De Profundis
Oscar Wilde · 1854–1900 · Ireland
Why it matters
Written in Reading Gaol as one long, anguished letter to the lover who ruined him, Wilde's confession trades epigram for raw reckoning. Wit finally cracks open into suffering, and something like faith.
At a glance
epistolaryessayautobiographical fiction
Difficulty 5/10slow pace120 pagesDense, emotionally raw prose freighted with biblical and literary allusion.
Where to go next
Oscar Wilde · 1890The Picture of Dorian GrayLvl 4Medium pace
Oscar Wilde · 1892Lady Windermere's FanLvl 3Fast paced
Oscar Wilde · 1895The Importance of Being EarnestLvl 2Fast paced
Oscar Wilde · 1895An Ideal HusbandLvl 3Fast paced
Joris-Karl Huysmans · 1884Against Nature (À rebours)Lvl 7Slow burn
André Gide · 1902The ImmoralistLvl 5Medium pace