Oscar Wilde One of the great literary classics of Western literature and the only published novel written by Oscar Wilde.
The Picture of Dorian Gray created great controversy on publication because of its homosexual undertones, and was later used as evidence against him at his trial at the Old Bailey in 1895.
"If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old...I would give my soul for that!" The wish uttered by Dorian Gray as he gazes on his portrait forms the basis of this story, of a gilded and spoilt hedonist who is willing to sell his soul for his beauty.
Please note: This is a vintage recording. The audio quality may not be up to modern day standards.
Oscar Wilde A young man commits all types of sins, but only his portrait shows the ravages of his life. Oscar Wilde's Faustian classic. Gothic horror at its best.
Oscar Wilde Here in its entirety is the classic cautionary tale about the pursuit of eternal youth at the expense of the soul.
When a beautiful portrait is painted of him, young Dorian Gray makes a vain, rash wish to always remain as beautiful as the painting. His wish comes true, and Gray starts a descent deep into moral decay. As he indulges in excesses and corruption, his physical form remains unblemished - but the portrait becomes decrepit and ugly. Gray's evil deeds eventually grow to include murder and lead him further and further toward Wilde's disconcerting conclusion that "ugliness is the only reality".
This classic tale of moral transgression shocked Victorian England and was used against Oscar Wilde when he was tried in court in 1895 for being a homosexual.
Oscar Wilde Many consider "The Canterville Ghost" the most famous ghost story of all time. It is a parody featuring a dramatic spirit named Sir Simon and an American ambassador named Mr. Hiram B. Otis. Mr. Otis travels to England with his family and moves into a haunted castle. Lord Canterville, the previous owner of the castle, warns Mr. Otis that the ghost of Sir Simon de Canterville has haunted the castle ever since he killed his wife, Eleonore, centuries ago. But Mr. Otis dismisses the ghost story as bunk and disregards Lord Canterville's warnings.
Over the years, there have been many adaptations of this story for movies, TV and even for the Opera.
Oscar Wilde "Oscar Wilde's Fairy Tales continue to exert the same pull over the imagination and emotions as they did when he first read them to his children in the 1880s. Written with inspired poetic intensity and sudden flowerings of the matchless wit for which he is so well remembered, the stories combine the wisdom of parables with the impact of drama. I have loved them since I was a child: indeed they continue to make a child of me. I do not mind admitting that at the recording some passages were hard to read out loud without choking. I hope you will be as entranced by them as I have always been." written by Stephen Fry.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde's most popular and enduring play is set in Victorian England and concerns characters who maintain false identities in order to escape their social obligations. The play, which satirises Victorian society, is full of wit and humour.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde's only novel, given a superbly splendid modern reading by the talented Rupert Graves. Many classic Wilde quotes emanate from this horror novel.
Oscar Wilde The Picture of Dorian Gray is Oscar Wilde's only novel, perhaps because he realized that he could never again equal this timeless masterpiece. It is a unique work, both thought-provoking and horrifying. It vacillates between seemingly aimless conversation and riveting narrative in telling the story of a young man's quest for eternal youth and beauty, a quest that ends in scandal and depravity. It has been adapted numerous times for television, film, and the stage.
Edgar Allan Poe, Rudyard Kipling, Anton Chekhov & Oscar Wilde Frank Pettingell, Emma Hignett, Siobhan McKenna and Boris Karloff read eight short stories by the literary greats, including Poe, Kipling, Defoe, Chekov, and Wilde.
Oscar Wilde "An amusing chronicle of the tribulations of the Ghost of Canterville Chase when his ancesteral halls become the home of the American Minister to the Court of St James." This short story by Oscar Wilde has been the basis for a movie and a play, and has been required reading for many years.
Oscar Wilde When the Giant's away, the children will play. That's what happens in Oscar Wilde's classic tale
The Selfish Giant. Kids of all ages will love listening to this lively performance and will unwittingly learn an important lesson about selfishness and overcoming adversity.
Oscar Wilde Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The novel was a succès de scandale and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. It has lost none of its power to fascinate and disturb.
Oscar Wilde En la historia de Dorian Gray, que gracias a que tiene un retrato que envejece por el puede dedicarse a las mayores depravaciones y vicios, sin que lo afecten, es un personaje universal, cuyas aventuras hasta su tragico final, se consideran entre las obras maestras de la literatura inglesa.
Oscar Wilde Dorian Gray, a handsome and narcissistic young man, lives thoughtlessly for his own pleasure - an attitude encouraged by the company he keeps. One day, after having his portrait painted, Dorian makes a frivolous Faustian wish: that he should always remain as young and beautiful as he is in that painting, while the portrait grows old in his stead.
