Save with Used - Good
Save with Used - Very Good

Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet or computer – no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: Centenary Edition Hardcover – 4 Oct. 1999
Purchase options and add-ons
The centennial edition of The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde, the only truly complete and authoritative single-volume edition of Oscar Wilde’s works.
A new centennial edition of the bestselling Complete Works of Oscar Wilde: now published in a special hardback centennial edition to commemorate the 100th anniversary of his death, with a revision of The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde’s grandson.
- Print length1280 pages
- LanguageEnglish
- PublisherCollins
- Publication date4 Oct. 1999
- ISBN-100004723724
- ISBN-13978-0004723723
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Product description
From the Back Cover
Continuously in print since 1948, the 'Collins Complete Works of Oscar Wilde' has long been established as the most comprehensive and authoritative single-volume collection of Wilde's work available, containing his only novel, 'The Picture of Dorian Gray,' as well as his plays, stories, poems, essays and letters, all in their most authoritative texts.
This new illustrated edition, specially published to commemorate the 100th anniversary of Wilde's death, incorporates new revisions to the text of 'The Ballard of Reading Gaol.' The book includes introductions to each section by Merlin Holland (Oscar Wilde's grandson), Owen Dudley Edwards, Declan Kiberd and Terence Brown.
Also included is a comprehensive bibliography of works by and about Oscar Wilde, and a chronological table of his life and work.
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on October 16, 1854, in Dublin. His parents were William (afterwards Sir William) Wilde, a renowned ear and eye surgeon, and Jane Francesca Wilde, who, under the name 'Sperenza', wrote political articles for the Young Ireland movement.
Oscar was educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became a leading light of the so-called 'Aesthetic Movement' (satirised by Gilbert and Sullivan in 'Patience') and was recognised as one of the leading wits of the age. Plays such as 'Lady Windermere's Fan' (1893) and 'The Importance of Being Ernest' (1895) established him as the most important contemporary dramatist; other great works included several children's stories, such as 'The Happy Prince and other Tales' (1888), his only novel 'The Portrait of Dorian Gray' (1891), and much important art criticism.
He was imprisoned for homosexuality in 1895, serving his time in Wandsworth Prison and Reading Gaol. His wife obtained legal a separation from him, and he never saw her or his two sons again. On his release in 1987, he settled in France, and died from cerebral meningitis in Paris, in 1900.
About the Author
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born on the 16th October 1854 and died on the 30th November 1900. He was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories and one novel. Known for his biting wit, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.
Product details
- Publisher : Collins
- Publication date : 4 Oct. 1999
- Edition : Revised
- Language : English
- Print length : 1280 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0004723724
- ISBN-13 : 978-0004723723
- Item weight : 1.17 kg
- Best Sellers Rank: 1,101,005 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 111 in Essays, Journals & Letters
- 374 in Literary Studies
- 1,156 in Fiction Anthologies (Books)
- Customer reviews:
About the author

Oscar Fingall O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854. He was educated at Trinity College, Dublin and Magdalen College, Oxford where, a disciple of Pater, he founded an aesthetic cult. In 1884 he married Constance Lloyd, and his two sons were born in 1885 and 1886.
His novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1891), and social comedies Lady Windermere's Fan (1892), A Woman of No Importance (1893), An Ideal Husband (1895), and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), established his reputation. In 1895, following his libel action against the Marquess of Queesberry, Wilde was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for homosexual conduct, as a result of which he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), and his confessional letter De Profundis (1905). On his release from prison in 1897 he lived in obscurity in Europe, and died in Paris in 1900.
Customer reviews
Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings, help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyses reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Learn more how customers reviews work on AmazonCustomers say
Customers find this book to be a great collection of Wilde's work, praising its brilliant and witty writing style. Moreover, they consider it a must-have classic with great value for money, and one customer notes its masterful presentation. Additionally, customers find the book entertaining, with one mentioning it has the ability to make them laugh and cringe.
AI Generated from the text of customer reviews
Select to learn more
Customers find the book readable and interesting, with one customer highlighting its comprehensive collection of Wilde's work.
"...Works like this should cost much much more. So it's on fine paper and the words are small so if you need glasses, put them on...." Read more
"...collections in the past and had been well pleased with the solid production values of each of the collections that I had bought...." Read more
"As usual Oscar is brilliant, witty, clever and great fun to read. It's a great pity it's printed on such crappy paper." Read more
"This is a great collection of Wilde's work...." Read more
Customers praise the writing quality of the book, describing it as brilliant, witty, and amazingly clever, with one customer noting its lyrical use of language.
"...Wonderful storyteller and thinker. A window into both his soul and yours. Highly recommended." Read more
"...These are just amazingly clever and wry and always has the ability to make me laugh/cringe." Read more
"...have not been well received and very seldom performed the writing is so excellent as it is a pleasure to read." Read more
"Just loving and savouring every word. The book is manageable for reading in a chair and collated so well. Many happy hours ahead." Read more
Customers find the book to be a great value for money, describing it as cheap as chips.
"...I love them and think the small purchase price is well worth the money for the superior formatting (compared to free downloads) and additional..." Read more
"This is a Kindle purchase and it was an extremely good bargain containing as does all work which a Wilde fan would want." Read more
"Xmas pressie so cannot review as yet, but looks great value for money. Am sure the recipient will enjoy it as really likes Wilde...." Read more
"Value for money." Read more
Customers appreciate the classic content of the book, describing it as a must-have, with one customer noting its masterful presentation.
