Oscar Wilde

Originally published in 1891, when Wilde was at the height of his form, these brilliant essays on art, literature, criticism, and society display the flamboyant poseur's famous wit and wide learning. A leading spokesman for the English Aesthetic movement, Wilde promoted 'art for art's sake' against critics who argued that art must serve a moral purpose. On every page of this collection, the gifted literary stylist admirably demonstrates not only that the characteristics of art are 'distinction, charm, beauty, and imaginative power', but also that criticism itself can be raised to an art form possessing these very qualities. For newcomers to Wilde and those who already know his famous plays and fiction, this superb collection of his criticism offers many delights.

"The Importance of Being Earnest and Four Other Plays," by Oscar Wilde, is part of the "Barnes & Noble Classics"" "series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of "Barnes & Noble Classics" All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. "Barnes & Noble Classics "pulls together a constellation of influences--biographical, historical, and literary--to enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. Oscar Wilde's legendary wit dazzles in "The Importance of Being Earnest," one of the greatest and most popular works of drama to emerge from Victorian England. A light-hearted satire of the absurdity of all forms and conventions, this comic masterpiece features an unforgettable cast of characters who, as critic Max Beerbohm observed, "speak a kind of beautiful nonsense--the language of high comedy, twisted into fantasy." This collection also includes Oscar Wilde's most famous comedies, "Lady Windermere's Fan," "A Woman of No Importance," and "An Ideal Husband," as well as his poetic tragedy "Salome"--all written between 1891 and 1895, Wilde's most creative period. George Bernard Shaw said of Oscar Wilde that he is "our most thorough playwright. He plays with everything: with wit, with philosophy, with drama, with actors and audience, with the whole theater." Kenneth Krauss received his Ph. D. from Columbia University. He teaches drama at the College of Saint Rose, where he also directs and produces. His most recent book is "The Drama of Fallen France," on French theater under the German Occupation.

Clever dialogue, fast-paced repartee, and pithy epigrams abound in this sparkling Victorian comedy of manners. The first of Oscar Wilde's dramas, the 1892 play attests to the author's legendary reputation as a wit and keen observer of ironic situations. In Lady Windermere's Fan, Wilde offers a splendidly satirical view of society's obsessive regard for appearances rather than reality. A paragon of morality, Lady Windermere firmly rejects the company of anyone exhibiting even the slightest deviation from the social code. Suspecting her husband of a dalliance with Mrs. Erlynne, a woman of dubious reputation, Lady Windermere rashly decides to abandon her secure position for the seductive charms of Lord Darlington. The voice of caution arises from an unexpected source when the mysterious Mrs. Erlynne reveals the calamitous effects of her own disregard for duty and virtue, and she augments her advice with an act of self-sacrifice. By laying claim to Lady Windermere's telltale fan, the woman from outside society shows the model of social propriety the difference between true morality and its semblance. More than a century after the play's debut, the luster of its humorous quips, merry bon mots, and thought-provoking paradoxes remains undimmed. This modestly priced edition of Wilde's scintillating comic masterpiece will delight lovers of drama and literature.

Fairy tales, ghost stories, detective fiction and comedies of manners - the stories collected in this volume made Oscar Wilde's name as a writer of fiction, showing breathtaking dexterity in a wide range of literary styles. Victorian moral justice is comically inverted in 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' and 'The Canterville Ghost', and society's materialism comes under sharp, humorous criticism in 'The Model Millionaire', while 'The Happy Prince' and 'The Nightingale and the Rose' are hauntingly melancholic in their magical evocations of selfless love. These small masterpieces convey the brilliance of Wilde's vision, exploring complex moral issues through an elegant juxtaposition of wit and sentiment.

'A triumph of execution ... one of the best narratives of the "double life" of a Victorian gentleman' Peter AckroydOscar Wilde's alluring novel of decadence and sin was a succès de scandale on publication. It follows Dorian Gray who, enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life, indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his depravity. This definitive edition includes a selection of contemporary reviews condemning the novel's immorality. Edited with an Introduction and notes by ROBERT MIGHALL

'My own business always bores me to death; I prefer other people's' Lady Windermere has a happy marriage - or, at least, that's what she believes until one of London society's gossips, the Duchess of Berwick, arrives with her daughter to voice her suspicions about an affair Lord Windermere appears to be having. It's not just the Duchess who has evidence, however. Windermere's private bank book shows that he's been giving large sums of money to a 'Mrs Erlynne' - on frequent occasions - and he himself even admits to seeing much of the woman. To add insult to injury, Windermere insists that Mrs Erlynne is invited to the ball that is being held for Lady Windermere's birthday. Employing the witty dialogue, social satire and outrageous paradox for which he is still remembered, Wilde's play shows us the destructiveness of gossip and superficial judgement, examines the ambiguous sexual morality and gender politics at the heart of the British ruling class, while simultaneously challenging our perceptions of what constitutes a 'good woman'. This student edition contains a fully annotated version of the playtext. The introduction includes an account of Wilde's life and a detailed analysis of Lady Windermere's Fan as well as its stage history. Ian Small is Professor of English Literature at the University of Birmingham. He is the author of a number of critical studies on Wilde and has edited several of Wilde's works, including a scholarly edition of Wilde's second society comedy, A Woman of No Importance, also published in the New Mermaids series.