The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde

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His finely chiselled nostrils quivered, and some hidden nerve shook the scarlet of his lips and left them trembling. In Wilde's final prose work, written between 1896 and 1897 in Reading Gaol following his trial for gross indecency, the poet and playwright reflects on his hedonistic lifestyle and relationships, their consequences, and the spiritual re-alignment he intended to undertake. Very impressed indeed – far better than the few newer editions I've seen and this does appear to be the complete works, not an edited edition. I am afraid I must be going, Basil, he murmured, and before I go, I insist on your answering a question I put to you some time ago.

I at once pictured to myself a creature with spectacles and lank hair, horribly freckled, and tramping about on huge feet. It contains his only novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray as well as his plays, stories, poems, essays and letters. A classicist at heart, Oscar Wilde attempted to follow strict formal rules that are everything but suited to his stylised and flowery language, going over the top and feeling way too rigid.Oscar had an elder brother, Willie, and a younger sister, Isola Francesca, who died at the early age of 10.

The rare erotic novel ‘Teleny’ attributed to Wilde, but now classed as apocryphal –judge for yourself – did Wilde have a hand in writing this rare text? Your rank and wealth, Harry; my brains, such as they are—my art, whatever it may be worth; Dorian Gray’s good looks—we shall all suffer for what the gods have given us, suffer terribly. Original dark red morocco, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, design blocked to front cover in gilt, purple marbled endpapers, top edge gilt, white silk bookmarker. Now, the value of an idea has nothing whatsoever to do with the sincerity of the man who expresses it.Illustrated by Aubrey Beardsley, Walter Crane, Jacomb Hood, Henry Keen,Charles Robinson (illustrator). We degenerate into hideous puppets, haunted by the memory of the passions of which we were too much afraid, and the exquisite temptations that we had not the courage to yield to.

Wilde talked in circles, saying the same thing in different ways and it felt like he added filler in to make them even longer than they really needed to be to fluff them up.I do think that different approaches yield different results and have different successes, achievements, failures and traps. I do not think there is only one way to "do art" or that the term "art" is pretentious, or that "entertainment" is below contempt for that matter, OR that a perfect blending of "art" and "entertainment" is the Ultimate Goal for THAT matter. It contains his only novel, ‘The Portrait of Dorian Gray’, as well as his plays, stories, poems, essays and letters, all in their most authoritative texts. The edition I read was fully illustrated and I think that enhanced my reading experience, so a short thank you to all talented artists that contributed to this book!