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Wit & Wisdom: A Book of Quotations
"I have the simplest tastes," remarked Oscar Wilde. "I am always satisfied with the best." In this superlative collection of quotations by the great Irish playwright and wit, readers will find the very best of Wilde's scintillating comments on art, human nature, morals, society, politics, history, and numerous other subjects. Epigrams, aphorisms, and other bon mots gleaned from Wilde's enduringly popular plays, essays, and conversation offer amusing, thought-provoking observations that resonate with truth and profundity beneath their comic surface.
Widely acknowledged as the most brilliant talker of his age, Wilde once explained to André Gide, "I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works." This fine collection of nearly 400 quotes, organized by category, contains quotations from both his works and his conversation, including gems from his personal life with which even devotees may be unfamiliar. The result is a splendid introduction to Wilde's mind and personality, embodied in a feast of the English language's most brilliant and perceptive witticisms.
Widely acknowledged as the most brilliant talker of his age, Wilde once explained to André Gide, "I put all my genius into my life; I put only my talent into my works." This fine collection of nearly 400 quotes, organized by category, contains quotations from both his works and his conversation, including gems from his personal life with which even devotees may be unfamiliar. The result is a splendid introduction to Wilde's mind and personality, embodied in a feast of the English language's most brilliant and perceptive witticisms.
64 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1959
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,241 books36.7k followersOscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish playwright, poet, and author of numerous short stories, and one novel. Known for his biting wit, and a plentitude of aphorisms, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being Earnest.
As the result of a widely covered series of trials, Wilde suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years hard labour after being convicted of "gross indecency" with other men. After Wilde was released from prison he set sail for Dieppe by the night ferry. He never returned to Ireland or Britain, and died in poverty.
As the result of a widely covered series of trials, Wilde suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years hard labour after being convicted of "gross indecency" with other men. After Wilde was released from prison he set sail for Dieppe by the night ferry. He never returned to Ireland or Britain, and died in poverty.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews
September 27, 2020
"Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious."
And other such witticisms which quite hold up today.
Oscar Wilde is as timeless as ever, and his books eminently quotable. Therefore, I simply must recommend cutting out the middle man as it were--and instead of reading the entirety of the the playwright's great works, simply get this book of quotes to enjoy.
Direct and to the point, as finely crafted observations on life and humanity as ever had been put from pen to paper. So why read any further?
Oscar no doubt would approve!
And other such witticisms which quite hold up today.
Oscar Wilde is as timeless as ever, and his books eminently quotable. Therefore, I simply must recommend cutting out the middle man as it were--and instead of reading the entirety of the the playwright's great works, simply get this book of quotes to enjoy.
Direct and to the point, as finely crafted observations on life and humanity as ever had been put from pen to paper. So why read any further?
Oscar no doubt would approve!
November 11, 2018
This was a quick read. I started and finished it while waiting in the bank the other day. There were some funny and insightful quotes and here are some of my favorites.
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
“When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as anyone who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins.”
“I don’t desire to change anything in England except the weather.”
“I only care to see doctors when I am in perfect health; then they comfort one, but when one is ill they are most depressing.”
“You believe good of everyone, Jane. It is a great fault.”
“It is only about things that do not interest one that one can give a really unbiased opinion, which is, no doubt, the reason why an unbiased opinion is always absolutely valueless. The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all.”
“Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching.”
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
“When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as anyone who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins.”
“I don’t desire to change anything in England except the weather.”
“I only care to see doctors when I am in perfect health; then they comfort one, but when one is ill they are most depressing.”
“You believe good of everyone, Jane. It is a great fault.”
“It is only about things that do not interest one that one can give a really unbiased opinion, which is, no doubt, the reason why an unbiased opinion is always absolutely valueless. The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all.”
“Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching.”
February 23, 2016
I adore Oscar Wilde, he had the most brilliant mind of his age! I love this book... all this beautiful quotes gathered in one place! Love it!
“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
Oscar Wilde
“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
Oscar Wilde
May 28, 2016
~To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist__ that is all.
