Oscar Wilde
Список книг автора Oscar WildeThe Canterville Ghost and Other Stories
Britain's most popular nineteenth century playwright Oscar Wilde was born in Ireland in 1854. He dabbled in several different forms of writing, as is exemplified in his best known work, the novel entitled «The Picture of Dorian Gray.» He also wrote in the form of short fiction stories, like «The Canterville Ghost.» In this tale, a family of proud Americans come into possession of a historic English mansion. However, the mansion is haunted by murderous ghost who despises the Americans. Yet the more the ghost tries to scare them away, the less they are afraid. Instead, they turn to cleaning products and other methods to get rid of the mess that the ghost continually makes over time. While being highly entertaining and comical, the story is also a social commentary on both Americans and the British. The Americans act boorish and unnerved by the ghost and instead view him as a pest which is trying to disrupt their idyllic country life. The ghost, however, wants to preserve his legacy as the terrifying ghost, but is instead batted down by the uninterested Americans. This story, combined with four other short tales as well as six poems, create the enjoyable collection of «The Canterville Ghost and Other Stories.»
A House of Pomegranates
"A House of Pomegranates" is a collection of whimisical short stories by Oscar Wilde. This collections includes the following tales: The Young King, The Birthday of the Infanta, The Fisherman and his Soul, and The Star-child. Readers of all ages will be delighted by these fanciful tales.
The Happy Prince and Other Stories
“The Happy Prince and Other Stories” is a collection of whimsical, fantastical, and deeply moral tales by Oscar Wilde, the renowned nineteenth century Irish poet and playwright. Though best known for his plays and the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Wilde was an accomplished and talented author of children’s stories and fairy tales. This collection includes many of his most enduring short stories: the sad and beautiful “The Happy Prince”, where a lonely swallow, left behind by his flock, shows the magical statue of a privileged and wealthy Prince the harsh reality of life for the poor; “The Selfish Giant”, a touching tale of a giant who realizes the importance of love and kindness when he finally allows children to play in his garden, which had turned cold and lonely when the giant closed it off to them; and “The Remarkable Rocket”, the tale of an arrogant and disdainful, but forgotten, firework who alienates everyone and finally explodes with no one there to appreciate him. Those tales along with six other stories are included in this collection. Readers of all ages will be inspired by these beautiful and magical tales which teach the value of kindness and charity. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
An Ideal Husband
First performed in 1895, “An Ideal Husband” is Oscar Wilde’s classic and much-loved comedic drama. The play tells the story of an up-and-coming politician, Sir Robert Chiltern, who tries to hide his secret past from his judgmental wife and the blackmail scheme he is forced to participate in to keep that secret quiet. Lady Chiltern has a very particular idea of what makes the “ideal husband” which leaves her with little tolerance for Sir Robert’s all too human shortcomings and compromises. With his biting wit and brilliant powers of observation, Wilde highlights the moral ambiguity of politicians and the hypocrisy of the British aristocracy. With the help of a complex and fascinating cast of supporting characters, Sir Robert and Lady Chiltern must re-evaluate their moral convictions and what constitutes honor in the private and public sphere. Immediately popular after its first production, “An Ideal Husband” continues to entertain and challenge audiences to this day. Wilde’s play is a first-rate comedy that challenges its audience with the basic theme of morality and the greater standard that seems to fall upon those individuals in the public eye. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Complete Fairy Tales
“The Complete Fairy Tales” is a collection of whimsical, fantastical, and deeply moral tales by Oscar Wilde, the renowned nineteenth century Irish poet and playwright. Though best known for his plays and the novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray”, Wilde was an accomplished and talented author of children’s stories and fairy tales. This collection includes many of his most enduring short stories: the sad and beautiful “The Happy Prince”, where a lonely swallow, left behind by his flock, shows the magical statue of a privileged and wealthy Prince the harsh reality of life for the poor; “The Selfish Giant”, a touching tale of a giant who realizes the importance of love and kindness when he finally allows children to play in his garden, which had turned cold and lonely when the giant closed it off to them; and “The Remarkable Rocket”, the tale of an arrogant and disdainful, but forgotten, firework who alienates everyone and finally explodes with no one there to appreciate him. Those tales along with six other stories are included in this collection. Readers of all ages will be inspired by these beautiful and magical tales which teach the value of kindness and charity. