Oscar Wilde, an Irish writer who lived in the 19th century, literally changed the world of literature with his works in many different genres throughout his life. If you want to change your own perspective, just as he changed literature, we have listed some of Oscar Wilde’s books that you should definitely read.
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 wrote works in many different genres because he loved all types of literature. When he died, he left behind a very important legacy.
The most important feature that made the name Oscar Wilde so important for world literature was his unique style. And the stories he tells in this unique language. It has become a legend in world literature because it is unlike any literary work ever seen. 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 the Royal College and Trinity College He completed his education at Oxford University Magdalen College. 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 Picture of Dorian Gray, which made a big impact and received very harsh criticism when it was published, was also It 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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A Woman of No Importance is one of the first theater plays that come to mind when Oscar Wilde is mentioned. It appears as a result of the author’s deep thoughts about 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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Oscar Wilde not only produced literary works, but also He also wrote intense criticism on every field 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 subjects.
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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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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, He 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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The Ballad of Reading Gaol is a long poem written by Oscar Wilde while he was in prison. It is a work 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
The fairy tales in the book The Happy Prince, first published in 1888 It is thought to have been written by Oscar Wilde to his sons. However, the author defines his audience 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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Oscar Wilde said that he wrote his work The Importance of Being Earnest with the perfect logic of nonsense. In every line he writes, he actually takes steps to change world literature. 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 Star Child book is actually the author’s book Star Child and the Fisherman and His Spirit, which have similar themes. It consists of two long stories. 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 Corruption of Lies consists of essays written by Oscar Wilde on many different subjects. In the work 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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Oscar Wilde produced 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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One of the most important names of world literature Listing some of Oscar Wilde’s must-read books We briefly talked about the stories they presented to the reader. You can share your thoughts about Oscar Wilde in the comments.
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