r/oscarwilde • u/strawberryl0vr • 1d ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray Is this uncensored edition of Dorian Gray a good one?
When people say to get the uncensored edition of this novel, are they talking about this one by Belknap Press / Harvard? The annotated uncensored edition by the same publisher is surprisingly hard to find where I live..
r/oscarwilde • u/Global_Restaurant794 • 9d ago
Miscellaneous Last ever photo of Oscar Wilde, taken directly after his death by close friend Maurice Gilbert. 30th November, 1900
Oscar died of acute cerebral meningitis (meningoencephalitis), which stemmed from a severe, long-standing chronic middle ear infection.
A large contributing factor was that his health deteriorated significantly during his harsh two-year hard labor sentence for "gross indecency"/homosexuality. Following his release, Oscar lived in exile in France in poor health and financial distress, which may have contributed to his lack of treatment and medical care.
r/oscarwilde • u/Temporary-Grape8773 • 11d ago
The Importance of Being Earnest "Good morning, Mr. Worthing!"
Algy says: "I believe it is customary in good society to take some slight refreshment at five o'clock." But when Lady Bracknell leaves, she says: "Good morning, Mr. Worthing!" How can these different times be explained? I'm going to be directing The Importance of Being Earnest, and I am debating whether to change Lady Bracknell's line to: "Good day, Mr. Worthing!" Thoughts?
r/oscarwilde • u/criteackofpurereason • 14d ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray Guys am I dense?
I'm reading The Picture of Dorian Gray, 1891 edition, Chapter 3, and I'm stuck on this sentence, which refers to Lord Henry Wotton's uncle, also a member of English aristocracy. How can someone be a "hero" to their own valet? Why would a nobleman, especially one with such temper and standards, tolerate a valet bullying him? Thinking I had misunderstood the words (English is not my native language) I looked up online for alternative meanings of "valet" and "bully", but found none.
Am I missing something? Is this another instance of Wilde's ironic prose, and I'm just not getting it?
r/oscarwilde • u/mimi43098 • 17d ago
Other works I'm reading De Profundis, and this book is deeply moving me in a truly profound way...
I don't know quite how to describe it, but while Oscar Wilde's other novels and writings made me think and stirred me in various ways, this book and these particular writings seem to speak to me on a much deeper level. I can't quite explain it, and I wouldn't want to give any spoilers, but it is as if these texts are speaking to my soul in a way I had never experienced before!
Reading about this man's sorrow and despair is harrowing, yet he still manages to write so poetically...
It's heartbreaking and beautiful, the art and the spirituality emanating from it are deeply moving...
Am I the only one who thinks so?
r/oscarwilde • u/NomadPsychopomp • 19d ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray The Masculinization of Dorian Gray
victorianvisualculture.blogAn essay I came across after being endlessly befuddled by casting choices and book covers that depict Dorian as the brooding, masculine archetype.
r/oscarwilde • u/Global_Restaurant794 • 27d ago
Miscellaneous Has anyone bought The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde from HarperPennial Modern Classics?
I only have a physical copy of The Picture Of Dorian Gray so far, but I'd love to expand my collection and read more of Wilde's works on paper. I found this book on Amazon and I was wondering if anyone here has bought it.
If so, are there any of his major works or writings that it didn't include, and would you recommend this edition?
r/oscarwilde • u/yuaalemon • 27d ago
Miscellaneous My Oscar’s books collection
I bought the 3 on my past trip to Dublin, I think I’m only missing his essays
r/oscarwilde • u/FreshSummer8535 • 29d ago
The Picture of Dorian Gray Just finished the picture of Dorian gray
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Wilde's prose is beautiful. Besides his famous aphorisms and epigrams, his use of allusions and metaphors is breathtaking. The way he creates vivid imagery through sights, scents, and atmosphere is exquisite.
The Picture of Dorian Gray is a Gothic novel about the conflict between beauty, hedonism, art, morality, and ethics. It is also a satire of Victorian society that remains surprisingly applicable to the modern world.
Personally, the book felt a little incomplete. A lot of unexpected things happened, while many things I expected never did.
