"Autrefois, les livres étaient écrits par les hommes de lettres et lus par le public. Aujourd'hui ils sont écrits par le public et personne ne les lit." 
"L'ambition est le dernier refuge du raté." 
"La Vie imite l'art, bien plus que l'Art n'imite la vie." 

Le sens du paradoxe et la finesse d'analyse d'Oscar Wilde nous invitent à aiguiser, le sourire aux lèvres, notre esprit critique.

Maximes et autres textes

In The Soul of Man under Socialism Oscar Wilde expounds on an anarchist world view. Wilde argues that under capitalism the majority of people spoil their lives by an unhealthy and exaggerated altruism-are forced, indeed, so to spoil them: instead of realizing their true talents, they waste their time solving the social problems caused by capitalism, without taking their common cause away. Thus, caring people seriously and very sentimentally set themselves to the task of remedying the evils that they see in poverty, but their remedies do not cure the disease: they merely prolong it because, the proper aim is to try and reconstruct society on such a basis that poverty will be impossible.

L'âme humaine

Parmi les récits fantastiques d’Oscar Wilde (1854-1900), Le fantôme de Canterville est l’un des plus célèbres et des plus drôles. Pauvre fantôme de Canterville ! Malgré tous ses efforts, il ne parvient pas à inspirer la moindre frayeur à la famille américaine – les Otis – qui vient d’acheter le manoir qu’il hante depuis des siècles. Il a beau utiliser toutes les recettes classiques de l’épouvante – tache de sang opiniâtre, ténèbres menaçantes, tempête nocturne, chaînes cliquetantes, travestissements sinistres, rire démoniaque... –, rien ne peut avoir raison de ces Américains au matérialisme coriace. Et par un humiliant renversement de situation, c’est le fantôme qui finira par avoir peur.
Nous avons donc affaire à un fantôme grotesque, burlesque et pathétique jusque dans les récits qu’il se fait de ses crimes. Mais arrive le moment où, de ridicule qu’il était, le personnage devient émouvant, lorsqu’il révèle à la jeune Virginia Otis que son âme en peine le tourmente sans cesse et ne lui laisse plus un instant de repos. Elle seule pourrait lui apporter la paix...
Ce grand récit, somme toute plus burlesque que fantastique, est ici servi par les illustrations pleines de verve joyeuse et insolente du célèbre dessinateur satirique argentin Oski (1914-1979). Pour le plus grand bonheur de l’auteur, du fantôme et des lecteurs !

Le Fantôme de Canterville

Oscar Wilde's only novel is the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty.

In this celebrated work Wilde forged a devastating portrait of the effects of evil and debauchery on a young aesthete in late-19th-century England. Combining elements of the Gothic horror novel and decadent French fiction, the book centers on a striking premise: As Dorian Gray sinks into a life of crime and gross sensuality, his body retains perfect youth and vigor while his recently painted portrait grows day by day into a hideous record of evil, which he must keep hidden from the world. For over a century, this mesmerizing tale of horror and suspense has enjoyed wide popularity. It ranks as one of Wilde's most important creations and among the classic achievements of its kind.

The Picture of Dorian Gray

The ideals and opinions of Lord Henry Wotton, who believes that the only purpose of life is the pursuit of beauty, greatly affect the young, handsome Dorian Gray. Lamenting that one day his own good looks will diminish, Dorian offers to sell his soul if a beautiful painting of ages instead of his physical self. As Dorian pursues a hedonistic and reckless lifestyle, he soon realizes that his offer has been accepted, and with every sin he commits, the painting becomes more and more hideous. The Picture of Dorian Gray was British author Oscar Wilde's only novel. It was originally rejected by publishers for its scandalous content, and has been censored many times over the life of its publication. Since the twentieth century, The Picture of Dorian Gray has been praised as a masterpiece, and has been adapted for film and television numerous times. HarperPerennial Classics brings great works of literature to life in digital format, upholding the highest standards in ebook production and celebrating reading in all its forms. Look for more titles in the HarperPerennial Classics collection to build your digital library.

