This selection of letters has been taken from the author's previous book The Letters of Oscar Wilde (1962) and is representative of each period of Wilde's life. The editor has given preference to letters of literary interest, to the most amusing and to those that throw light on Wilde's life and work. The long letter to Lord Alfred Douglas, usually known as De Profundis, is again printed in full, as the editor believes that this is the most important letter that Wilde ever wrote and can only be appreciated in its entirety.