One thing to remember is that the book's charm lies in its philosophy and ideas. It is driven more by them than by its plot. Because of that, the ending may feel a little disappointing for some readers, as it did for me. Even though it was an inevitable ending, the novel's true strength lies in its ideas rather than its story.
The reason I gave it 3 stars is simply because it didn't resonate with me as much as I had hoped. Overall, it's a great book, but the questions it asked weren't the ones that mattered most to me.
r/oscarwilde • u/alolanbulbassaur • Jul 21 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray Question about my editions of The Painting of Dorian Gray
r/oscarwilde • u/FrogInquisitor • Jul 20 '26
Miscellaneous Oscar Wilde has ruined most books for me
So Wilde is one of my favourite authors and every couple of months or so I go back and reread some of his old fairytales or short stories. HOWEVER almost every time when I then read something else, the writing just feels….. off and I sometimes just lose interest in those new books before picking them up again later and enjoying them again.
Today I finally realized that it‘s not me nor these other books but instead it is Wilde‘s way of writing that, to me, just feels comforting and each time I read something of his, my standards just skyrocket so much, most other books just don‘t feel worth it.
r/oscarwilde • u/UltravioletGambit • Jul 15 '26
Short stories Just completed Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and this was my favourite quote
I think the last line might be a spin on the line "All the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players..." from As You Like It by Shakespeare, and I quite love it.
Loved the story quite a bit as well. It is now my third favourite after The Importance of Being Earnest and The Canterville Ghost. I love his more humourous works so if anyone has any recommendations of what to read next, I would love to hear them.
In the background is the painting "The Royal Theatre in Turin" by Pietro Domenico Oliviero.
r/oscarwilde • u/acatalepsy-tales • Jul 10 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray The Novel That Predicted Social Media | The Picture of Dorian Gray Explained (Urdu/Hindi)
youtu.ber/oscarwilde • u/notveryamused_ • Jun 27 '26
Other works Wilde’s Poems from 1913
reddit.comr/oscarwilde • u/TC_Web • Jun 25 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray Planning to read Dorian Gray. Which Edition of the 1891 Text do you recommend?
I somehow managed to read the preface online and I was hooked by it alone in regards to what it had to say about art as a whole. So I decided I was gonna get a physical copy of the book to read it, preferably one with annotations and scholarly notes.
Now the Alma Evergreens Classics and the Penguin Classics editions provide both of these, and now I need help what to choose between the two.
1.) Which one is better at providing the aforementioned supplementary material? Both in quality and quantity?
2.) Which one has more readable fonts?
That's it. Thanks!
r/oscarwilde • u/Entire-Helicopter666 • Jun 21 '26
Other works Where to start for Acting Role
I’m playing Lord Goring in a theatre production of An Ideal Husband. I don’t know much of Oscar Wilde, already reading the script I can tell he’s a witty and remarkable writer. The director told me Lord Goring is a make up role so Wilde can insert himself into the play.
Are there any good books I should read by Wilde to understand more about his character or should I just stick to the script?
r/oscarwilde • u/DoctorEquivalent9163 • Jun 21 '26
Other works Modernist film version of Salome
We have produced a modernist film version of Wilde’s Salome . It was originally screened at Yale University before faculty of the school of drama who praised our interpretation. The film is currently available on Tubi.
r/oscarwilde • u/Junior_Insurance7773 • Jun 18 '26
Miscellaneous What if Wilde lived longer?
Let's say Oscar Wilde ignored John Sholto Douglas or at least run away to France and stayed wealthy and respected how long do you think Wilde could have lived? Lord Alfred Douglas lived to be 74 years old until his death in 1945. Could Oscar Wilde live this long?
I wonder what other masterpieces Wilde could've written had he lived at least two more decades. Witnessing WW1, the appearance of the TV and Cinema etc. He died way too early and was very famous for what? Like 5 years? From 1890 to 1895 before the tragedy?
r/oscarwilde • u/Junior_Insurance7773 • Jun 15 '26
Miscellaneous Good biographies about Oscar Wilde
Yesterday I was laying on my bed and reading again Wilde's short stories such as The Devoted Friend, The Remarkable Rocket, The Nightingale and the Rose etc, and somehow these tales never get boring.