The Picture Of Dorian Gray

Extrait : "Lorsque M. Hiram B. Otis, le ministre d'Amérique, fit l'acquisition de Canterville-Chase, tout le monde lui dit qu'il faisait là une très grande sottise, car on ne doutait aucunement que l'endroit ne fût hanté."
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Les éditions LIGARAN proposent des versions numériques de qualité de grands livres de la littérature classique mais également des livres rares en partenariat avec la BNF. Beaucoup de soins sont apportés à ces versions ebook pour éviter les fautes que l'on trouve trop souvent dans des versions numériques de ces textes. 
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Penguin Readers is an ELT graded reader series. Please note that the eBook edition does NOT include access to the audio edition and digital book. Written for learners of English as a foreign language, each title includes carefully adapted text, new illustrations and language learning exercises. Titles include popular classics, exciting contemporary fiction, and thought-provoking non-fiction, introducing language learners to bestselling authors and compelling content. The eight levels of Penguin Readers follow the Common European Framework of Reference for language learning (CEFR). Exercises at the back of each Reader help language learners to practise grammar, vocabulary, and key exam skills. Before, during and after-reading questions test readers' story comprehension and develop vocabulary. The Happy Prince, a Starter level Reader, is A1 in the CEFR framework. Starter level is ideal for readers who are learning English for the first time. Short sentences contain a maximum of two clauses, using the present simple and continuous tenses, possessives, regular and irregular verbs, and simple adjectives. Illustrations support the text throughout, and many titles at this level are graphic novels. In an old town in England, there is a statue of a happy prince. But the prince is not happy. He can see the sad things in the town. Then he meets a swallow. They help the people. Visit the Penguin Readers websiteRegister to access online resources including tests, worksheets and answer keys. Exclusively with the print edition, readers can unlock a digital book and audio edition (not available with the eBook).

Penguin Readers Starter Level: The Happy Prince (ELT Graded Reader)

This   carefully crafted ebook: "Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal (A Gay Erotica   Classic attributed to Oscar Wilde)" is formatted for your eReader with a   functional and detailed table of contents.
Teleny  is a pornographic novel,   first published in London in 1893. The authorship of the work is unknown.   There is a general consensus that it was an ensemble effort, but it has often   been attributed to Oscar Wilde. Set in fin-de-siècle Paris, its concerns are   the magnetic attraction and passionate though ultimately tragic affair   between a young Frenchman named Camille de Grieux and the Hungarian pianist   René Teleny. The novel is significant as one of the earliest pieces of   English-language pornography to explicitly and near-exclusively concern   homosexuality; as well as for a lush and literate, though variable prose   style - and a relative complexity and depth of character and plot development   - that give it as much in common with the Aesthetic fiction of the period as   with its typical pornography.
Oscar Wilde (1854 - 1900) is a central figure in aesthetic writing. Wilde   was a poet, fiction writer, essayist and editor. Oscar Wilde is often seen as   a homosexual icon although as many men of his day he was also a husband and   father. Wilde's life ended at odds with Victorian morals that surrounded him.   He died in exile.

Teleny, or The Reverse of the Medal (A Gay Erotica Classic attributed to Oscar Wilde)

Oscar Wilde bouscule les fantômes, rend comiques les assassinats. Son humour rose ou zinzolin colore le genre noir. Dans une ambiance très chic, situations surprenantes et traits d'esprit se multiplient. Wilde enjôle l'Ange du Bizarre de Poe. Irrévérencieux à l'égard de la terreur et du mystère, il crée un fantastique fantasque avec l'élégance pince-sans-rire d'un dandy qui aurait pourtant de la tendresse à revendre.

Maximes et autres textes

Résumé

Plus de livres de Oscar Wilde

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