The wish comes true, and Dorian soon finds that none of his wicked actions have visible consequences. Realizing that he will appear fresh and unspoiled no matter what kind of life he lives, Dorian becomes increasingly corrupt, unchecked by public opinion. Only the portrait grows degenerate and ugly, a powerful symbol of Dorian's internal ruin.
Wilde's dreamlike exploration of life without limits scandalized its late-Victorian audience and has haunted readers' imaginations for more than a hundred years.
Oscar Wilde Here is the BBC radio drama centenary production of Oscar Wilde's classic play, starring Judi Dench, Miriam Margoyles, and Martin Clunes.
Ever since the first night at the St James' Theatre on 14 February 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest has been recognised as one of the world's finest comic dramas. Now Judi Dench as Lady Bracknell leads an outstanding cast in this superb new production of Wilde's masterpiece, mounted to celebrate the centenary of the first performance.
Oscar Wilde When The Picture of Dorian Gray was first published in 1891, it evoked a tremendous amount of hostile criticism, in most part due to its immoral content. Oscar Wilde was identified with the "art for art's sake" movement of the 19th century which did not subordinate art to ethical instruction. However, this novel is indeed a morality tale about the hazards of egotistical self-indulgence. "If it were I," exclaims Dorian, "who were always to be young and that picture that was to grow old . . . I would give my soul for that."
With that spoken, the tale of this young hero of amazing beauty, Dorian Gray, begins. His pact with evil allows his portrait to take on his many sins and degradations while his physical appearance remains youthful. Over the years as he becomes cruel and vicious, even murderous, Dorian's young and perfect body is no longer enough to salvage his deteriorating mind and morality. Will justice and good prevail?
Oscar Wilde El retrato de Dorian Gray es considerada una de las últimas obras clásicas de la novela de terror gótica con una fuerte temática faustiana, además muestra un pintor con afecto íntimo y directo con el personaje principal. El libro causó controversia cuando fue publicado por primera vez; sin embargo, es considerado en la actualidad como «uno de los clásicos modernos de la literatura occidental.
Oscar Wilde A young man commits all types of sin, but only his portrait shows the ravages of his life. Oscar Wilde’s Faustian classic. Gothic horror at it's best.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde's only novel, given a superbly splendid modern reading by the talented Rupert Graves. Many classic Wilde quotes emanate from this horror novel.
Oscar Wilde In this classic 19th century comedy of manners, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrief masquerade under the name of Earnest in order to win the love of Gwendolyn and Cecily. But first they must match wits with the inimitable Lady Bracknell!
Oscar Wilde In "The Model Millionaire", the destiny of a young, ambitious, brilliant pauper changes with an act of his misplaced generosity. "The Happy Prince" is one of Oscar Wilde’s renowned fairy tales. From his vantage point, high above the city, the statue of The Happy Prince gives of himself in a way most astonishing. In "The Sphinx Without a Secret", we learn of an enigmatic woman who holds a secret so close, no suitor can win her.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde's wit and meaning is at its best in this ghost story, considered by many the best ever written. Wilde's dialogue lends himself to narration because of his quick wit and delivery. Here he presents a traditional English ghost that Americans refuse to accept, but both parties finally work together to end the controversy. One of the great short stories of all time.
Oscar Wilde Four of Oscar Wilde's best stories - perhaps his best work of all. In any case, these selections are well worth hearing for their wide range of thoughts, emotions, and wit. An afterword is included for those interested. (American accent narration.)
Oscar Wilde Hughie Erskine drops in to see his artist friend Alan Trevor who is painting what appears to be a street beggar. Feeling sympathy for the poor wretch, Erskine gives him money. What he does not realize is that the "beggar" is merely posing for the artist and is actually one of the richest men in the world, Baron Hausberg, who does not reveal his identity until Erskine has made a complete fool of himself. Renowned vocal actor David Ian Davies performs Oscar Wilde's classic short story.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to
The Picture of Dorian Gray, the dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchanged---petulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoral---while a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying and enchanting readers for more than 100 years. Taking the reader in and out of London drawing rooms, to the heights of aestheticism, and to the depths of decadence,
The Picture of Dorian Gray is not simply a melodrama about moral corruption. Laced with bon mots and vivid depictions of upper-class refinement, it is also a fascinating look at the milieu of Wilde's fin-de-siècle world and a manifesto of the creed "Art for Art's Sake."The ever-quotable Wilde, who once delighted London with his scintillating plays, scandalized readers with this, his only novel. Upon publication, Dorian was condemned as dangerous, poisonous, stupid, vulgar, and immoral, and Wilde as a "driveling pedant." The novel, in fact, was used against Wilde at his much-publicized trials for "gross indecency," which led to his imprisonment and exile on the European continent. Even so,
The Picture of Dorian Gray firmly established Wilde as one of the great voices of the Aesthetic movement and endures as a classic that is as timeless as its hero.
