The Wicked Wit of Oscar Wilde

by Maria Leach (Editor), Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde’s needle-sharp rejoinders are often repeated with delight. However, his jibes were rarely cruel, and displayed a profound understanding of the human character and its vanities. This collection includes such notable quotes as: "Work is the curse of the drinking classes" and "We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars." With a timeline of his life and quotations divided by themes, this book demonstrates why people are still drawn to Wilde’s wicked brilliance.

Genres: Nonfiction, Classics, Humor, Anthologies, Literature, Comedy

160 pages, Paperback

First published April 20, 2000

Reviews

[Alyson Walton]

Cute little read that reminded me when I do enjoy this authors work so much and class Dorien Gray as an all-time favourite. The language used is so flamboyant and just appeals to me.

[Noy]

jus quotes. don’t know what i expected

[Matt J]

Some pithy quotes, and a nice background on Wilde. Well-organized, and with ample spacing for a book of this type.

More than anything, I was struck with Wilde’s cynicism and negativity in regards to the world and how best to live life. On the one hand, this may have been purely satire through his characters, though many of the quotes seem to have been taken from his Phrases and Philosophies for the Use of the Young.

[Lullaby]

“ we’re all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars”

“We teach people how to remember, we never teach them how to grow”

“We live in an age when unnecessary things are our only necessities”

[Kain]

I have always loved Oscar Wilde and his quotes so I can say I have read this twice!

[Meghan]

a pessimist: one who, when faced with the choice of two evils, chooses both.

[Ryan Barry]

Although he died 121 years ago, this book (to mark his centenary of death) is just as remarkably relevant and funny, 21 years after it was published. Oscar Wilde was a literary genius, that's undoubted. A lot of his maxims, idioms, aphorisms, and caustic put-downs are still with us, and through his huge volume of plays, short stories, and poems - this book celebrates them all. As you can imagine, this book is an aesthetic delight. It's gloriously illustrated and even contains its own bookmark! Oscar would approve. A delightful read and one I am sure to revisit.

' We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars ' - Oscar Wilde

[Kelli]

Although you can scroll through Oscar Wilde quotes on this app, this book includes many from his plays which are less widely read (and quoted).

[Brady Jones]

Thing is... Wilde’s wit is wonderful. But just pulling phrases out of the context of the stories is just... not great.

[Janine W.]

nice collection of quotes. Some nice illustrations. Makes a great gift for fans of Oscar Wilde.

[Deema]

The wit is definitely there. The amount of quotations here that could easily be applied to life right now is quite insane, Wilde was ahead of his time. What a book!

[Elizabeth]

Oscar Wilde was brilliant, no doubt about that. I have long enjoyed and admired his work. The only reason this book does not get 5 stars is that it is only a compilation of short snippets of his work. I prefer original whole publications.

[Yaneth]

honestly been waiting to read this collection forever, I absolutely love the way oscar wilde combines words to create such paradoxical statements filled with humour. The first half was definitely made my favorite, it was so fun to read this on my spanish metro rides. such great lines that overall made me giggleeee cannot wait to actually read one of his completed works

[Olivier Damien Escotíez]

This book is a constant companion, a physical treasure I keep close to draw inspiration from, even in this digital age. Oscar Wilde was a profoundly gifted and vividly insightful gay man, whose life was marred by the cruel realities of hate and bigotry. That suffering gave his words an extraordinary depth and passion, a rare insight that resonates across time. His brilliance shines through every page. As he once reminded us, 'We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.' Thank you, Oscar, for this timeless masterpiece. You are loved, always. This book is truly a gift to the world.

[Diana]

I love quotes I like Oscar Wilde so of course I would enjoy this book.

[Thomas Kraus-Weiss]

A collection of Oscar in a book.

[Sara♡]

3.5

[Kinsley]

A great compilation of Wilde quotes. Fun to read when I had a couple spare minutes.

[Adrian Phoenix]

I love Oscar Wilde.

[Geeta]

Quotes from Oscar Wilde's various writings...

[Kay]

This was the biggest load of poop ever!