De Profundis and Other Writings (Penguin Classics)

by ,

256 pages

Published Aug. 28, 2008 by Penguin Books Ltd.

ISBN:
978-0-14-043990-8
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OCLC Number:
656767039

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5 stars (2 reviews)

A definitive new collection of Oscar Wilde’s best prison letters and poetry, with an introduction by Colm Toibin

Bankrupt and with his reputation in ruins, Oscar Wilde wrote the astonishing letter “De Profundis” to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas, while in prison. Editor Colm Toibin, the acclaimed author of The Blackwater Lightship, The Master, and Brooklyn, describes it as Wilde’s “greatest piece of prose writing.” Also included is “The Ballad of Reading Gaol,” Wilde’s most famous poem and one of the greatest ballads in the English language, as well as other letters Wilde wrote from prison that reveal the true effects of incarceration on the people he met. Based on the Penguin Classics edition of the Complete Letters, this collection features a new introduction, notes, and appendices.

2 editions

reviewed De Profundis and Other Writings (Penguin Classics) by Oscar Wilde

A case study in compassion—my heart is full

No rating

It’s incredible that Oscar Wilde came out of jail not resentful but full of compassion. He had compassion for the horrid Lord Douglas, with whose relationship had led to his destruction. He had great compassion for his wife, who suffered greatly. And he had intense compassion for his fellow prisoners, and successfully campaigned for prison reform on his release.

His writing is brilliant, beautiful and true, but it’s his compassion, his ability to portray intense, deeply held conviction and feeling that is exceptional, and moving.

Colm Tóibín has done an excellent job editing. The juxtaposition of Wilde’s letters, including De Profundis, and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, complete with numerous footnotes for context, presents Wilde’s inner and outer life as a vivid whole.

reviewed De Profundis and Other Writings (Penguin Classics) by Oscar Wilde

Review of 'De Profundis and Other Prison Writings' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

It’s incredible that Oscar Wilde came out of jail not resentful but full of compassion. He had compassion for the horrid Lord Douglas, with whose relationship had led to his destruction. He had great compassion for his wife, who suffered greatly. And he had intense compassion for his fellow prisoners, and successfully campaigned for prison reform on his release.

His writing is brilliant, beautiful and true, but it’s his compassion, his ability to portray intense, deeply held conviction and feeling that is exceptional, and moving.

Colm Tóibín has done an excellent job editing. The juxtaposition of Wilde’s letters, including De Profundis, and The Ballad of Reading Gaol, complete with numerous footnotes for context, presents Wilde’s inner and outer life as a vivid whole.