Oscar Wilde & Gareth Tilley (dramatized by) Written by Gareth Tilley and Oscar Wilde, Dramatized by Gareth Tilley.
The full list of readers includes: The Colonial Radio Players, Jerry Robbins, J. T. Turner, Diane Capen, Colin Budzyna, James Turner, Sevan Dulgarian, Gabriel Clark, Cynthia Pape, John Pease, and Hugh Metzler.
Meet the Otis family: Mister and Missus, and their four children - Washington; the twins called Stars and Stripes; and their daughter, Virginia. They've just moved from America and into the English country manor of Canterville Chase. Though rumors persist that the house is haunted, the Otis' have none of it, and set about making the house their own. Then come the mysterious clanking chains and the bloodstains on the floor, and soon even the Otis family must come face to face with that most feared of creatures - The Canterville Ghost. But will the Ghost be able to survive his encounters with the erstwhile Americans? Based on the immortal short story by Oscar Wilde, the award-winning Colonial Radio Theatre presents this most macabrely witty tale about life, death, love, fear, and Pinkerton's Champion Stain Remover. "The Canterville Ghost" comes to life in a spirited production - filled with lush music and evocative sound effects - which will have you laughing and shrieking in equal measure.
Alphonse Daudet, Saki & Oscar Wilde A treasure-chest of the written and spoken word, this collection is read by brilliant actors who make this audio anthology a genuine treat for the listener. Includes:
"Reginald on House Parties" by Saki
"The Sphinx Without a Secret" by Oscar Wilde
Tobermory" by Saki
"On Being Idle" by Jerome K. Jerome
"For Better or Worse" by W.W. Jacobs
"The Model Millionaire" by Oscar Wilde
"The Garden of Truth" by E. Nesbit
"The Cat That Walked by Himself" and "The Girl from Arles" by Alphonse Daudet
"Mr. & Mrs. Dove" by Katherine Mansfield
"Georgie Porgie" by Rudyard Kipling
"Caterpillars" by E.F. Benson
"Lost Hearts" by M.R. James
"Ship to Tarshish" by John Buchan
"The Tell-Tale Heart by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Man of the Night" by Edgar Wallace
"Dr. Heidegger's Experiment" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"B 24" by Arthur Conan Doyle "Pat Hobby & Orson Welles" by F. Scott Fitzgerald
"Mad" by Guy de Maupassant
"The Black Cat" by Edgar Allan Poe
"The Monkey's Paw" by W.W. Jacobs
This collection was previously published as Short Stories: The Ultimate Classic Collection.
Oscar Wilde, Charles Dickens, Beatrix Potter, Andrew Lang, John Ruskin, Rudyard Kipling, Nathaniel Hawthorne, Hans Christian Andersen & The Brothers Grimm Here are 28 of the best-loved children's stories from around the world. Included are:
"Dick Whittington and His Cat", an English folk tale
"The Magic Swan", a traditional folk tale
"Hok-Lee and the Dwarves", from The Green Fairy Book by Andrew Lang
"Childe Rowland", an English folk tale
"The Happy Prince" and "The Remarkable Rocket" by Oscar Wilde
"The Magic Fishbone" by Charles Dickens
"The Well of the World's End", an English folk tale
"The Three Bears", a traditional folk tale
"Squirrel Nutkin" by Beatrix Potter
"The King of the Golden River" by John Ruskin<
"How the Whale Got His Throat", "The Beginning of the Armadillos", "The Elephant's Child", and "The Cat Who Walked by Himself" by Rudyard Kipling
"The Selfish Giant" by Oscar Wilde
"The Gorgon's Head" by Nathaniel Hawthorne
"The Emperor's New Clothes", "The Tinderbox", "The Ugly Duckling", and "The Wild Swans" by Hans Christian Andersen
"The Fisherman and His Wife", "The 12 Dancing Princesses", "The Bremen Town Musicians", and "The Six Servants" by The Brothers Grimm
"Spindle, Shuttle, Needle", an English folk tale
"Mowgli's Brothers" and "Rikki-Tikki-Tavi" by Rudyard Kipling
James Joyce, Oscar Wilde, Seamus O'Kelly & More The Irish have always had a knack for telling wonderful stories, and their fantastic ability has been recognized from early Gaelic times. For centuries, stories of all kinds have been offered to friends and strangers alike as a form of entertainment and communication. Today in Ireland, the short story is revered even above the novel. Hearing these magnificent stories, we become aware of more than just the humor and travail of a small island. In some magical, mysterious fashion, as we listen, we all become Irish in a grand, tragi-comedy of life, and these stories show us what makes the human being the special creature he is.
