We can talk about countless writers who have left their mark on world literature, but everyone will agree that it is not possible without opening a separate title for Oscar Wilde. The Irish writer, who lived in the 19th century, embraced literature passionately from his early youth. Oscar Wilde, who produced works in many different genres because he loved all types of literature, left behind a very important legacy when he died.
The most important feature that made the name Oscar Wilde so important for world literature was his unique style. Moreover, the stories he told in this unique language became a legend in world literature because they were unlike any literary work seen until that day. Of course, like many writers, his life was not a good one. Let’s get to know Oscar Wilde briefly and see some of his must-read books.
Let’s start by briefly introducing our author; Who is Oscar Wilde?
His full name is Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, who was born on October 16, 1854 in Dublin, Ireland. After attending the Royal College and Trinity College, he completed his education at Magdalen College, Oxford University. His passion for literature and aesthetics developed during his student life here.
After his first play in 1880, he wrote many plays, novels, short stories and poems. He gave lectures on aesthetics for a while. The dissident writer is also bisexual. He was imprisoned on charges of indecency for having relationships with men. After his prison sentence ended, Wilde’s health deteriorated and he died due to meningitis on November 30, 1900.
Some of the Oscar Wilde books you should definitely read:
- The Picture of Dorian Gray
- An Insignificant Woman
- Only Boring People Sparkle at Breakfast
- De Profundis
- Portrait of Mr WH
- The Ballad of Reading Gaol
- The Happy Prince
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- Star Child
- The Corruption of Lies
- Life is Too Important to Be Taken Seriously
The book by which everyone knows Oscar Wilde: The Picture of Dorian Gray
The Picture of Dorian Gray, which made a big splash and received harsh criticism when it was published, was also used as evidence during the trial of Oscar Wilde. The novel, which deals with the concept of aesthetics in depth through eternal youth and beauty, also explains in all its nakedness what kind of corruption a person will fall into when he becomes a slave to his ambitions and passions.
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One of the most well-known theater plays: An Insignificant Woman
A Woman of No Importance, one of the first theater plays that comes to mind when Oscar Wilde is mentioned, appears as a result of the author’s deep thoughts on life. A Woman of No Importance, which has a narrative unlike the classic plays, focuses on issues at the center of our lives such as virtue, innocence, love, marriage, poverty and wealth in every line.
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His thoughts on everything: Only Boring People Sparkle at Breakfast
Oscar Wilde not only produced literary works, but also wrote intense criticism on all areas of art. Of course, since he left these behind mostly in short notes, in the following years all these thoughts were collected in the book titled Only Boring People Sparkle at Breakfast. Throughout the book, we have the opportunity to learn the author’s clearest thoughts on many different topics.
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An unread letter: De Profundis
Oscar Wilde was sentenced to two years in prison for having a homosexual relationship with Alfred Douglas. Wilde, who said that the period he lived here was the worst period of his life, wrote a letter to Douglas while he was in prison, but this letter never reached the recipient. This book met with readers in the following years under the name De Profundis.
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After Shakespeare’s Sonnets: The Portrait of Mr WH
The Portrait of Mr WH is an interesting book. Oscar Wilde, who received one of the numerous claims about the name WH mentioned in Shakespeare’s Sonnets, fictionalized this novel based on this claim. Allegedly, WH was actually a young actor named Willie Hughes, and Shakespeare was in love with this man. Throughout the novel, we read about our character Erskine pursuing this claim.
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Reflections from prison: The Ballad of Reading Gaol
The Ballad of Reading Gaol, a long poem, is a work written by Oscar Wilde while he was in prison and tells about one of the prisoners there. A prisoner named Charles Thomas Wooldridge killed his wife in a fit of insanity and was sentenced to death. Throughout the ballad, Oscar Wilde tells the story of this prisoner in a way that will give you goosebumps.
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Fairy tales he wrote to his sons: The Happy Prince
It is thought that the fairy tales in the book The Happy Prince, first published in 1888, were actually written by Oscar Wilde to his sons, but the author defines his readership with the following sentences; ‘People from seven to seventy with childish spirits, those who preserve their childish abilities such as being surprised and happy.’ It is not for us to say anything more about the author’s definition.
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One of his most important works: The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde, who says that he wrote his work The Importance of Being Earnest with the perfect logic of nonsense, is actually taking steps to change world literature in every line he writes. The author talks about the two-faced structure of the society of the period and the traditions that he believes are masks, and explains all of this in an enjoyable manner through a series of funny events.
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For those who want to meet the author: Star Child
The book Star Child actually consists of two long stories of the author, named Star Child and Fisherman and His Spirit, with similar themes. These stories, which children can read with the same excitement as adults, will be a good start for people who have never read Oscar Wilde before to meet the author.
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The work of maturity: The Corruption of Lies
The Corruption of Lies consists of essays written by Oscar Wilde on many different subjects. In the work, which was first published in 1891, the author criticizes with the harshest tip of his pen. Oscar Wilde, who fully defends the philosophy of art for art’s sake, lashes out at critics who say that art should have a moral purpose.
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Aphorisms: Life is Too Important to Be Taken Seriously
Oscar Wilde wrote countless works, but not everything he wrote was published. Some of his writings appeared in his notebooks or in copies deemed unfit for publication in the following years. In the book titled Life is Too Important to Be Taken Seriously, we encounter aphorism-like sentences written by the author on many different subjects.
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We listed some of the must-read books of Oscar Wilde, one of the most important names in world literature, and briefly talked about the stories they present to the reader. You can share your thoughts about Oscar Wilde in the comments.
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