Book Series Guide

Oscar Wilde

Author guide

Oscar Wilde Books in Order

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish writer whose career encompassed poetry, fiction, fairy tales, aesthetic criticism, journalism, drama, and political prose. His major works include The Picture of Dorian Gray, Intentions, The Soul of Man under Socialism, Salomé, and four enduring comedies: Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, and The Importance of Being Earnest. His posthumous publications include De Profundis, The Rise of Historical Criticism, and collections of correspondence and previously unpublished writings.

poetryfictionnovelshort fictionfairy talesdramacomedytragedyessaysliterary criticismpolitical writingletters

Catalog record updated .

Not sure where to begin?

Start with one of these

Cover of The Picture of Dorian Gray

The Picture of Dorian Gray

Wilde's only completed novel and a central work of aesthetic and decadent fiction.

Cover of The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

His most celebrated comedy and the clearest introduction to his dramatic wit.

Cover of The Happy Prince and Other Tales

The Happy Prince and Other Tales

A concise introduction to his distinctive fairy-tale style and moral imagination.

Cover of De Profundis

De Profundis

A major late prose work combining memoir, self-examination, and literary reflection.

Outside the series

Bibliography by category

Novels (2)
  1. The Picture of Dorian Gray

    novel · 1891

    In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book…

  2. The Portrait of Mr. W. H.

    novella · 1901

Nonfiction (3)
  1. De Profundis

    memoir and letter · 1905

    De Profundis (Latin: "from the depths") is a 50,000 word letter written by Oscar Wilde during his imprisonment in Reading Gaol, to Lord Alfred Douglas, his lover. Wilde wrote the letter between January and March 1897; he was not allowed…

  2. The Rise of Historical Criticism

    literary criticism · 1905

  3. The Women of Homer

    literary criticism · 2008

Short fiction (2)
  1. The Happy Prince and Other Tales

    short fiction collection · 1888

    A beautiful, golden, jewel-studded statue and a little swallow give all they have to help the poor.

Essays and speeches (3)
  1. Intentions

    essay collection · 1891

  2. The Soul of Man under Socialism

    political essay · 1895

    "**The Soul of Man Under Socialism**" is an 1891 essay by Oscar Wilde in which he expounds a libertarian socialist worldview and a critique of chary. The writing of "The Soul of Man" followed Wilde's conversion to anarchist philosophy,…

  3. Essays, Criticisms, and Reviews

    essay collection · 1901

Poetry (6)
  1. Ravenna

    poetry · 1878

  2. Poems

    poetry collection · 1881

  3. The Sphinx

    poetry · 1894

  4. Poems in Prose

    prose poetry collection · 1905

    High quality reprint of Poems in Prose by Oscar Wilde.

  5. The Ballad of Reading Gaol

    poetry · 1898

  6. The Harlot's House

    illustrated poem · 1904

Plays (11)
  1. Vera; or, The Nihilists

    play · 1882

    Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854-1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and author of short stories. Known for his barbed wit, he was one of the most successful playwrights of late Victorian London, and one of the…

  2. The Duchess of Padua

    play · 1883

    The Market Place of Padua at noon; in the background is the great Cathedral of Padua; the architecture is Romanesque, and wrought in black and white marbles; a flight of marble steps leads up to the Cathedral door; at the foot of the…

  3. Salomé

    play · 1893

    Written originally in French in 1892, Wilde's one-act tragedy Salomé was translated into English by Lord Alfred Douglas, inspired some of Aubrey Beardsley's finest illustrations (long available in a Dover edition), and served as the text…

  4. Lady Windermere's Fan

    play · 1893

    Lady Windermere's Fan: A Play About a Good Woman is a play by Oscar Wilde, who uses his sharp wit to satirize Victorian ideals about marriage. Lady Windemere suspects her husband of infidelity and retaliates by taking a lover. Her…

  5. Salome: A Tragedy in One Act

    play translation · 1894

  6. A Woman of No Importance

    play · 1894

    Oscar Wilde's audacious drama of social scandal centres around the revelation of Mrs Arbuthnot's long-concealed secret. A house party is in full swing at Lady Hunstanton's country home, when it is announced that Gerald Arbuthnot has been…

  7. An Ideal Husband

    play · 1899

    An Ideal Husband is an 1895 comedic stage play by Oscar Wilde which revolves around blackmail and political corruption, and touches on the themes of public and private honour. The action is set in London, in "the present", and takes place…

  8. The Importance of Being Earnest

    play · 1899

    "Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gwendolen as Earnest, while Algernon has also posed as Earnest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at…

  9. La Sainte Courtisane

    incomplete play · 1908

  10. A Florentine Tragedy

    incomplete play · 1908

  11. For Love of the King: A Burmese Masque

    play · 1922

Other (2)
  1. A House of Pomegranates

    fairy-tale collection · 1891

    **A House of Pomegranates** is a collection of fairy tales, written by Oscar Wilde, that was published in 1891 as a second collection for The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888). Wilde once said that this collection was "intended neither…

  2. The Letters of Oscar Wilde

    letters · 1962

Frequently asked questions about Oscar Wilde

Where was Oscar Wilde born, and when did he die?

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin, Ireland, in 1854, and died in Paris on 30 November 1900.

Sources: tcd.ie (opens in a new tab)poetryfoundation.org (opens in a new tab)

Was Oscar Wilde Irish?

Yes. Wilde was an Irish writer born into a prominent Dublin family, though he spent much of his career in England and later lived in France.

Sources: tcd.ie (opens in a new tab)britishlibrary.cn (opens in a new tab)

What made Oscar Wilde famous?

He became famous as a witty public figure and leading advocate of Aestheticism before achieving major success as a novelist and playwright. His epigrams, flamboyant persona, and social comedies made him a celebrity of late-Victorian London.

Sources: britishlibrary.cn (opens in a new tab)tcd.ie (opens in a new tab)

Who influenced Oscar Wilde?

At Oxford, Wilde was strongly influenced by the aesthetic ideas of art critics Walter Pater and John Ruskin. Their writing helped shape his views on art, beauty, and individual expression.

Sources: britishlibrary.cn (opens in a new tab)poetryfoundation.org (opens in a new tab)

Why is Oscar Wilde still important today?

Wilde remains important for his enduring literary reputation and for the way his life and work illuminate sexuality, censorship, and artistic freedom. Since the 1960s, he has also become an important cultural figure in LGBTQ+ history and civil-rights movements.

Sources: britishlibrary.cn (opens in a new tab)bl.uk (opens in a new tab)