Irrespective of the fact, whether I agree with all his thoughts or not. But I love his writing style and
He's the wittiest writer of all times. :')
Irrespective of the fact, whether I agree with all his thoughts or not. But I love his writing style and
He's the wittiest writer of all times. :')
November 25, 2022
Researching a quote, I stumbled over this one 5 years after first reading it. Wine glass in one hand, book in the other, this had me chuckling way more than during the first read. Had to raise the rating and would like to take a bit more of Mr Wilde's advice and wisdom into everyday life now.
July 8, 2016
An absolute genius! I love this man! His extremely wise words miraculously work in today's societies. I will always re-read this handy little book. Granted, not all of his quotes are in this book, but a whole lot of them are. I do adore books, and love to keep them crease-free and in pristine condition, but perhaps with this one I will highlight the quotes I simply adore the most. And ones that I feel are relevant in my life. Oscar Wilde; I'm so glad I have discovered your genius, and only regret not finding out about you sooner. Having already read Dorian Gray (which I've removed from my Goodreads 'read' list as I want to re-visit it) I can't wait to read the rest of his works.
September 20, 2008
i may not always agree with his statements, but i'll be damned if he isn't the wittiest man i've ever read.
May 5, 2011
This is my guide to life.
April 21, 2019
Oscar Wilde was an incredibly witty individual and this is a great collection of his sayings and witticisms. I don't know if it really gives us a great view of his character. Quite often he contradicts himself in these sayings and it's clear that he was striving for an effect. Many of the sayings probably can't be completely understood outside of the context in which he spoke them. One theme that runs through the collection is Wilde's stated service to "style" in everything he did.
November 7, 2024
Wit & Wisdom is a collection of Quotations by Oscar Wilde.
Oscar Wilde's writing is just brilliant. This is a great book to have because it takes all of the brilliant quotes from Wilde's career and puts them into one place.
The quotations are split into categories which is great for if you want to pick the book up and take inspiration from a certain topic.
I hight recommend this book to Oscar Wilde fans.
Oscar Wilde's writing is just brilliant. This is a great book to have because it takes all of the brilliant quotes from Wilde's career and puts them into one place.
The quotations are split into categories which is great for if you want to pick the book up and take inspiration from a certain topic.
I hight recommend this book to Oscar Wilde fans.
September 24, 2022
" Yes: I am a dreamer. For the dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world. "
4,25⭐
4,25⭐
June 10, 2023
Citaten är förstklassiga, Wilde är ett litterärt geni, utan dess like.
August 15, 2017
Some examples:
Good taste is the excuse I've always given for leading such a bad life.
I am always astonishing myself. It is the only thing that makes life worth living.
Life cannot be written. Life can only be lived.
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are either charming or tedious.
I like men who have a future and women who have a past.
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
He hasn't a single redeeming vice.
I can resist everything except temptation.
Starvation, and not sin, is the parent of modern crime.
It is the confession, not the priest that gives us absolution.
Most religious teachers spend their time trying to prove the unproven by the unprovable.
The true artist is a man who believes absolutely in himself, because he is absolutely himself.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
No great artist sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist.
The only portraits in which one believes are portraits where there is very little of the sitter and a very great deal of the artist.
Only the great masters of style ever succeed in being obscure.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do.
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.
Good taste is the excuse I've always given for leading such a bad life.
I am always astonishing myself. It is the only thing that makes life worth living.
Life cannot be written. Life can only be lived.
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are either charming or tedious.
I like men who have a future and women who have a past.
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
He hasn't a single redeeming vice.
I can resist everything except temptation.
Starvation, and not sin, is the parent of modern crime.
It is the confession, not the priest that gives us absolution.
Most religious teachers spend their time trying to prove the unproven by the unprovable.
The true artist is a man who believes absolutely in himself, because he is absolutely himself.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
No great artist sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist.
The only portraits in which one believes are portraits where there is very little of the sitter and a very great deal of the artist.
Only the great masters of style ever succeed in being obscure.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do.
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.
July 10, 2008
More than the messages that some of the quotations convey, is the genius behind their structure that appeals me.
September 18, 2009
Brittany bought this for me! Best present ever.
August 22, 2011
A wonderful collection of some of the best aphorisms ever spoken from one of the wittiest men who ever lived. I can't get enough of Oscar's quotations.
