While Italy proved fertile ground for a Renaissance, the Reformation found rocky soil on Rome’s home turf. Where Michelangelo and da Vinci bore their greatest fruit, Luther and Calvin’s otherwise explosive thought was quickly expunged, after brief initial growth, in the face of an intense Inquisition and a failure to bear fruit among the masses. Collected here are several classic works analyzing two of the most powerful movements in Western history, and their disparate ends on the Italian Peninsula.

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.

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. The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde’s first and only novel. Originally published in 1890, it tells the story of a handsome young man who becomes so alarmed by the transitory nature of youth that he makes a wish to stay young forever, while a picture of him ages instead. When he realizes that his dearest wish has come true, young Dorian begins a treacherous pursuit of fleeting pleasure. This classic cautionary tale explores the nature of art, beauty, and morality. The Logos edition of The Picture of Dorian Gray is enhanced by amazing functionality. Study Wilde’s novel alongside a library of classic literature and philosophy. Important terms link to dictionaries, encyclopedias, and a wealth of other resources in your digital library. Powerful searches help you find...

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