Oscar wilde biography and list of works oscar wilde books. For example, when he was told to take a scene out of the importance of being earnest by the actormanager george alexander, he replied. One of the nastiest of the british tabloids was founded a year too late to join in the moral panic generated to accompany oscar wildes court appearances in 1895. A celebrated 19th century irish writer, oscar wilde s poems, stories, and plays, have earned him dedicated fans the world over. Apr 03, 2020 writer oscar wilde is arrested after losing a libel case against the marquess of queensberry wilde had been engaged in an affair with the marquesss son since 1891, but when the outraged. Oscar wilde 18541900, the author of the importance of being earnest and the picture of dorian gray, has been gaining in popularity and academic respect for his literary achievements. One of the most famous and most frequently quoted statements about the moral responsibility of artists can be found in oscar wilde s preface to his novel the. His mother, who wrote under the name speranza, was a revolutionary poet and an authority on celtic myth and folklore after attending portora royal school, enniskillen 186471.
Oscar wilde and sylvia plath are not names usually associated with childrens books. Oscar wilde s audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of mrs arbuthnots lengthyconcealed mystery. Oscar wilde biography oscar fingal oflahertie wills wilde october 16, 1854 november 30, 1900 was an angloirish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. He considered himself a criminal who challenged society by creating scandal. Wildes flamboyance and eccentricity raise even more questions when contrasted to his lifelong fascination and struggle with. Books by wilde, oscar sorted by popularity project gutenberg. Oscar wilde s most popular book is the picture of dorian gray. They offer versions of a simple moral that then doesnt quite fit with the whole of the story. I dont know what it is about the picture of dorian gray but i return to it again and again and each time i find something new or intriguing about the text. Oscar wilde books biography and list of works author of. This concept has come to be the brick and mortar of the wry play the importance of being earnest by oscar wilde the significance of the notion of being earnest is contradicted in the play, through wildes clever use of words, characters digression of societal normalcy, and triviality of. The importance of being earnest by oscar wilde 9 words 4 pages. His lasting literary fame resides primarily in four or five plays, one of which the importance of being earnest, first produced in. The trial was both hugely entertaining and deadly serious and raised specters of hysteria, homophobia, and paranoia that, like oscar wilde himself, continue to haunt us.
He was born oscar fingal oflahertie wills wilde on october 16, 1854, at 21 westland row, dublin, ireland. As in wildes own trial in 1895, libel was hardly the issue. Merlins son lucien is a classics major at oxford, just like oscar wilde. He is known best for his play the importance of being earnest and his book the picture of dorian gray.
Sexuality of oscar wilde in 1886 wilde became a practicing homosexual, or one who is sexually attracted to a member of their own sex. There is no such thing as a mo ral or an immoral book. In 1891 wilde published a house of pomegranates, a collection of fantasy tales, and in 1892 gained commercial and critical success with his play. It is for this reason, if for no other, that we should thank heaven for the vision of hell that wilde s novel reveals to us. Oscar wilde has 2356 books on goodreads with 2875150 ratings. A house birthday celebration is in full swing at lady hunstantons united states of america home, whilst its far announced that gerald arbuthnot has been appointed secretary to the sophisticated, witty lord illingworth. His mother, who wrote under the name speranza, was a revolutionary poet and an authority on celtic myth and folklore after attending portora royal school, enniskillen. Poems, novels, plays, and fairy tails by oscar wilde and a great selection of related books, art and collectibles available now at. View the list the greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes.
