Oscar Wilde
Список книг автора Oscar WildeOscar Wilde's Wit and Wisdom
"I have the simplest tastes," remarked Oscar Wilde. «I am always satisfied with the best.» In this superlative collection of quotations by the great Irish playwright and wit, readers will find the very best of Wilde's scintillating comments on art, human nature, morals, society, politics, history, and numerous other subjects. Epigrams, aphorisms, and other bon mots gleaned from Wilde's enduringly popular plays, essays, and conversation offer amusing, thought-provoking observations that resonate with truth and profundity beneath their comic surface.Widely acknowledged as the most brilliant talker of his age, Wilde once explained to André Gide, «I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works.» This fine collection of nearly 400 quotes, organized by category, contains quotations from both his works and his conversation, including gems from his personal life with which even devotees may be unfamiliar. The result is a splendid introduction to Wilde's mind and personality, embodied in a feast of the English language's most brilliant and perceptive witticisms.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
In this celebrated work, his only novel, Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.
The Importance of Being Earnest
Here is Oscar Wilde's most brilliant tour de force, a witty and buoyant comedy of manners that has delighted millions in countless productions since its first performance in London's St. James' Theatre on February 14, 1895. The Importance of Being Earnest is celebrated not only for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot, but for its inspired dialogue, rich with scintillating epigrams still savored by all who enjoy artful conversation.From the play's effervescent beginnings in Algernon Moncrieff's London flat to its hilarious denouement in the drawing room of Jack Worthing's country manor in Hertfordshire, this comic masterpiece keeps audiences breathlessly anticipating a new bon mot or a fresh twist of plot moment to moment.
Oscar Wilde: Three Plays for Children
Three of Wilde’s short stories adapted into enchanting plays for young children. The Selfish Giant chases away spring and summer, leaving the garden in a permanent winter. Only when the giant realises his selfishness and opens his garden to the local children does the summer return bringing with it warmth, brightness and joy. The people of the town celebrate the unveiling of their new statue of The Happy Prince. But all is not as it seems with this new golden statue. In his desire to help the poor and suffering in the town, the Prince persuades a migrating swallow to assist him, and a timeless tale of love and kindness is born.What makes a good friend? Little Hans's best friend is Hugh the Miller but while Hans is happy to share all the lovely flowers and fruit from his garden, Hugh isn't quite so generous with his own things. Join three lively characters in The Devoted Friend as they explore the ups and downs of friendship in this new play for the very young.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
A new adaptation of Oscar Wilde's murderously funny comedy.Young Lord Arthur is deliriously happy: a pillar of society on the verge of marriage, until a brief departure from Victorian convention leads him to the abode of a chilling clairvoyant who gravely pronounces that before he can marry he must commit murder.Lord Arthur Savile's Crime was a 2006 touring production by Bill Kenwright Ltd starring Russ Abbot.
A Woman of No Importance
"A Woman of No Importance" is Oscar Wilde's classic comedic play. The woman of no importance is Mrs. Arbuthnot, a woman who has been scorned by society for having an illicit affair and conceiving a child out of wedlock. «A Woman of No Importance» is both a criticism of the shameful double standard applied to men and women in such matters and a biting satire of the hypocrisy of the upper classes in Victorian Society.
De Profundis
Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish writer and poet who distinguished himself as a leader of London's school of Aesthetics in the late nineteenth century. He became famous for his long hair, flamboyant dress, green carnations and colorful, biting wit. His successful novels, social comedies, poetry and letters reflected his belief in the supremacy of art. In 1895, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency in a legal suit from the father of his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. He was imprisoned for two years, serving hard labor, during which time he wrote «De Profundis»: a letter to Douglas discussing their relationship and the spiritual journey that Wilde had undergone in prison. The eighty page manuscript begins by examining Lord Alfred's behavior and negative influence on Wilde during their three-year relationship; the second part of the letter describes the harsh conditions of prison and the physical and emotional toll it took on the writer. He finishes the letter with a Christian analogy of himself as a symbol of art and truth.
Lady Windermere's Fan
"Lady Windermere's Fan" is Oscar Wilde's classic comedic play set in London in the late 19th century. It is the story of Lady Windermere who becomes jealous of her husband's interest in Mrs. Erlynne. Lady Windermere suspects her husband of infidelity, however unbeknownst to her, Mrs. Erlynne is really Lady Windermere's divorced mother who for the last 20 years was thought to be dead.
The Picture of Dorian Gray
"The Picture of Dorian Gray" is Oscar Wilde's classic tale of the moral decline of its title character, Dorian Gray. When Dorian has his portrait painted by Basil Hallward and wishes that he would stay young while his picture changes, his wish comes true. In exchange for this Dorian gives up his soul and as he ages the bad deeds that he commits are reflected in his painting and not him. «The Picture of Dorian Gray», arguably Wilde's most popular work, was considered quite scandalous when it was first published in the late 1800s in Victorian England.
An Ideal Husband
Oscar Wilde's classic drama, «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. 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.