October 25, 2014
A must-read for all Oscar Wilde fans.
January 17, 2013
Oscar Wilde is always my inspiration. He must have been witty, funny and wise back then. And I will re-read this again, and again :))
March 15, 2014
charming and wise
October 14, 2018
我滿喜歡Wilde的誠實不過他的想法有時候有一點無恥、讓我覺得很刺激、可能是因為他面對現實。
February 3, 2008
Oscar is the quintessential wit-clever, biting, and wise. His wit can never be over-rated. A must.
November 6, 2012
A short and sweet sample of one of my favorite authors. I'll definitely be reading this again.
August 13, 2021
Wit and Wisdom: A Book of Quotations, by Oscar Wilde
“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
“When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as anyone who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins.”
“I don’t desire to change anything in England except the weather.”
“I only care to see doctors when I am in perfect health; then they comfort one, but when one is ill they are most depressing.”
“You believe good of everyone, Jane. It is a great fault.”
“It is only about things that do not interest one that one can give a really unbiased opinion, which is, no doubt, the reason why an unbiased opinion is always absolutely valueless. The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all.”
“Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching.”
"Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious."
Other examples:
Good taste is the excuse I've always given for leading such a bad life.
I am always astonishing myself. It is the only thing that makes life worth living.
Life cannot be written. Life can only be lived.
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are either charming or tedious.
I like men who have a future and women who have a past.
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
He hasn't a single redeeming vice.
I can resist everything except temptation.
Starvation, and not sin, is the parent of modern crime.
It is the confession, not the priest that gives us absolution.
Most religious teachers spend their time trying to prove the unproven by the unprovable.
The true artist is a man who believes absolutely in himself, because he is absolutely himself.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
No great artist sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist.
The only portraits in which one believes are portraits where there is very little of the sitter and a very great deal of the artist.
Only the great masters of style ever succeed in being obscure.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do.
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.
…
“Yes: I am a dreamer. For a dreamer is one who can only find his way by moonlight, and his punishment is that he sees the dawn before the rest of the world.”
“To live is the rarest thing in the world. Most people exist, that is all.”
“When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble, as anyone who knows me intimately will tell you, I refuse everything except food and drink. At the present moment I am eating muffins because I am unhappy. Besides, I am particularly fond of muffins.”
“I don’t desire to change anything in England except the weather.”
“I only care to see doctors when I am in perfect health; then they comfort one, but when one is ill they are most depressing.”
“You believe good of everyone, Jane. It is a great fault.”
“It is only about things that do not interest one that one can give a really unbiased opinion, which is, no doubt, the reason why an unbiased opinion is always absolutely valueless. The man who sees both sides of a question is a man who sees absolutely nothing at all.”
“Thinking is the most unhealthy thing in the world, and people die of it just as they die of any other disease. Fortunately, in England at any rate, thought is not catching.”
"Patriotism is the virtue of the vicious."
Other examples:
Good taste is the excuse I've always given for leading such a bad life.
I am always astonishing myself. It is the only thing that makes life worth living.
Life cannot be written. Life can only be lived.
People who count their chickens before they are hatched, act very wisely, because chickens run about so absurdly that it is impossible to count them accurately.
It is absurd to divide people into good or bad. People are either charming or tedious.
I like men who have a future and women who have a past.
To love oneself is the beginning of a lifelong romance.
Being natural is simply a pose, and the most irritating pose I know.
Experience is the name everyone gives to their mistakes.
He hasn't a single redeeming vice.
I can resist everything except temptation.
Starvation, and not sin, is the parent of modern crime.
It is the confession, not the priest that gives us absolution.
Most religious teachers spend their time trying to prove the unproven by the unprovable.
The true artist is a man who believes absolutely in himself, because he is absolutely himself.
To reveal art and conceal the artist is art's aim.
No great artist sees things as they really are. If he did he would cease to be an artist.
The only portraits in which one believes are portraits where there is very little of the sitter and a very great deal of the artist.
Only the great masters of style ever succeed in being obscure.
There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book. Books are well written or badly written. That is all.
There is only one thing in the world worse than being talked about, and that is not being talked about.
I hate people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do.
I was working on the proof of one of my poems all the morning, and took out a comma. In the afternoon I put it back again.