Lady bracknell is algernons aunt trying to find a suitable wife for him. And finally gives you reward for your good deeds, like happy. Jane wilde was a niece by marriage of the novelist, playwright and clergyman charles maturin 1780 1824, who may have. In oscar wildes last stand, biographer and historian philip hoare gives us the full drama of the billing trial, gavel to gavel, and brings to life this unique, bizarre, and fascinating event. A popular perception persists of oscar wilde as an idle aesthete. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Vyvyan became a writer using the surname holland, and his own grandson, merlin holland, has written two books about his grandfather, wilde album and after oscar. The happy prince was amazing story, moral of the story is even though your rich, when you have gold, ruby and diamonds, those things get meaning when you give it people who are hungry. He was by far one of the greatest playwrights of the victorian era. Oscar fingal oflahertie wills wilde was born on 16 october 1854, in dublin, ireland, the second of three children born to writer jane francesca agnes nee elgee 18211896 and surgeon sir william robert wills wilde 18151876. If one or more works are by a distinct, homonymous authors, go ahead and split the author. Oscar wilde, author of importance of being earnest. Chiefly remembered today as a playwright, especially for the importance of being earnest, and as the author of the picture of dorian gray. Oscar wilde was born on 16 october 1854 in dublin, ireland.
The writer has left an impact when it comes to his plays and his short stories. The best books on oscar wilde five books expert recommendations. This scene you feel is superfluous cost me terrible exhausting labour and heartrending nerve. Oscar wildes last stand book by philip hoare official. In 1864, his father wille wilde was knighted for his services to medicine. Oscar wilde s unconventional life began with an equally unconventional family. Oscar wilde morality is simply the attitude we adopt. One of the most famous and most frequently quoted statements about the moral responsibility of artists can be found in oscar wilde s preface to his novel the picture of dorian. Oscar wilde is an icon of the modern age, who has had an enormous impact on western literature and culture.
And while talking about playwrights, the name of oscar wilde comes to the forefront. The plays of oscar wilde, volume 2 oscar wilde full view 1905. Oscar wildes unconventional life began with an equally unconventional family. This collection is exclusively obtained from the quotable oscar wilde by sheridan morley. The picture of dorian gray oscar wilde 732 downloads poems, with the ballad of reading gaol oscar wilde 639 downloads lord arthur saviles crime. His parents were well known and attracted a degree of gossip for their extravagant lifestyles. His father, sir william wilde, was irelands leading ear and eye surgeon, who also published books on archaeology, folklore, and the satirist jonathan swift. The indicators that his sister was a key influence, perhaps even his muse, constitute a.
His father, sir william wilde, was irelands leading ear and eye surgeon, who also published books on archaeology. Oscar wildes audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of mrs arbuthnots lengthyconcealed mystery. Oscar wilde books list of books by author oscar wilde. Its a very readable book, especially for one written such a long time ago.
As philip cohen noted in the moral vision of oscar wilde, this moral strain is paradoxically woven throughout the fabric of wilde s work, despite his seemingly definitive statements to the contrary, such as in the preface to the picture of dorian gray. Oscar wilde biography life, childhood, children, name. Notorious for his quick wit, oddities of dress, and decadent behaviour, oscar wildes perceptive sometimes poisonous pen pierced the heart of victorian society. This is a bibliography of works by oscar wilde, a latevictorian irish writer. You are left unsure within which framework you are supposed to be reading them.
This concept has come to be the brick and mortar of the wry play the importance of being earnest by oscar wilde the significance of the notion of being earnest is contradicted in the play, through wildes clever use of words, characters digression of societal normalcy, and triviality of victorian concepts. Yet there was no shortage of hypocritical journalists posing as moral arbiters to the nation, then as now. Yet when wilde writes that no artist has ethical sympathies. In 1900 at the age of 46, he died of meningitis following an acute ear infection. Lady bracknell the perfect symbol of victorian earnestness the belief that style is more important than substance and that social and class barriers are to be enforced. The happy prince, and other tales oscar wilde 4962 downloads. Oscar wildes aestheticism 561 feet medium, and with such observations he defines art as morally neutral. The importance of being earnest, a trivial comedy for serious people is a play by oscar wilde. Today he is remembered for plays and beautiful words that have been quoted below in a compilation of 70 brilliant oscar wilde quotes. Writer oscar wilde is arrested after losing a libel case against the marquess of queensberry wilde had been engaged in an affair with the. Oscar was wilde about books with the ideal husband currently playing at dublins gate theatre, weve put together 10 literary quotes from its author mon, may 12, 2014, 15.
