Oscar Wilde Books in Order: The Complete Reading Guide
Updated September 2026
Oscar Wilde Books in Order: The Short Answer
Oscar Wilde wrote one novel, two books of fairy tales, one book of stories, four society comedies, a handful of other plays, poetry, essays and a long prison letter. Almost all of it appeared in a single burst between 1888 and 1898. Here are the Oscar Wilde books in order of first publication or, for plays, first performance:
| Year | Title | Type |
|---|---|---|
| 1880 | Vera; or, The Nihilists (staged in New York 1883) | Play |
| 1881 | Poems | Poetry |
| 1888 | The Happy Prince and Other Tales | Fairy tales |
| 1890 | The Picture of Dorian Gray (magazine); revised book 1891 | Novel |
| 1891 | Intentions | Essays |
| 1891 | Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories | Stories |
| 1891 | A House of Pomegranates | Fairy tales |
| 1891 | The Duchess of Padua (staged in New York) | Play |
| 1892 | Lady Windermere's Fan | Comedy |
| 1893 | Salomé (published in French; English 1894) | Tragedy |
| 1893 | A Woman of No Importance | Comedy |
| 1894 | The Sphinx | Poetry |
| 1895 | An Ideal Husband | Comedy |
| 1895 | The Importance of Being Earnest | Comedy |
| 1898 | The Ballad of Reading Gaol | Poetry |
| 1905 | De Profundis (abridged; complete text 1962) | Letter |
Nothing needs to be read in order. Most readers start with either The Importance of Being Earnest or The Picture of Dorian Gray, and children start with the fairy tales. A complete works volume is the cheapest way to own all of it, since many of these are short.
In this guide:
- Where to Start with Wilde, by Reader
- The Picture of Dorian Gray: Which Version?
- Wilde's Plays, From Lady Windermere's Fan to Earnest
- Wilde's Fairy Tales and Short Stories
- Wilde's Life and Why It Shapes the Reading
- Oscar Wilde Movies Worth Watching
- Finding Used Oscar Wilde Books
- Frequently Asked Questions
Where to Start with Wilde, by Reader
- For a first taste of Wilde: The Importance of Being Earnest. It takes about two hours to read, it is one of the funniest plays in English, and there is nothing in it a parent would worry about.
- For readers who like gothic fiction: The Picture of Dorian Gray, his only novel.
- For children, ages 6–11: The Happy Prince and Other Tales, as a read-aloud.
- For a family laugh: "The Canterville Ghost," a comic ghost story about an American family who refuse to be frightened by an English haunting.
- For serious students: The Ballad of Reading Gaol and De Profundis, written out of his imprisonment.
The Picture of Dorian Gray: Which Version?
This is the one real ordering question with Wilde, because there are two versions of his novel.
The first appeared in Lippincott's Monthly Magazine in July 1890, in thirteen chapters. Critics called it immoral. For the 1891 book, Wilde added a preface of aphorisms (it ends "All art is quite useless"), expanded the story to twenty chapters, gave more room to the character of Sibyl Vane's brother, and toned down the passages suggesting that the painter Basil Hallward loves Dorian.
The 1891 text is what almost every paperback prints, and it is the version to read first. If you get hooked, Harvard's Belknap Press published an annotated, uncensored edition in 2011 that restores material cut even before the 1890 magazine version appeared.
The story itself: a beautiful young man wishes that his portrait would age instead of him. It does. As he pursues pleasure and cruelty without consequence, the painting records every sin. It is a moral fable in the dress of a decadent novel, and its ending is about as clear a statement that sin catches up with you as Victorian fiction offers.
Content notes
There is a murder, a suicide, opium dens, and a good deal of implied vice that is never shown. Wilde never describes what Dorian does, which makes it more suitable for mature teens than its reputation suggests. Most schools teach it in 11th or 12th grade, and our British literature reading list shows where it fits in a full high school sequence.
Wilde's Plays, From Lady Windermere's Fan to Earnest
The four society comedies
These are what made Wilde the most talked-about playwright in London, and they were staged in quick succession:
- Lady Windermere's Fan (1892) — a young wife suspects her husband of an affair, and a woman with a past turns out to be more than she seems.
- A Woman of No Importance (1893) — a sharper, more serious play about a man's treatment of a woman he abandoned.
- An Ideal Husband (1895) — political blackmail and a respectable man's hidden past.
- The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) — two young men invent alter egos to escape their obligations. Opened on February 14, 1895.
