Oscar Wilde
Paperback | Pages: 252 pages Rating: 4.21 | 2333 Users | 92 Reviews
Describe Books In Pursuance Of De Profundis and Other Writings
| ISBN: | 014043089X (ISBN13: 9780140430899) |
| Edition Language: | English |
Commentary In Favor Of Books De Profundis and Other Writings
A superb work of prose, this autobiographical essay in epistolary form is also--although Wilde would never call it so--an unconventional moral exhortation and an impressionistic work of Christology.
This letter from prison written to Lord Alfred "Bosie" Douglas--Wilde's young lover and the occasion of his downfall--urges the young lord to face up to his own reckless past behavior and to seek the knowledge of self that can only be gained through suffering. "Shallowness is the only sin." Wilde repeats again and again. "Whatever is realized is right." What Wilde calls "a failure of the imagination" is the moral evil that afflicts Bosie, and it is only by a necessarily painful growth in self-awareness that this young man can become a fully human, completely realized work of art.
Some of the most interesting passages here are Wilde's exploration of the nature of Christ. Wilde considers Him the true founder of the Romantic movement, the first authentic individualist, a man who saw each person as unique and who revealed to humankind the profound truth that we must grow through suffering into love.
Particularize Based On Books De Profundis and Other Writings
| Title | : | De Profundis and Other Writings |
| Author | : | Oscar Wilde |
| Book Format | : | Paperback |
| Book Edition | : | Penguin Classics |
| Pages | : | Pages: 252 pages |
| Published | : | August 26th 1976 by Penguin Books (first published 1897) |
| Categories | : | Classics. Nonfiction. Writing. Essays. Autobiography. Memoir. Literature. Poetry |
Rating Based On Books De Profundis and Other Writings
Ratings: 4.21 From 2333 Users | 92 ReviewsAssess Based On Books De Profundis and Other Writings
regardless of what i think of him, he can write. this is horrible to say about a letter he wrote whilst in prison, but i'm not sure how truthful it is....even so, though, it's like a throat punch. the veracity of de profundis, in the end, isn't the important bit. had to get v drunk after reading thisOscar Wildes was a homosexual and he had a sexual affair with Sir Alfred Douglas who happened to be nobility. Now sodomy at that time was a jailable offense so Oscar went to jail while Douglas being noble didnt have to. This book is actually a contemptuous love letter to the nobleman. Its strange however way ahead of its time.
Wildes 50,000-word epistolary jaccuse to former lover Bosie, written from prison, is also a glorious piece of prose artistry and a fascinating essay on art theory, ethics, and speculative Christian theology. Wilde is in turn unbearably pompous and unbearably sympathetic, preaching with real conviction about his own personal genius one moment and then, with equal conviction, about the necessity of humility. In the final paragraph he admits the inconsistencies. Wilde must have known that this
Oscar Wilde is a very funny fellow. He a bit arrogant - " I have nothing to declare except my genius" And he is also a wild man, an anachist - "It is through disobedience and rebellion that progress has been made" And he is highly quotable - "A man who does not think for himself does not think at all".I think that the points he made regarding the ownership of private property in the Soul of a Man Under Socialism are more relevant now than what they were when he originally put that shit down. It
Stating Wilde's brilliance seems sort of redundant, so I will steer clear of that for now.I consider De Profundis to be his most heartfelt work ever. It's Wilde's 50,000+ word letter to his lover from prison (and, if you didn't know, the major reason why he was convicted of homosexuality was due to said gay lover). It's the most meaningful thing Wilde ever wrote in his life, and it shines through.This is a MUST READ for any and all Wilde fans.
Amazing. Deep. Desperate letter from a man who loves.
The Introduction cautions that Wildes treatment of Lord Alfred Douglas is frequently unfair and often factually inaccurate. Well, maybe, but taken with everything else Ive read about Bosie, I cant conceive that he was anything other than an utter shit. Wilde may have been the author of his own misfortune, and there is quite a lot of self pity here, but De Profundis itself is such a powerful and unusual piece of writing, with so many curious layers of feeling and colour, that I can forgive Wilde
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