在王爾德的九篇童話故事裡，〈愛，要不要靈魂——生命中最大的交易〉是非常深刻、動人且充滿王爾德想像風格和異國情調的一個故事。 故事描述一位年輕的漁夫某天晚上在捕魚時，意外捕到一條熟睡中的小美人魚。 她的髮綹宛如濕潤的金色羊毛，每一根細髮都像是置於玻璃杯中的金縷，白皙的皮膚有如象牙，尾巴則泛著珍珠般的銀白，纏繞著一絲絲翠綠的海草；她的耳朵像海貝，雙唇像珊瑚一般緋紅。冰涼的波浪不斷襲上她的胸口，晶瑩的海鹽在她的眼皮上閃閃發亮……。 年輕的漁夫一眼就愛上小美人魚。但人和人魚是不同的族類，要如何相戀？ 小美人魚告訴年輕的漁夫，除非他把靈魂送走，否則她便不可能愛上他。 年輕的漁夫喃喃自語著：「靈魂對我有何益處呢？既看不見，也摸不著，我也不認識它，嗯，為了獲得屬於我的快樂與幸福，我非把它送走不可。」於是，他在漆飾著紋彩的船上站了起來，仰天發出一聲欣喜的狂叫，向小美人魚伸出自己的手臂，「妳放心，我一定會送走自己的靈魂，」他放聲叫喊著，「到時候，妳就會成為我的新娘，而我就是妳的新郎，我們一起在海底生活，妳歌曲中所描繪的每一個地方，我都要去看一看，妳的心願我都要為妳實現，一輩子廝守不分離。」小美人魚羞赧地笑了笑，將臉埋進自己的手中。 年輕的漁夫請求神父幫忙把他的靈魂送走，神父不但斥責他枉費擁有一個高貴的人的靈魂，還咒罵人魚一族，說他們是墮落的一群。商人不買他的靈魂，因為一點用處也沒有。最後，他去找巫婆，終於成功的將他的靈魂（就是他的影子）割開。年輕的漁夫迫不及待的躍入海中和小美人魚相會，孤零零的靈魂只好在廣大的世界裡遊蕩。 第一年，靈魂回到海邊告訴年輕的漁夫他的經歷，並帶來舉世無雙的智慧鏡，但漁夫不為所動，因為他愛小美人魚，而愛就是一切。 第二年，靈魂回到海邊告訴年輕的漁夫他的經歷，並帶來舉世無雙的財富，但漁夫不為所動，因為他愛小美人魚，而愛就是一切。 第三年，靈魂回到海邊告訴年輕的漁夫他在某個城市看到一個跳舞的女孩，她小巧白皙的玉足旋轉起來彷彿……年輕的漁夫心動了，他的小美人魚沒有腳，他突然好想看看人類的舞蹈……。 就這樣，年輕的漁夫離開了小美人魚，跟著他的靈魂走進慾望的城市。他還會記得小美人魚嗎？他的靈魂會再回到他的身上嗎？愛究竟能有多大的力量？ 王爾德的這個故事擁有無比深沈的意涵，在充滿異國風情的城市、地理景觀中，包藏對人生幾個價值觀：智慧、財富、慾望與愛的思索與論辯，而結局尤為感人。

Enthralled by his own exquisite portrait, Dorian Gray exchanges his soul for eternal youth and beauty. Influenced by his friend Lord Henry Wotton, he is drawn into a corrupt double life; indulging his desires in secret while remaining a gentleman in the eyes of polite society. Only his portrait bears the traces of his decadence. The Picture of Dorian Gray was a succès de scandale. Early readers were shocked by its hints at unspeakable sins, and the book was later used as evidence against Wilde at the Old Bailey in 1895.

'The only way to get rid of a temptation is to yield to it.' When Dorian Gray has his portrait painted, he is captivated by his own beauty. Tempted by his world-weary, decadent friend Lord Henry Wotton, he wishes to stay forever young, and pledges his very soul to keep his good looks. Set in fin-de-siecle London, the novel traces a path from the studio of painter Basil Hallward to the opium dens of the East End. As Dorian's slide into crime and cruelty progresses he stays magically youthful, while his beautiful portrait changes, revealing the hideous corruption of moral decay. Ever since its first publication in 1890 Wilde's only novel has remained the subject of critical controversy. Acclaimed by some as an instructive moral tale, it has been denounced by others for its implicit immorality. Combining elements of the supernatural, aestheticism, and the Gothic, The Picture of Dorian Gray is an unclassifiable and uniquely unsettling work of fiction. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

While imprisoned, Wilde wrote this long letter of recrimination to his lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. It offers fascinating insights into Wilde's life in prison and the background and psychology of a notorious affair.