Jump to ratings and reviews
Rate this book

The Illustrated Letters

The Illustrated letters of Oscar Wilde: A Life in Letters, Writings and Wit

Rate this book
"I don't regret for a single moment having lived for pleasure. I did it to the full, as one should do anything one does. I lived on honeycomb." Oscar Wilde

Although it is over 120 years since his infamous trial for indecency, Oscar Wilde has never held greater fascination for us. This packed illustrated biography tells the life of Oscar Wilde through his own words – private letters, poems, plays, stories and legendary witticisms. It includes his relationships with key artists and writers of the time, including John Ruskin, Charles Ricketts, and Lillie Langtry.

It is illustrated throughout with paintings, engravings, contemporary photographs, cartoons and caricatures of Wilde and his social circle. With illustrations and paintings by Aubrey Beardsley, Henri de Toulouse-Lautrec, James Whistler and Max Beerbohm, it is a beautiful evocation of the glittering fin de siecle word by its most fascinating wordsmith and aesthete.

The book details Wilde's ruin after the trial and its outcome. The profundity of his writing from prison and exile form an epitaph, not only to his own life, but also for the era that carelessly delighted in it.

360 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 29, 2021

6 people are currently reading
88 people want to read

About the author

Juliet Gardiner

52 books36 followers

Ratings & Reviews

What do you think?
Rate this book

Friends & Following

Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!

Community Reviews

5 stars
10 (30%)
4 stars
17 (51%)
3 stars
6 (18%)
2 stars
0 (0%)
1 star
0 (0%)
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
Profile Image for Moth.
65 reviews3 followers
June 24, 2022
I hated this book so f*cking much Oscar wilde is so annoying I hate him so much he made me homophobic why is he like this anyway 10/10 reccomend
Profile Image for Susannah.
499 reviews11 followers
April 13, 2025
Really interesting selection of extracts from Oscar Wilde’s letters with extra biographical details about his life, works and the people he knew including other artists and authors, also great selection of illustrations and pictures to go with it. This is good for getting a general overview of Wilde’s life and works.
Profile Image for CC.
126 reviews1 follower
July 23, 2024
Fantastic collection.

Beautiful photos and letters included.

Would serve well as an introductory book to Wilde and Victorian era literary circles.
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews

Can't find what you're looking for?

Get help and learn more about the design.