…
January 31, 2018
This was a fun book to dip into to pick up Wilde's witticisms. Some of my favorites:
On Literature:
"There is a great deal to be said in favor of reading a novel backwards. The last page is, as a rule, the most interesting and when one begins with the catastrophe or denouement one feels on pleasant terms of equality with the author."
"To know the vintage and quality of a wine one need not drink the whole cask. It must be perfectly easy in half an hour to say whether a book is worth anything or worth reading. Ten minutes are really sufficient, if one has an instinct for form. Who wants to wade through a full volume? One tastes it, and that is quite enough."
Quips:
"When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble...I refuse everything except food and drink."
On Literature:
"There is a great deal to be said in favor of reading a novel backwards. The last page is, as a rule, the most interesting and when one begins with the catastrophe or denouement one feels on pleasant terms of equality with the author."
"To know the vintage and quality of a wine one need not drink the whole cask. It must be perfectly easy in half an hour to say whether a book is worth anything or worth reading. Ten minutes are really sufficient, if one has an instinct for form. Who wants to wade through a full volume? One tastes it, and that is quite enough."
Quips:
"When I am in trouble, eating is the only thing that consoles me. Indeed, when I am in really great trouble...I refuse everything except food and drink."
February 18, 2022
One of my favorite stories about Oscar Wilde concerned his visit to the rough mining town of Leadville Colorado. This was not exactly the ideal audience for a effite, flamboyant gay man. No surprisingly, his first night's audience was sparse, but his performance was so compelling, he won over the crowd, and on his second night, the performance hall was packed. It must have been quite a performance.
Wilde was, of course, one of the sharpest and wittiest contrarians in literary history. Unfortunately, compiling all his witty remarks in one book is not the way to make a person appreciate the quickness of his tongue and his constant challenge of convention. Instead, it makes him sound repetative and even boorish. I doubt that this is an accurate impression.
Better to read his best works and sample his witty remarks in small doses.
Wilde was, of course, one of the sharpest and wittiest contrarians in literary history. Unfortunately, compiling all his witty remarks in one book is not the way to make a person appreciate the quickness of his tongue and his constant challenge of convention. Instead, it makes him sound repetative and even boorish. I doubt that this is an accurate impression.
Better to read his best works and sample his witty remarks in small doses.
December 4, 2022
This is a fun little collection of various quips taken from Wilde's fiction, essays and personal conversations. The reader needs to understand that these lines are not necessarily what Wilde himself actually thought about art, culture or society--given that they're often delivered by fictional characters crafted by Wilde. The characters found in "The Importance Of Being Earnest", for instance, were vain hypocrites. Wilde himself was vain, of course, but was using these characters to poke fun at society.
Each of the quotations are attributed to the works from which they were drawn, and the works are listed at the end. Of course now I have to get ahold of those works so I can read them...which I'll do. How can I not, having read this?
Each of the quotations are attributed to the works from which they were drawn, and the works are listed at the end. Of course now I have to get ahold of those works so I can read them...which I'll do. How can I not, having read this?
December 28, 2021
Clever, as one would expect from this author. Also tediously cynical, at least to me as a reader. I like reading Oscar Wilde stories, but this series of mostly one-liners lacked the context of the original stories and as such felt like rapid-fire bullets. I had fun with it but would have been just as happy to skip it.
April 9, 2020
Mycket bra sammanställning av Oscar Wildes kvickheter, sorterad efter ämne. Naturligtvis är det bäst att läsa hans texter i original, kvickheterna i sitt sammanhang, annars blir det lite mastigt och ytligt. Kontext behövs för att fördjupa tankarna. Detta är ändå bra att ha i bokhyllan.
August 8, 2023
Not much to say, twas a quick read with many beautiful quotes. I just think personally, I prefer more of a longer novel compared to just quotes with no context. But Oscar Wilde still just goes hard asf
March 22, 2018
Master of Writing
Wilde tells Truth with most fascinating style of writing ! He exquisitely reveals the hidden face of human society. One should read all of his literature
Wilde tells Truth with most fascinating style of writing ! He exquisitely reveals the hidden face of human society. One should read all of his literature
Displaying 1 - 30 of 74 reviews