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Oscar Wilde’s only full-length novel “The Picture of Dorian Gray” was first published in 1890 and is the classic tale of the moral decline of its title character, Dorian Gray. While Dorian has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward he is lectured to by Lord Henry Wotton, who espouses a hedonistic world view. Dorian is drawn to Wotton’s belief that beauty and sensuality are the only things in life worth pursuing and wishes that he would stay young while his portrait changes instead. In the years that follow Dorian pursues a life of vice and debauchery, committing unspeakable acts along the way. With the passage of time, Dorian’s wish comes true, as his age and withering moral character are reflected in his portrait instead of himself. “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is arguably one of Wilde’s most popular works, which caused quite a scandal in Victorian England when it was first published, for its glorification of decadency. A chilling tale, “The Picture of Dorian Gray” is at once both an intricate character study and a sharp criticism of the improprieties of the Victorian age. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays
“The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays” brings together Oscar Wilde’s most popular plays which first appeared between 1891 and 1895. Despite his relatively short theatrical career, Wilde’s plays have enjoyed a sustained popularity. A classic satire of Victorian society, “The Importance of Being Earnest” is one of the author’s most frequently performed works. The play trivializes its characters, who through a series of deceptions pretend to be people that they are not in order to escape the burdensome demands of social conventions. “Salome”, originally written in French, is a retelling of the Biblical story of Salome, who requests the head of John the Baptist, Jokanaan in the play, for dancing the dance of the seven veils. “A Woman of No Importance” concerns Mrs. Arbuthnot, a woman who has been scorned by society for having an illicit affair and conceiving a child out of wedlock. “An Ideal Husband” is the story of an up-and-coming politician with a secret past and the blackmail scheme to keep that secret quiet. “Lady Windermere’s Fan” is the tale of Lady Windermere who suspects her husband of infidelity when he takes an interest in Mrs. Erlynne. Largely a collection of high society satires “The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays” brilliantly exhibits Wilde’s dramatic deft. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Importance of Being Earnest
A classic satire of Victorian society, Oscar Wilde’s “The Importance of Being Earnest” is one of the author’s most frequently performed works. The story trivializes its characters, who through a series of deceptions pretend to be people that they are not in order to escape the burdensome demands of social conventions. When John Worthing visits his best friend Algernon Moncrieff, to whom he is known as Ernest, Algernon notices the curious inscription on his cigarette case which reads, “From little Cecily, with her fondest love to her dear Uncle Jack.” John, who has come to visit in order to propose to Algernon’s cousin, Gwendolen Fairfax, must explain his deception before Algernon will consent to the proposal. The discovery prompts Algernon to reveal a similar deception of his own; he pretends to have an invalid cousin whom he can visit in the country in order to escape any unwelcome social obligation. What follows is a scheme between the two to assume each other’s imaginary personas in order to enable the ruse. A roaring farce which plays upon the consequences of deception and the social absurdities of Victorian society, “The Importance of Being Earnest” remains to this day as one of Wilde’s most popular plays. This edition includes a biographical afterword.
The Wit and Humor of Oscar Wilde
More than 1000 ripostes, paradoxes, and epigrams on sin, society, genius, wealth, men, women, religion, America, education, and smoking: «Work is the curse of the drinking classes,» «I can resist everything except temptation,» etcetera. Also excerpts from his trial testimony, where the tragedy implicit in Wilde's humor is nowhere more vivid.
The Complete Short Stories of Oscar Wilde
This comprehensive collection showcases Oscar Wilde's brilliant storytelling skills and his amazing stylistic versatility, ranging from fairy tales and ghost stories to detective yarns and comedies of manners. It includes the complete texts of «The Happy Prince and Other Tales,» «A House of Pomegranates,» «Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories,» «Poems in Prose,»and the critical essay «The Portrait of Mr. W. H.»Originally published in the late 1880s and early 1890s, these tales predate Wilde's fame as a dramatist. When he wrote them, he was best known among fashionable London society as a drawing-room raconteur. Many of the character types now familiar from his comedies first emerged in these stories, along with his gifted uses of parody, melodrama, paradox, and irony. Even more significantly, they reflect the author's preoccupation with opposites — idealistic love and desire, art and life, sincerity and artifice, innocence and sin, altruism and greed, and honesty and deceit — offering captivating expressions of the themes that dominated Wilde's life and thought.