The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Stories, Plays, Poems & Essays

The complete literary oeuvre of one of the most celebrated authors and controversial figures of fin de siecle Great Britain. Playwright, poet, essayist, flamboyant man-about-town, Oscar Wilde packed an astonishing amount of work, genius, and controversy into two short decades, producing masterworks in every literary genre. This comprehensive one-volume edition of his writings includes his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, considered immoral by many when first published at the end of the nineteenth century. Included also is Wilde’s original four-act version of his most popular play, The Importance of Being Earnest, with readings from the revised edition; the essay “The Portrait of Mr. W.H.,” in which Wilde expanded his theory concerning the mystery of Shakespeare’s sonnets; and “De Profundis,” his moving and tragic letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, composed during Wilde’s time in prison. With an introduction by Vyvyan Holland, Oscar Wilde’s son, here are the author’s complete stories, plays, and poems, and a substantial number of his essays and letters, all in their most authoritative texts.