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

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

Book Description

Publication Date: January 1, 1995

Includes the following works: Novels—The Portrait of Dorian Gray; Plays—Salome and The Importance of Being Earnest; Writings—De Profundis, Critic as Artist, and Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Very Young; and selections from Lady Windermere's Fan, An Ideal Husband, and A Woman of No Importance.

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Mass Market Paperback: 752 pages
• Publisher: Penguin (Non-Classics); Revised edition (January 1, 1995)
• 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: #132,487 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #45 in Books > Literature & Fiction > World Literature > European

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

10 of 10 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) (Mass Market 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 (Mass Market 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) (Mass Market 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.