The first three mix comedy with melodrama. Earnest drops the melodrama entirely and is pure wit, which is why it is performed far more than the others. If a student is reading only one Wilde play, this is it. Readers who love its wordplay tend to enjoy Wodehouse next, and our P. G. Wodehouse books in order guide shows where to begin. Students who enjoy reading plays aloud can move on to our guide to Shakespeare's plays in order.
The other plays
Salomé, a one-act tragedy about the biblical story of John the Baptist, was written in French and refused a licence for the London stage because it depicted biblical figures. The 1894 English edition, with Aubrey Beardsley's famous illustrations, is a collector's item in its own right. Wilde's early verse tragedies, Vera and The Duchess of Padua, both premiered in New York and both flopped; they are for completists.
Wilde's Fairy Tales and Short Stories
Wilde had two small sons when he wrote these, and parents are often startled by how sad they are. They are also beautiful, and some of the best read-alouds of the century. If they go over well, our best read-aloud books for families has more to try.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888)
"The Happy Prince," "The Nightingale and the Rose," "The Selfish Giant," "The Devoted Friend," and "The Remarkable Rocket." "The Selfish Giant" is the best one to start with; it has a clear Christian ending and works for ages 5 and up. "The Happy Prince," about a statue and a swallow who give everything away to the poor, will make many adults cry.
A House of Pomegranates (1891)
"The Young King," "The Birthday of the Infanta," "The Fisherman and His Soul," and "The Star-Child." Longer, more ornate and darker than the first book. Better for ages 10 and up.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories (1891)
Four comic stories for adults and older kids, including "The Canterville Ghost." The title story, about a young man told by a palm reader that he will commit a murder and who tries to get it over with before his wedding, is a small gem.
Wilde's Life and Why It Shapes the Reading
Wilde was born in Dublin in 1854, studied at Trinity College Dublin and at Oxford, and made himself famous as a lecturer and personality before he had written much of anything. In 1895, at the height of his success, with two comedies running in London, he sued the Marquess of Queensberry for libel. The case collapsed, and Wilde was then prosecuted for "gross indecency" over his relationships with men and sentenced to two years' hard labour.
Everything after that is different in tone. The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), published under his prison number, C.3.3., is a long poem about a man hanged for murder, with the line "each man kills the thing he loves." De Profundis is a letter of recrimination and religious reflection written in his cell. He died in Paris in November 1900, aged 46.
For a homeschool or high school unit, a strong sequence is "The Selfish Giant" or "The Happy Prince" (short, symbolic, discussable), then Earnest, then Dorian Gray, then the Ballad. Students see the same writer move from fairy tale to comedy to moral fable to grief. Our classic literature reading list for homeschool students suggests what to pair with it.
Oscar Wilde Movies Worth Watching
The films are unusually good. The Importance of Being Earnest has two strong versions: 1952, with Michael Redgrave and Edith Evans as Lady Bracknell, and 2002, with Colin Firth, Rupert Everett and Reese Witherspoon. An Ideal Husband (1999) stars Rupert Everett and Cate Blanchett. The Picture of Dorian Gray (1945), in black and white with flashes of colour for the painting, is the classic; it won an Oscar for cinematography. The Canterville Ghost (1944), starring Charles Laughton, is a family-friendly wartime updating.
Finding Used Oscar Wilde Books
Wilde's plays and the novel are staples of used-book shelves, often in older hardcover anthologies that include everything. See what Oscar Wilde titles are in stock right now, and browse the classic literature and poetry collections for more. Free shipping on orders over $15.
Frequently Asked Questions
How many novels did Oscar Wilde write?
Just one, The Picture of Dorian Gray, first published in a magazine in 1890 and as a revised, longer book in 1891.
What is Oscar Wilde's most famous work?
Probably The Importance of Being Earnest (1895), the most performed of his plays. The Picture of Dorian Gray is his most famous book.
Which version of Dorian Gray should I read?
Read the 1891 book edition with twenty chapters and the preface. That is what nearly every paperback prints. The 1890 magazine text is shorter and interesting for comparison.
Are Oscar Wilde's fairy tales suitable for children?
Yes, and many parents read them aloud. Many end sadly, so read them yourself first. "The Selfish Giant" is the best one for young children.
Is The Picture of Dorian Gray appropriate for high school?
For most juniors and seniors, yes. It involves murder, suicide and implied vice, but nothing is described explicitly.
How many plays did Oscar Wilde write?
He completed seven plays in all: Vera, The Duchess of Padua, Salomé, and the four comedies Lady Windermere's Fan, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest.
What did Oscar Wilde write in prison?
While in prison, Wilde wrote De Profundis, a long letter to Lord Alfred Douglas. The Ballad of Reading Gaol was written after his release, based on his time there.