Wildes mother was a prominent poet and nationalist. The moral implications of oscar wildes aestheticism. Oscar wildes quotes that prove he was the satire king. He believed that his attacks on the victorian moral code was the inspiration for his writing.
The moral life of a man forms part of the subjectmatter of the artist, but the aim of the artist is to create beauty, not to make judgments or to indulge in polemics. An irish writer like no other, the beloved oscar wilde. Oscar wilde is currently considered a single author. The everquotable oscar wilde once said, anybody can make history. Cyril, born in june 1885, who died in world war i, and vyvyan, born in november 1886. First performed on 14 february 1895 at the st jamess theatre in london, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personae to escape burdensome social obligations. There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book, writes wilde, books are well written or badly written. Oscar wilde and the sisters death that haunted his life.
This book sets out to examine what it was about latevictorian society that allowed this to happen, indeed needed it to happen, and what the trials tell us about the taste and morals of latevictorian england. One of the most famous and most frequently quoted statements about the moral responsibility of artists can be found in oscar wilde s preface to his novel the picture of dorian gray. However, the irish playwrights personal lifestyle, rather than his artistic. No name is more inextricably bound to the aesthetic movement of the 1880s and 1890s in england than that of oscar wilde. Articles wilde and morality peter benson deconstructs the moral intrigues of dorian gray. Fearing the story was indecent, the magazines editor deleted roughly five hundred. During his own era he was one of londons most popular playwrights, and today his most famous works remain household names. Oscar was two years younger than his brother, william willie wilde.
It is a carefully cultivated image that wilde developed. Oscar wilde 18541900, has been gaining in popularity though his personal lifestyle, rather than his artistic achievements, still remains the main focus of public attention. Following oscar wildes 1895 trials for committing acts of gross indecency with men, he lost his freedom, his family, his reputation, his will to create, and even his will to live. The picture of dorian gray is a gothic and philosophical novel by oscar wilde, first published complete in the july 1890 issue of lippincotts monthly magazine. After his release from prison in 1897, oscar wilde lived in france in straitened circumstances. Morality in oscar wildes the importance of being earnest. The revival of his 1895 play, an ideal husband, on broadway and in a 1999 film proved very successful. What is the moral of the story the happy prince by oscar.
This connection results as much from the lurid details of his life as from his considerable contributions to english literature. Books by oscar wilde author of the picture of dorian gray. The happy prince and other tales is a collection of five short stories by oscar wilde, who was inspired to write the book after the birth of his two sons. Wilde was born of professional and literary parents. The best books on oscar wilde recommended by sos eltis. In general, many of wilde s tales invite moral readings and then confound them. A strongly opinionated matriarch, dowager, and tyrant, she believes wealth is more important than. An ethical sympathy in an artist is an unpardonable. A proponent of the aesthetic movement of the 19 th century, he emphasized aesthetic values more than moral or social themes. This scene you feel is superfluous cost me terrible exhausting labour and heartrending nervewracking strain. It is our attitude at the beginning of a difficult task which, more than anything else, will affect its successful outcome.
What is the moral of the story the happy prince by oscar wilde. From his outsize celebrity in victorian london to his authorship of fiction, drama, and poetry that uniquely captured his era, its fair to say that wilde succeeded on both counts. Working within the social conventions of late victorian london, the plays major. Oscar wilde was born at 21 westland row, dublin now home of the oscar wilde centre, trinity college, the second of three children born to an angloirish couple. A trivial comedy for serious people oscar wilde 39404 downloads. The picture of dorian gray wakes us up, stirring us from the somnambulant path of least resistance that leads to hell. Remembered as much for his imprisonment for homosexuality and early death, as for his literary talent, wilde cuts a fascinating figure, and. His father, sir william wilde, was an eminent victorian and a doctor of aural surgery. Oscar wilde is one of the most wellknown names when it comes to british modern literature. Oscar wilde biography life, childhood, children, name, wife.