De ProfundisDe Profundis
Score Classic
What it's about
In 1895 Oscar Wilde, the most celebrated playwright in London, was sentenced to two years of hard labor for gross indecency, after a trial set off by the father of his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. Near the end of his sentence, in Reading Gaol, Wilde wrote a long letter to Douglas: furious, wounded and searching, about their love, his ruin, suffering, art and Christ.
Why it's worth reading
It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. It's one of the great letters in literature, from a writer known for wit, writing instead from the bottom of his life.
You'll love it if you liked
A Grief Observed
The Picture of Dorian Gray
Essays of Michel De MontaigneGood to know
It wasn't published in full until 1962. It's emotional and repetitive in places, as a real letter would be.
By the numbers
- Readers82 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics51 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller11 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #111 of the 290 memoirs and biographies we rank
- #201 of the 762 classics we rank
- #631 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
True story
More by Oscar Wilde
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The Power Broker: Robert Moses and the Fall of New York
The Color Purple
Notes of a Native Son
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Quick answers
Is De Profundis worth reading?
Yes. It's on the Guardian's list of the best nonfiction of all time. It ranks #631 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.7 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is De Profundis about?
In 1895 Oscar Wilde, the most celebrated playwright in London, was sentenced to two years of hard labor for gross indecency, after a trial set off by the father of his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. Near the end of his sentence, in Reading Gaol, Wilde wrote a long letter to Douglas: furious, wounded and searching, about their love, his ruin, suffering, art and Christ.
How long does it take to read De Profundis?
About 4 hours (170 pages), or about 8 days at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after De Profundis?
If you liked it, try A Grief Observed by CS Lewis, The Picture of Dorian Gray by Oscar Wilde or Essays of Michel De Montaigne by Michel de Montaigne.