The Letters of Oscar Wilde

Book of letters by Oscar Wilde (1963)

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The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde is a book that contains over a thousand pages of letters written by Oscar Wilde. Wilde's letters were first published as The Letters of Oscar Wilde in 1963, edited by Rupert Hart-Davis and published by his publishing firm.

Merlin Holland revised the book and included new discoveries in a new edition: The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde by Merlin Holland & Rupert Hart-Davis. It was published in 2000 by Henry Holt and Company LLC, New York (ISBN 0-8050-5915-6) and Fourth Estate, London (ISBN 978-1-85702-781-5).

Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson, provides an introduction to the work which describes the purpose of publishing Oscar Wilde's letters. The book contains a timeline of Oscar Wilde's life, includes some of his drawings and his famous letter to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, known as De Profundis. Expurgated editions of De Profundis had been published by Wilde's literary executor Robbie Ross from 1905, but the 1962 edition published by Rupert Hart-Davis was the first full and correct version, made from the original manuscript in the British Museum.

## Purpose of the book

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The interest of the book is that Wilde's letters become the "autobiography that he never wrote" (Holland, xiii). In addition, Holland asserts (from the introduction (xiii)):

"Now, a hundred years after his death, to read his letters, particularly those written to intimate friends without thought of publication, is as close as we shall come to the magic of hearing him in person."

Here, Holland is referring to Wilde's legendary conversational skills, which have only been partially preserved in the published letters.

The letters give an insight to Oscar Wilde's character, his sense of humor and his great affection and love for many people.

## References

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* Holland, Merlin & Rupert Hart-Davis: The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde (2000), US edition: Henry Holt and Company LLC, New York. ISBN 0-8050-5915-6. UK edition: Fourth Estate, London. ISBN 978-1-85702-781-5.

## Further reading

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* William Monahan (Spring 2001). "William Monahan on The Complete Letters of Oscar Wilde, edited by Merlin Holland and Rupert Hart-Davis". Bookforum. "Table of Contents". Retrieved 2007-04-09.

* v
* t
* e

Oscar Wilde

Novel|

* The Picture of Dorian Gray

Essays|

* "The Decay of Lying"
* "The Soul of Man Under Socialism"
* "The Critic as Artist"
* "De Profundis"

Short stories|

* "The Canterville Ghost"
* "The Portrait of Mr. W. H."

Collections|

* Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories
* The Happy Prince and Other Stories
* A House of Pomegranates

Poems|

* The Ballad of Reading Gaol
* Charmides
* "The Harlot's House"
* Poems in Prose
* The Sphinx

Plays|

* Vera; or, The Nihilists
* The Duchess of Padua
* Lady Windermere's Fan
* A Florentine Tragedy
* A Woman of No Importance
* Salome
* La Sainte Courtisane
* An Ideal Husband
* The Importance of Being Earnest

Family|

* Constance Wilde (wife)
* Cyril Wilde Holland (son)
* Vyvyan Wilde Holland (son)
* Merlin Holland (grandson)
* William Wilde (father)
* Jane Elgee Wilde (mother)
* Willie Wilde (brother)

Places|

* Oscar Wilde Centre (academic centre)
* Merrion Square home
* Tomb and gravesite
* A Conversation with Oscar Wilde (London sculpture)
* Memorial triptych sculpture, Dublin

Based on Wilde's
life and works|

* Music based on the works of Oscar Wilde
* Biographies of Oscar Wilde
* Themes and derivatives of Salome
* Oscar Wilde (1936 play)
* Oscar Wilde (1960 film)
* The Trials of Oscar Wilde (1960 film)
* The Importance of Being Oscar (1960 play)
* Oscar (1985 miniseries)
* Wilde (1997 film)
* Gross Indecency: The Three Trials of Oscar Wilde (1997 play)
* The Judas Kiss (1998 play)
* Oscar (2013 opera)
* The Happy Prince (2018 film)

Related|

* Oscar Wilde bibliography
* The Letters of Oscar Wilde
* Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal
* Lord Alfred Douglas
* Ada Leverson
* Robbie Ross
* Robert Sherard

* Category

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