Volume I includes "Homesickness" and "Julia Cahill's Curse" by George Moore; "Innocence" by Sean O'Faolain; "The Fairy Goose" by Liam O'Flaherty; "The Sphinx without a Secret" by Oscar Wilde; "Adventures of a Strolling Player" by Oliver Goldsmith; "The Weaver's Grave" by Seamus O'Kelly; "My Oedipus Complex" by Frank O'Connor; "The Boarding House" by James Joyce; and "The Leaping Trout" by David Hogan.
Oscar Wilde This collection features "The Remarkable Rocket", "The Selfish Giant", and "The Happy Prince". The world-renowned Irish playwright, novelist, and poet is also the author of charming and thought-provoking children's stories. These three stories represent the best of Wilde's love of fairy tales and mythical writings.
Jonathan Swift, Oscar Wilde & More This is a collection of poems, old and modern, by an assortment of Irish, Scottish, and Welsh poets. Many of the poems describe earlier culture and political concerns and many deal with love of the homeland. Some are by well-known poets, and some are by authors who have long faded into obscurity. Together they present a fascinating fabric of a rich culture.
Oscar Wilde Jack Worthington has invented a rakish brother, Ernest, who calls Jack away from family duties and gives him an excuse to travel to London. Similarly, Algernon Moncrieff has created the persona of Bunbury, an invalid friend, who periodically requires his services in the country. Both young men cleverly use their invented alter egos to disguise their misdemeanors until Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest, to woo Jack's young ward, Cicely. To make things just a bit more complicated, Algernon's cousin Gwendolyn loves Jack, but thinks Jack's name is Ernest. This enduring comedy of manners rises on a farcical crescendo until true identies are revealed and both couples end up happily united.
Oscar Wilde Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The novel was a succès de scandale and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895. It has lost none of its power to fascinate and disturb.
Oscar Wilde Algernon Moncrieff, a bachelor-about-town, has invented an invalid friend called Bunbury in order to get out of tiresome family engagements. At the same time, his friend Jack Worthing has invented a wicked brother called Ernest to disguise his own misdemeanours. When Algernon poses as Ernest to win the heart of Cecily Cardew, confusion reigns, and it takes the discovery of an old black handbag to reveal the truth...
Oscar Wilde's dazzling comedy about mistaken identities and secret engagements still delights audiences over a century after its first performance in 1895. This BBC Radio production, first broadcast in 1977, features Jeremy Clyde as Algernon, Richard Pasco as Worthing, Prunella Scales as Cecily and Maurice Denham as the Rev. 'Canon Chasuble' is the first broadcast of the original four-act version of the play.
"The Classic Radio Theatre" range presents notable radio productions of much-loved plays by some of the most renowned playwrights, and starring some of our finest actors.
Oscar Wilde Devilishly attractive Lord Illingworth is notorious for his skill as a seducer. But he is still invited to all the "best" houses, while his female conquests must hide their shame in seclusion. In this devastating drawing-room comedy, Oscar Wilde uses his celebrated wit to expose English society's narrow view of everything from sexual mores to Americans.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde’s classic story of a young man who sells his soul in exchange for eternal beauty and youth continues to thrill generations of readers. Written by a man who was every bit as flamboyant and unconventional as its hero, The Picture of Dorian Gray is as haunting today as when it first shocked the British public in 1891. Dorian Gray, young, intelligent, sophisticated, gazes on his freshly painted portrait. Wishfully, he murmurs, “If it were I who was to be always young, and the picture that was to grow old! … I would give my soul for that!” From that moment, as Dorian spends his days enjoying the splendors of the world and his nights exploring its depravity and sin, his face remains untouched by life. In The Picture of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde creates a metaphor that transcends a specific era to become a timeless reflection on the nature of art, morality, and beauty—and a splendid horror story. Narrator Steven Crossley’s performance highlights the interplay of innocence and corruption that weaves a dark, seductive spell on all who encounter this enigmatic work.
Oscar Wilde A lord, his wife, her admirer and an infamous blackmailer converge in the irreverent satire that launched Wilde's succession of classic social comedies. This delicious comic feast serves up a scandal about good girls, bad husbands and hilarious hypocrisy - utterly contemporary and divinely funny.
