The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde (1994)

With regards to the Picture of Dorian Gray, it is wonderfully sensational and unique work. Though obviously Victorian with regards to characters and setting, but the influence of French Symbolism is very easy to see. Huysmans' novel A rebours features as a prominent motif in the book. It is no stretch to claim to claim that Dorian Gray is a Faustian character, whilst the hedonistic Lord Henry represents a model of Huysmans' own Des Esseintes as a sort of Mephistopheles who coaxes Dorian towards his doom. Looking at the premise of the work alone, it could have just as well been a cheap thriller devoid of complexity, but Wilde imbues the work with no small amount of literary references and witty dialogue. There is also no shortage of criticism against the English upper class, and the homoerotic symbolism oozes from every other page. A spectacular and rich novel that excites the mind just as much as any Hitchcock film, and at the same causes the reader to think deeply about its many themes. ( )

Excellent a true master of literature! ( )

Oscar Wilde is one of my favorites. His works are witty and intense. ( )

One of my favorite writters. He's really an artist with the pen. His tales are one of a kind. The Rose and the Nightingale is just an example of these masterpieces. ( )

My mother used to read me Oscar Wilde's fairytales when I was a child. "The Selfish Giant", "The Rose and the Nightingale", "The Happy Prince", and so on. I was greatly moved by the stories and they stayed with me into my adulthood. It was only when I was in my early 20s that I discovered that the writer was Oscar Wilde. I read the stories then for the first time for myself and then began to read other writings of his.As always, I have strong favourites. "The Ballad of Reading Gaol" and "De Profundis" are, along with the fairytales, amongst these. ( )