The Soul of Man Under Socialism and Selected Critical Prose

by Oscar Wilde, Linda Dowling (Introduction)

Overview

Selection includes The Portrait of Mr W.H., Wilde's defence of Dorian Gray, reviews, and the writings from 'Intentions' (1891): 'The Decay of Lying, 'Pen, Pencil, Poison', and 'The Critic as Artist'.
Wilde is familiar to us as the ironic critic behind the social comedies, as the creator of the beautiful and doomed Dorian Gray, as the flamboyant aesthete and the demonised homosexual. This volume presents us with a different Wilde. Wilde emerges here as a deep and serious reader of literature and philosophy, and an eloquent and original thinker about society and art.

Product Details

ISBN-13:	9780141958903
Publisher:	Penguin UK
Publication date:	02/22/2007
Sold by:	Barnes & Noble
Format:	eBook
Pages:	416
File size:	2 MB

About the Author

Born in Ireland, Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wilde (1854-1900) was educated in Dublin and Oxford and went on to become the leading and most prominent exponent of aestheticism. He wrote many plays, a novel, short stories, poetry and criticism. Imprisoned for homosexual acts, he died after his release in exile in Paris.
Linda Dowling is Professor of English at Princeton.

Date of Birth:

October 16, 1854

Date of Death:

November 30, 1900

Place of Birth:

Dublin, Ireland

Place of Death:

Paris, France

Education:

The Royal School in Enniskillen, Dublin, 1864; Trinity College, Dublin, 1871; Magdalen College, Oxford, England, 1874

Table of Contents

The Soul of Man under Socialism and Selected Critical ProseIntroduction
Note on the Texts
Eight Reviews (1885-90)
1. Mr. Whistler's Ten o'Clock
2. The Relation of Dress to Art
3. A Sentimental Journey through Literature
4. Mr. Pater's Imaginary Portraits
5. [The Actor as Critic]
6. Poetical Socialists
7. Mr. Swinburne's Last Volume
8. Mr. Pater's Last Volume

The Portrait of Mr. W. H. (expanded version 1889)

In Defence of Dorian Gray (1890-91)

The Soul of Man Under Socialism (1891)

Intentions (1891)
1. The Decay of Lying
2. Pen, Pencil and Poison
3. The Critic as Artist - Part I
The Critic as Artist - Part II
4. The Truth of Masks

Notes
Further Reading