wilde was a leader in the effort to make plays accessible to the reading public.

THE PICTURE OF DORIAN GRAY is a philosophical novel by the writer Oscar Wilde, first published complete in the July 1890 issue of Lippincott''s Monthly Magazine. The magazine''s editor feared the story was indecent, and without Wilde''s knowledge, deleted roughly five hundred words before publication. Despite that censorship, The Picture of Dorian Gray offended the moral sensibilities of British book reviewers, some of whom said that Oscar Wilde merited prosecution for violating the laws guarding the public morality. In response, Wilde aggressively defended his novel and art in correspondence with the British press, although he personally made excisions of some of the most controversial material when revising and lengthening the story for book publication the following year. Dorian Gray is the subject of a full-length portrait in oil by Basil Hallward, an artist who is impressed and infatuated by Dorian''s beauty; he believes that Dorian''s beauty is responsible for the new mode in his art as a painter. Through Basil, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, and he soon is enthralled by the aristocrat''s hedonistic worldview: that beauty and sensual fulfilment are the only things worth pursuing in life. Newly understanding that his beauty will fade, Dorian expresses the desire to sell his soul, to ensure that the picture, rather than he, will age and fade. The wish is granted, and Dorian pursues a libertine life of varied and amoral experiences; all the while his portrait ages and records every soul-corrupting sin.

The Canterville Ghost Oscar Wilde "The Canterville Ghost" is a short story by Oscar Wilde, widely adapted for the screen and stage. It was the first of Wilde''s stories to be published, appearing in two parts in The Court and Society Review, 23 February and 2 March 1887. The story begins when Mr Otis and family move into Canterville Chase, despite warnings from Lord Canterville that the house is haunted. Mr Otis says that he will take the furniture as well as the ghost at valuation. The Otis family includes Mr and Mrs Otis, their eldest son Washington, their daughter Virginia and the Otis twins. The other characters include the Canterville Ghost, the Duke of Cheshire (who wants to marry Virginia), Mrs Umney (the housekeeper), and Rev. Augustus Dampier. At first, none of the Otis family believe in ghosts, but shortly after they move in, none of them can deny the presence of Sir Simon de Canterville . The family hears clanking chains, they witness reappearing bloodstains "on the floor just by the fireplace," which are removed every time they appear in various forms. But, humorously, none of these scare the Otis family in the least. In fact, upon hearing the clanking noises in the hallway, Mr Otis promptly gets out of bed and pragmatically offers the ghost Tammany Rising Sun Lubricator to oil his chains.

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray."

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray."

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray."

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

Written in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

The Importance of Being Earnest was popular upon its debut in 1895. It was not until the twentieth century that Wilde''s work was once again recognized both for its literary worth and comedic genius, and subsequently The Importance of Being Earnest has been adapted many times for film and theatre, most recently in the 2002 film starring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon, and Dame Judy Dench.

The Importance of Being Earnest, by Oscar Wilde (with illustrated) Oscar Wilde''s madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements, and lovers entanglements still delights readers more than a century after its 1895 publication and premiere performance. The rapid-fire wit and eccentric characters of The Importance of Being Earnest have made it a mainstay of the high school curriculum for decades.Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gewndolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack''s ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack''s country home on the same weekend the "rivals" to fight for Ernest s undivided attention and the "Ernests" to claim their beloveds pandemonium breaks loose. Only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

The Happy and Other Tales, a collection of fairy tales that consists of the titular piece, "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," "The Young King," "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Fisherman and His Soul," "The Star-Child," "The Remarkable Rocket, and "The Birthday of the Infanta," was written by Oscar Wilde and first published in 1888. Wilde was notorious for promoting "art for art''s sake," but chose to write these tales in the didactic form of the fairy tale. This form allowed Wilde to explore themes of importance to him, such as homosexuality, morality, aestheticism, English socioeconomic realities, and more.

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

This lighthearted play tells the farcical tale of Jack Worthing and Algernon Montcrieff--two men who falsely claim to be named Ernest when they fall in love with two women whose affections are illogically but irrevocably tied to the name.The Importance of Being Earnest was popular upon its debut in 1895. It was not until the twentieth century that Wilde''s work was once again recognized both for its literary worth and comedic genius, and subsequently The Importance of Being Earnest has been adapted many times for film and theatre, most recently in the 2002 film starring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon, and Dame Judy Dench.

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

The Picture of Dorian GrayWritten in his distinctively dazzling manner, Oscar Wilde''s story of a fashionable young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty is the author''s most popular work. The tale of Dorian Gray''s moral disintegration caused a scandal when it first appeared in 1890, but though Wilde was attacked for the novel''s corrupting influence, he responded that there is, in fact, "a terrible moral in Dorian Gray." Just a few years later, the book and the aesthetic/moral dilemma it presented became issues in the trials occasioned by Wilde''s homosexual liaisons, which resulted in his imprisonment. Of Dorian Gray''s relationship to autobiography, Wilde noted in a letter, "Basil Hallward is what I think I am: Lord Henry what the world thinks me: Dorian what I would like to be--in other ages, perhaps.

This lighthearted play tells the farcical tale of Jack Worthing and Algernon Montcrieff--two men who falsely claim to be named Ernest when they fall in love with two women whose affections are illogically but irrevocably tied to the name.The Importance of Being Earnest was popular upon its debut in 1895, but the reputation of Oscar Wilde''s works declined when he was imprisoned for accusations of homosexual behaviour. It was not until the twentieth century that Wilde''s work was once again recognized both for its literary worth and comedic genius, and subsequently The Importance of Being Earnest has been adapted many times for film and theatre, most recently in the 2002 film starring Colin Firth, Rupert Everett, Reese Witherspoon, and Dame Judy Dench.

The Importance of Being Earnest A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James''s Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play''s major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Some contemporary reviews praised the play''s humour and the culmination of Wilde''s artistic career, while others were cautious about its lack of social messages. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde''s most enduringly popular play.