Writing in the height of the aesthetic movement in Europe, Oscar Wilde rose to the pinnacle of popular society on both the strength of his writing’s biting social commentary and his glittering public persona. He is best known for his novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray; his dark, satirical comedies, including The Importance of Being Earnest; and a tumultuous personal life that ended with his death in exile and poverty. This collection gathers a diverse array of Wilde’s work, in addition to his classic novel and beloved comedy. The Happy Prince and Other Fairy Tales collects several short children’s stories. The Tocquevillian Impressions of America is an early lecture on American ethics and aesthetics. And De Profundis is a contemplative epistle written from prison, in which Wilde expresses regret over a formerly lavish lifestyle and meditates on his spiritual development.

This autobiographical volume focuses on the life of Oscar Wilde, and offers a unique personal perspective on his work. It is an excellent opportunity to get inside the mind of the man Alfred Douglas calls the “Lord of Language.”