"...It is indeed a lovely wild circle!" Read more
"...way Oscar Wilde writes, his wit, his use of words and the sheer beauty of his writings." Read more
"What can I say.......classic" Read more
"Timeless a work of art!" Read more
Customers find the book entertaining, with one mentioning how it makes them laugh and cringe.
"...These are just amazingly clever and wry and always has the ability to make me laugh/cringe." Read more
"...and very seldom performed the writing is so excellent as it is a pleasure to read." Read more
"...the book is very easy to navigate and extremely rewarding, definitely buy it." Read more
"As usual Oscar is brilliant, witty, clever and great fun to read. It's a great pity it's printed on such crappy paper." Read more
Top reviews from United Kingdom
There was a problem filtering reviews. Please reload the page.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 28 December 2024Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseMany thanks
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2022Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseCan't read it, I didn't know it needs a kindle
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 12 September 2020Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseHonestly this is a roller-coaster ride through one of the greatest literal minds of all time. Be it plays, stories, poems, letters or critiques of other's work, Oscar Wilde's wit and wisdom alike know no bounds. Way ahead of his time both in the late 19th century and even now. Wonderful storyteller and thinker. A window into both his soul and yours. Highly recommended.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 March 2013Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseAll of Oscar Wilde's work in one book for under £10. That is is more then a deal. Works like this should cost much much more.
So it's on fine paper and the words are small so if you need glasses, put them on. The book is bulky, but saying all this well that's what i'd thought it will be like to have all his works in one book.
I'd say just you have come across a deal take it
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 6 December 2021Format: Kindle EditionVerified PurchaseI hope to read all of this but bought to re-read two plays I love - An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Ernest. These are just amazingly clever and wry and always has the ability to make me laugh/cringe.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 31 March 2013I purchased this to replace another edition of Wilde's collected works produced by a rival e-publisher.
That version was not up to snuff due to the editing of the contents of the poetry section. The lines of the poems were broken up; words meandering, seemingly, across the page at random. This is a problem that is encountered with sickening regularity with e-versions of poetry. They are simply ported over in to e-format; the layout of the poetry being thrown out in the process and simply published in the mutilated format that the transition produces.
Some well known publishing houses are guilty of this slapdash work.
Delphi was not, until now, numbered amongst those guilty of this offence. I had purchased a number of their poetry collections in the past and had been well pleased with the solid production values of each of the collections that I had bought.
Imagine my horror therefore when I turned from the admittedly solid and well laid out prose section of this collection to look at the poetry at the tail end of the e-book.
The poems were in the exact same butchered state as those in the rival publication. The same errors were replicated in the same places; right down to the irritating lozenges with the insane question mark in the centre of them that pop up at the end of the lines like so many toadstools in a merde besplattered field.
This makes it impossible to read and enjoy the poems.
How could this have happened? I had thought Delphi to be above this sort of thing.
Are their production values falling off?
I have not as yet found anything to object to in the prose section. However working my way though that will be the work of many months.
I hope I will not be disappointed. Come on Delphi! You can do better than this.
- Reviewed in the United Kingdom on 1 May 2021Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseBook arrived in time to complete paper for my course at uni. i had ordered 2 of the same in error so was able to return the extra one, no problem and my account was reimbursed swiftly.
Top reviews from other countries
- Amazon CustomerReviewed in Canada on 2 September 2017
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Awesome!!!!!!!!!!!!
-
juan manuelReviewed in Mexico on 22 March 2021
5.0 out of 5 stars Magico
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseIncreíble edición
-
DDAReviewed in France on 9 November 2023
5.0 out of 5 stars Merci
Format: PaperbackVerified PurchaseProduit reçu dans les temps et en Bon état. Merci
-
Cliente AmazonReviewed in Spain on 15 September 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Encantado
Las única pega que puedo ponerle al producto es el tamaño de la letra, que puede ser un problema para las personas mayores.
Cliente AmazonEncantado
Reviewed in Spain on 15 September 2016
Images in this review
- M K TempleReviewed in the United States on 19 June 2016
5.0 out of 5 stars Surprisingly good on all counts.
The categories above don't really apply to a massive anthology of plays, essays, poetry, and fiction. I was skeptical of this edition at first: those cheap/free loving-amateur compilations of public domain works after often riddled with typos, but I was pleasantly surprised; I've seen worse inaccuracies in books from major publishers. (The only problem was in that apparently the technology used by at least one transcriber did not support the Greek-language font, and the words Wilde left in the Greek alphabet were omitted; I wish the transcriber had at least tried to transliterate.) Wilde's major work (like the most perfect comedy in the English language, The Importance of Being Earnest) has been reprinted, but some of his essays and plays are simply hard to find outside a Complete Works in a university library. It's interesting to have both versions of The Picture of Dorian Gray in one place; some of his less popular works, like his first play, Vera, turn out to be better reading than I expected. Even the porno novel, Teleny, which the editors admit probably isn't by Wilde but may be a collaborative work by several of his friends, is entertaining: a
love story disguised as what the Victorians considered hard-core! There are some early biographical sketches of Wilde that are amusing (though not to be taken with the same authority as a modern biography like Richard Ellmann's): Frank Harris obviously found Wilde as adorable as exasperating and never understood him in the least, and his fellow Irishman Shaw was--typically Shaw. This collection should support Wilde's reputation as one of the world's greatest writers.