王爾德生於都柏林的一個傢世卓越的傢庭，是傢中的次子，全名為：奧斯卡·芬葛·歐佛雷泰·威爾斯·王爾德（Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde）。他的父親威廉姆·王爾德爵士是一個外科醫生，他的母親是一位詩人與作傢。王爾德是一個優秀的學生，他獲得瞭都柏林聖三一學院（Trinity College）的奬學金，1874年，他進入牛津大學邁格德林學院（Magdalen College）學習。在牛津，王爾德受到瞭沃爾特·佩特及約翰·拉斯金的審美影響，並接觸瞭新黑格爾派哲學、達爾文進化論和拉斐爾前派的作品，這為他之後成為唯美主義先鋒作傢確立瞭方嚮。當時，雖然年輕的王爾德還沒有獲得一個文學奬項，但服裝惹眼、談吐機智、特立獨行的他在社會上已經小有名氣，一些雜誌甚至刊登著諷刺他的文章。

1882年，王爾德在美國作瞭一個精彩的巡迴講座，兩年後他與 Constance Lloyd 成婚，兩名兒子 Cyril 與 Vyvyan 亦分彆在1885年與1886年齣生。1887年王爾德成為一傢婦女雜誌的執行總編輯，那上麵發錶著他的一些小說、評論和詩。王爾德的作品以其詞藻華美、立意新穎和觀點鮮明聞名，他的第一本小說道林·格雷的畫像發錶於1891年，之後他又發錶瞭散文《社會主義下人的靈魂》，這兩部作品都十分成功，但真正為王爾德贏得名譽的是他的戲劇作品。可以說他的每一部戲劇作品都受著熱烈的歡迎，有一個時期，倫敦的舞颱上竟同時上演著他的三部作品。

維多利亞女王時代的英國上流社會市儈腐朽，新舊風尚的衝突激烈，王爾德的自由作風和大膽的政治作風很快使他成為瞭這場衝突的犧牲品。1895年，昆斯拜瑞侯爵（Marquess of Queensberry）因兒子阿爾弗瑞德·道格拉斯（Lord Alfred 'Bosie' Douglas）與王爾德交往而令到父子不和，並公然斥責王爾德是一個 "somdomite"。對此，憤怒的阿爾弗瑞德叫王爾德立刻上訴告侯爵敗壞他的名譽，可惜王爾德不但上訴失敗，更被反告曾“commit acts of gross indecency”。根據當時英國苛刻的刑事法，王爾德被判有罪，在瑞丁和本頓維爾監獄服瞭兩年苦役。這兩年，王爾德停止瞭戲劇創作，而構思瞭詩作《瑞丁監獄之歌》和懺悔錄《深淵書簡》，在這兩部作品中已很難尋得唯美主義的影響。在王爾德服刑期間，Constance與兩個孩子改姓為Holland兼移居意大利，而他大多數的朋友則對他避之唯恐不及，當中隻有寥寥數人如戲劇作傢蕭伯納仍挺身維護他。

1897年獲釋後，王爾德立刻動身前往巴黎，對於英國他失望透頂，不再有絲毫留戀。其後他為瞭兩名孩子曾嘗試與Constance復閤，但阿爾弗瑞德亦同時錶示想與王爾德重歸如好，最後王爾德放棄兩名孩子而選擇瞭阿爾弗瑞德。王爾德在以假名居住法國期間完成並齣版瞭《瑞丁監獄之歌》，之後與阿爾弗瑞德同遊意大利，但幾個月後，兩人再次分手。1900年王爾德終於在好友Robert 'Robbie' Ross 幫助下改信天主教，在同年11月30日因病於巴黎的亞爾沙斯旅館（Hotel d’Alsace）去世，享年46歲，死時隻有Robbie與另一朋友陪伴。

The Picture of Dorian Gray , by oscar Wilde , is part of the Barnes & Noble Classics series, which offers quality editions at affordable prices to the student and the general reader, including new scholarship, thoughtful design, and pages of carefully crafted extras. Here are some of the remarkable features of Barnes & Noble Classics :

All editions are beautifully designed and are printed to superior specifications; some include illustrations of historical interest. Barnes & Noble Classics pulls together a constellation of influencesbiographical, historical, and literaryto enrich each reader's understanding of these enduring works. oscar Wilde brings his enormous gifts for astute social observation and sparkling prose to The Picture of Dorian Gray , his dreamlike story of a young man who sells his soul for eternal youth and beauty. This dandy, who remains forever unchangedpetulant, hedonistic, vain, and amoralwhile a painting of him ages and grows increasingly hideous with the years, has been horrifying, enchanting, obsessing, even corrupting readers for more than a hundred 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 only 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. Camille Cauti, Ph.D. , is an editor and literary critic who lives in New York City. She is a specialist in the Catholic conversion trend among members of the avant-garde in London in the 1890s.