The Wisdom of Oscar Wilde

One of the most well known personalities of his day, Oscar Wilde charmed and beguiled readers and audiences with his eloquent and biting observations, his smart quips, and the witticisms peppering his own speech and the speech of his characters. The Wisdom of Oscar Wilde collects both his best-loved quotes and longer excerpts, revealing a man wise to human nature and his times, and never shy with his searing comments on men, women, art, behavior, children, politics, youth, and a range of other topics. Drawing from his plays, articles, reviews, speeches, letters, and other works, this definitive volume is an entertaining immersion into the world of this charming genius.  

One of the most well known personalities of his day, Oscar Wilde charmed and beguiled readers and audiences with his eloquent and biting observations, his smart quips, and the witticisms peppering his own speech and the speech of his characters. The Wisdom of Oscar Wilde collects both his best-loved quotes and longer excerpts, revealing a man wise to human nature and his times, and never shy with his searing comments on men, women, art, behavior, children, politics, youth, and a range of other topics. Drawing from his plays, articles, reviews, speeches, letters, and other works, this definitive volume is an entertaining immersion into the world of this charming genius.  

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was born in Dublin, Ireland, as the second of three children. With his razor-sharp tongue and piercing insights, Wilde was considered to be among the foremost wits of his age. His career as a poet, playwright, and novelist was stormy and difficult, marked by glittering successes as well as poverty, imprisonment, and chronic ill health. He died of meningitis on November 30, 1900.