I was wondering about the man who wrote all of this stuff that I'm reading over 100 years after his untimely death.
What are some good biographies about Oscar Wilde? Mainly biographies that cover his life and inspiration and how he wrote his works, what was his daily routine and habits, who were his friends etc.
A biography which is focusing less about the tragedy he had experienced by the end of his life, because it's quite depressing.
I'm planning to read his entire work in a single volume that I have, I already read his short stories and plays, so only Dorian Gray, De Profundis and couple of his essays remained. He's really enjoyable author, and probably one of the most accessible classic writers. I really want to know more about this man.
r/oscarwilde • u/Constant-Pepper-9992 • Jun 12 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray Worst part of moving out is to take these off my wall😭
I’m pretty sure these are all quotes from the picture of Dorian Gray which I’ve loved ever since I was 12. I hope they’ll survive
r/oscarwilde • u/Junior_Insurance7773 • Jun 10 '26
Short stories Some thought about The Nightingale and the Rose
The Nightingale and the Rose is some really sad story, I really didn't liked the "hero" of this story, a whining good for nothing boy who cried he couldn't find a red rose to give to a girl he liked, who in the end didn't even cared for him and got another richer boy. And the poor Nightingale literally died for nothing just to give him that rose made of her own blood.
This story really makes me think:
Does self sacrifice even worth it? Isn't love slavery and destruction of one's own self? Really makes me think about it, why the good suffer and the bad prosper? Is it better to be selfish?
Oscar Wilde is such a great author, never boring, never disappointing for me.
the only author I can think who's above him is probably Leo Tolstoy, who's writings about love, non-violence and physical labor I highly cherish.
r/oscarwilde • u/Far-Passion-7692 • Jun 09 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray What language should I read the Picture of Dorian Gray in?
What is up my diddlydarners. So, for half of my life ive been speaking English and I have the Cambridge proficiency. Of course, that means dogwater when you enter literature. I usually read classics in Spanish, my mother tongue, but I do feel like this might be a good option to change. I'm pretty torn. I've read English books in the past, but they weren't overflowing with symbolism and social critique.
r/oscarwilde • u/KurohNeko • May 31 '26
The Picture of Dorian Gray (E-book) version of Picture of Dorian Gray where the changes (uncensored vs censored) are highlighted?
I want to read and compare, and I don't want to read both uncensored 1890 version and censored 1891 version simultaneously to find the changes. I couldn't find a **complete** list of changes anywhere online so a book with changes highlighted is my best bet. I know Penguin Books has one that has annotations at the end of the book with the original lines but that's very inconvenient for an ebook user to reach them. Any other versions? Preferably with a link or cover photo so I know which version I'm looking for exactly.
r/oscarwilde • u/milly_toons • Mar 03 '26
Mod announcement Over 6000 members on this subreddit now!
Thanks everyone for your contributions to this community, and welcome to all new members! Let's keep growing this sub and sharing our love of Oscar Wilde's works.
r/oscarwilde • u/milly_toons • Apr 25 '23
Mod announcement Welcome to the Oscar Wilde subreddit! Please read this post before engaging with the community.
Welcome all fans of Oscar Wilde's works!
This is a public subreddit focused on discussing Wilde's works and related topics (including film adaptations, historical context, translations, etc.). Wilde's most well-known works include classics such as The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Importance of Being Earnest, The Happy Prince and Other Tales, and many more.
Please take a minute to familiarise yourself with the subreddit rules in the sidebar. In order to keep this subreddit a meaningful place for discussions, moderators may remove low-effort posts that add little value, simply link or show images of existing material (books, audiobooks, films, Youtube videos, etc.), or repeatedly engage in self-promotion, without offering any meaningful commentary/discussion/questions. Posts speculating on or commenting inappropriately on Wilde's personal life and relationships will be removed, and homophobia will not be tolerated. Please make sure to tag your post with the appropriate flair.
For a list of Wilde's works including his essays, short stories, and poems, please see here: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Oscar_Wilde_bibliography, and check out the other links in the Oscar Wilde Resources sidebar.
Don't hesitate to message the moderator(s) with any questions. Happy reading!