Oscar Wilde Performed by Corin Redgrave in Reading Prison to mark Oscar Wilde's centenary. With an introduction by Merlin Holland, Oscar Wilde's grandson.
Oscar Wilde Dorian Gray embodies every artistic element for artist Basil Hallward. But when Lord Henry reveals the phenomenal world experienced only to the young and beautiful, Dorian makes a devious deal. Thus begins Dorian Gray's extensive journey into dissipation, while somehow maintaining every element of his youth and innocence. What is his secret? And why does he keep Basil Hallward's painting hidden from prying eyes?
Edgar Allan Poe, Oscar Wilde, Ambrose Bierce, Charles Dickens & M. R. James A chilling collection of ghost stories containing Rats by MR James, The Raven and Berenice by Edgar Allan Poe, The Birthday of the Infanta by Oscar Wilde, A Tough Tussle by Ambrose Bierce and The Signalman by Charles Dickens. In Rats, Mr Thompson comes to regret his decision to investigate a locked room in a country inn, and in The Signalman, the subject of the story is haunted by ghostly appearances that always precede tragic events.
Oscar Wilde Wilde's tradegy that tells the Biblical story of Salomé in one act. Full-cast dramatization featuring Lester Fletcher, Jack Evans, Forrest Williams and Bettye Ackerman.
Oscar Wilde The Importance of Being Earnest is probably the wittiest comedy in the English language; it is certainly the least earnest. The subtitle, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People", gives a clear indication of its nature. It is a play about the only subjects that Oscar Wilde would admit taking seriously: wit, elegance, and paradox. Sir John Gielgud had a particularly long association with The Importance of Being Earnest and was able to assemble a distinguished cast for this recording, which is as near to the ideal as any that could be chosen.
Oscar Wilde With a dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty, Oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for sparkling prose and astute social observation to The Picture of Dorian Gray.
After the artist Basil Hallward paints his portrait, Dorian Gray frivolously wishes that the picture change, yet he remain the same. Allured by his perverted friend, Henry Wotton, Gray jumps into a life of depravity and sin. With each sin Dorian commits, the painting of him grows increasingly hideous, showing him what is happening to his soul.
Taking the listener in and out of London drawing rooms through a life of sex, lies, murder, and crime, this melodrama about moral corruption has been horrifying and enchanting readers for more than 100 years.
Oscar Wilde The Selfish Giant returns home, after being away for seven years, to find children playing in his beautiful garden. It is a garden where the sun always shines and the birds sing. The Giant objects to the children being there and builds a wall to keep them out. From that moment on the garden, which once boasted pink blossoms and peach trees, falls into a perpetual Winter; for no other season will venture there without the children. Until a special little boy comes into the Giant's wintry world.
The Selfish Giant is one of Oscar Wilde's best known and heartwarming stories and was published as part of Wilde's collection The Happy Prince and Other Stories in May 1888.
The audiobook is narrated by Irish composer Micheal Gallen.
Oscar Wilde Una acomodada familia americana adquiere un castillo en Inglaterra con fantasma incluido. Esta convivencia cambiará la vida del temido Fantasma de Canterville, y la escéptica forma de pensar de los americanos. La historia está impregnada de ingeniosas conversaciones y la divertida ironía del genial autor irlandés. A rich American family acquires a haunted castle in England. This living together will change the ghost's life, and the sceptical way of thinking of the American family. Wilde mixes the macabre with comedy, juxtaposing devices from traditional English ghost stories with symbols of modern American consumerism.
Oscar Wilde Oscar Wilde told and retold his fairy tales to friends in private readings, refining them further each time before finally publishing them in two collections between 1888 and 1891, to great acclaim and lasting popularity ever since.
Much of their charm is due to Wilde's intention that the stories be "studies in prose... meant partly for children, and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy, and who find in simplicity a subtle strangeness."
Often whimsical and sometimes sad, they all shine with poetry and magic.
Oscar Wilde In this wickedly funny play, a seemingly ideal couple and their charming, privileged friends surmount such details as selling government secrets, theft, and bribery with love triumphant over all.
Oscar Wilde A terrifying ghost is haunting the ancient mansion of Canterville Chase, complete with creaking floorboards, clanking chains and gruesome disguises - but the new occupants seem strangely undisturbed by his presence. Deftly contrasting the conventional gothic ghost story with the pragmatism of the modern world, Wilde creates a gently comic fable of the conflict between old and new. Rupert Degas's hilarious reading brings the absurdity and theatricality of the story to life.
