The Portable Oscar Wilde (Viking Portable Library) [Paperback]

Oscar Wilde (Author), Stanley Weintraub (Editor), Richard Aldington (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 30, 1981

The Picture of Dorian Gray, Salome and The Importance of Being Earnest are accompanied by Wilde's prison memoirs, poems, and selected correspondence.

Product Details

• Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Revised edition (July 30, 1981)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140150935
• ISBN-13: 978-0140150933
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #258,111 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #97 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

9 of 9 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars De Profundis, Dorian Gray and more ..., January 16, 2003

By 

Benjamin (ATLANTA, Gabon) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Portable Oscar Wilde (Viking Portable Library) (Paperback)

This edition of Oscar Wilde's work - in addition to its inclusion of much personal correspondence - is a fascinating look at the author and, notably, his personal travails.

The novel, of course, and the plays are classics, but I found the letters to be a juicy narrative all their own. The twists and turns of his doomed affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, affectionately called "Bosie" in touching - and bitter - love notes from prison, are here to peruse. Reading them, you get a sense of Wilde's personal feelings at the time of his famed trial and arrest for sodomy, his anguish at losing Bosie and going to jail. It's fascinating, juicy stuff - made all the more touching by the fact that it all occurred without shame, in plain view, over 100 years ago.

Wilde's a great character, a great author, a good role model for gay life and a hysterical wit. And this book is a must.

5.0 out of 5 stars Oscar Wilde, April 18, 2007

By 

Jeffrey E. Maness "Jeff M" - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: The Portable Oscar Wilde (Paperback)

Edited by Richard Aldington. Stories include the picture of dorian gray, salome, the importance of being earnest, de profundis, many poems and the selfish giant.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great introduction to an intriguing author, August 12, 2010

By 

Alexander Hamilton (Kentucky) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Portable Oscar Wilde (Viking Portable Library) (Paperback)

For the reader who has never experienced Oscar Wilde's work before, this collection serves as a fabulous in-depth introduction. Included are Wilde's most well-known works, including "The Picture of Dorian Gray" and "The Importance of Being Earnest." Both are absolutely superb pieces of literature. Also included are a fascinating letter written by Wilde while in prison, an essay on art and criticism, poetry, and personal letters and anecdotes. Serious students of Wilde might want to considering reading a more complete collection, but for a casual fan of classic literature, it's hard to beat this selection. Oscar Wilde should definitely be read by anyone who appreciates a sharp wit and profound intellect.