About Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854, the son of somewhat unconventional parents - his father, Sir William Wilde, though a surgeon by occupation, was also a talented writer, and his mother, Jane Francesca Elgee, was a well-known poet and journalist who published under the pen name 'Speranza'. During his schooldays, Wilde excelled at classics, and he went on to win scholarships first to Trinity College, Dublin, and then to Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was awarded the Newdigate Prize for his poem, 'Ravenna'. Whilst at Oxford, Wilde gained notoriety for his unorthodox dress and opinions, hailing himself a disciple of John Ruskin and Walter Pater. Upon graduating in 1878, Wilde moved to London and became spokesperson for Aestheticism, the movement that advocated art for art's sake.
In 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd, and they had two sons in quick succession - Cyril in 1885, and Vyvyan in 1886. In order to support his family, Wilde took a position with the magazine, The Woman's World, but this proved short-lived, and he left the publication in 1889 to concentrate on his writing. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which had caused a public outcry when it appeared as a play in 1890, was published in 1891, with Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, and Other Stories, following soon after. A number of plays then appeared including A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), and it is for these theatrical masterpieces that Wilde is now best remembered.
In 1891, Wilde met Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, the third son of the Marquis of Queensbury, and the two soon became lovers. The Marquis of Queensbury strongly disapproved of their relationship, and publicly accused Wilde of homosexuality, leading to his imprisonment in 1895. His time in gaol inspired two works, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and De Profundis which was not published until after his death. Wilde spent the final two years of his life travelling in Europe, staying with various friends and publishing articles in newspapers. He contracted meningitis in 1900, and died in a Parisian hotel on 30 November.
In 1884 Wilde married Constance Lloyd, and they had two sons in quick succession - Cyril in 1885, and Vyvyan in 1886. In order to support his family, Wilde took a position with the magazine, The Woman's World, but this proved short-lived, and he left the publication in 1889 to concentrate on his writing. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, which had caused a public outcry when it appeared as a play in 1890, was published in 1891, with Lord Arthur Savile's Crime, and Other Stories, following soon after. A number of plays then appeared including A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), and it is for these theatrical masterpieces that Wilde is now best remembered.
In 1891, Wilde met Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas, the third son of the Marquis of Queensbury, and the two soon became lovers. The Marquis of Queensbury strongly disapproved of their relationship, and publicly accused Wilde of homosexuality, leading to his imprisonment in 1895. His time in gaol inspired two works, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and De Profundis which was not published until after his death. Wilde spent the final two years of his life travelling in Europe, staying with various friends and publishing articles in newspapers. He contracted meningitis in 1900, and died in a Parisian hotel on 30 November.
Novels
Canterville Ghost (1887)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)
The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1899)
The Portrait of Mr. W.H. (1904)
Sphinx (1911)
The Importance of Being Earnest (1940)
An Ideal Husband (1993)
The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891)
The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1899)
The Portrait of Mr. W.H. (1904)
Sphinx (1911)
The Importance of Being Earnest (1940)
An Ideal Husband (1993)
Collections
Poems (poems) (1882)
The Happy Prince: And Other Tales (1888)
Intentions (1891)
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: And Other Stories (1891)
The House of Pomegranates De Profundis: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume III (1905)
The Duchess of Padua An Ideal Husband: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume I (1907)
Reviews: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume IV (1909)
Lord Arthur Saville's Crimes: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume VIII (1909)
The Harlot's House: And Other Poems By Oscar Wilde (poems) (1929)
The Prose of Oscar Wilde (poems) (1935)
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (1966)
The Selfish Giant and Other Tales (1967)
The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories (1973)
Fairy Tales and Stories Including The Happy Prince, the Selfish Giant: And Other Stories (1980)
The Complete Illustrated Stories, Plays and Poems of Oscar Wilde (poems) (1986)
The Happy Prince: And Other Tales (1888)
Intentions (1891)
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: And Other Stories (1891)
The House of Pomegranates De Profundis: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume III (1905)
The Duchess of Padua An Ideal Husband: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume I (1907)
Reviews: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume IV (1909)
Lord Arthur Saville's Crimes: Complete Writings of Oscar Wilde Volume VIII (1909)
The Harlot's House: And Other Poems By Oscar Wilde (poems) (1929)
The Prose of Oscar Wilde (poems) (1935)
The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (1966)
The Selfish Giant and Other Tales (1967)
The Picture of Dorian Gray and Three Stories (1973)
Fairy Tales and Stories Including The Happy Prince, the Selfish Giant: And Other Stories (1980)
The Complete Illustrated Stories, Plays and Poems of Oscar Wilde (poems) (1986)
Plays
Picture Books
Non fiction
Oscar Wilde's Fragments and Memories (1914)
Sixteen Letters (1930)
The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde (1996)
Sixteen Letters (1930)
The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde (1996)
Anthologies containing stories by Oscar Wilde
A Century of Humour (1925)
A Century of Thrillers: From Poe to Arlen (1934)
The Great Book of Humour (1935)
The Great Book of Thrillers (1935)
The 4th Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories (1967)
Great British Short Stories (1974)
A Little Night Reading (1974)
Black Water (1984)
Great Short Stories of the World (1986)
The Book of Fantasy (1988)
100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories (1992)
Blood and Roses: The Vampire in 19th Century Literature (1995)
A Century of Thrillers: From Poe to Arlen (1934)
The Great Book of Humour (1935)
The Great Book of Thrillers (1935)
The 4th Fontana Book of Great Ghost Stories (1967)
Great British Short Stories (1974)
A Little Night Reading (1974)
Black Water (1984)
Great Short Stories of the World (1986)
The Book of Fantasy (1988)
100 Ghastly Little Ghost Stories (1992)
Blood and Roses: The Vampire in 19th Century Literature (1995)
Short stories
| Vera, or the Nihilists (1880) | |||
| The Duchess of Padua (1883) | |||
| Lord Arthur Savile's Crime (1887) | |||
| The Sphinx Without a Secret (1887) | |||
| The Birthday of the Infanta (1888) | |||
| The Devoted friend (1888) | |||
| The Happy Prince (1888) | |||
| The Nightingale and the Rose (1888) | |||
| The Remarkable Rocket (1888) | |||
| The Selfish Giant (1888) | |||
| The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890) | |||
| The Canterville Ghost (1891) | |||
| The Fisherman and His Soul (1891) | |||
| The Model Millionaire (1891) | |||
| The Star-Child (1891) | |||
| The Young King (1891) | |||
| Lady Windermere's Fan (1893) | |||
| Salome (1894) | |||
| A Woman of No Importance (1894) | |||
| An Ideal Husband (1899) | |||
| The Importance of Being Earnest (1899) | |||
| A Florentine Tragedy (1908) | |||
| La Sainte Courtisane (1908) |
Books about Oscar Wilde
Oscar Wilde (1910) by André Gide
Aspects Of Wilde (1936) by Vincent O'Sullivan
Who Was That Man?: Present for Mr. Oscar Wilde (1988) by Neil Bartlett
Uses of Monotony: Repetition in the Language of Oscar Wilde, Jean Genet, Edmund White And Juan Goytisolo (1994) by Neil Bartlett
Aspects Of Wilde (1936) by Vincent O'Sullivan
Who Was That Man?: Present for Mr. Oscar Wilde (1988) by Neil Bartlett
Uses of Monotony: Repetition in the Language of Oscar Wilde, Jean Genet, Edmund White And Juan Goytisolo (1994) by Neil Bartlett
Oscar Wilde recommends
| A Book of Bargains (1896) Vincent O'Sullivan "What a midnight his soul seems to walk! And what maladies he draws from the moon." |
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