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An impassioned letter from Oscar Wilde to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. De Profundis is a revealing piece composed during the author’s confinement at Reading Gaol, an English prison. The letter was written towards the end of Wilde’s term in early 1897 and published in 1905 after his untimely death.
About the author
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a Dublin-born poet and playwright who studied at the Portora Royal School, before attending Trinity College and Magdalen College, Oxford. The son of two writers, Wilde grew up in an intellectual environment. As a young man, his poetry appeared in various periodicals including Dublin University Magazine. In 1881, he published his first book Poems, an expansive collection of his earlier works. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was released in 1890 followed by the acclaimed plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).
Summary
Oscar Wilde’s emotionally raw manuscript details the inner turmoil surrounding his relationship with Lord Alfred Douglas following his controversial arrest and conviction for gross indecency It’s an honest and intimate look at the author in his most vulnerable state.
Oscar Wilde spent two years in prison from 1895 to 1897. It was during this time that he wrote a 50,000-word letter to his former lover and friend, Lord Alfred Douglas. Published under the title, De Profundis it’s an exploration of Wilde and Douglas’ relationship which was fueled by passion and disfunction. The writer criticizes Douglas’ vanity and lack of integrity, while revealing his growth and spiritual development.
De Profundis is arguably one of Oscar Wilde’s most candid works. It was greatly affected by his physical and mental isolation during confinement. Despite his conditions, Wilde managed to produce a raw and unfiltered piece about love, loss and spiritual renewal.
With an eye-catching new cover, and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of De Profundis is both modern and readable.
