Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories

"Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories" is a collection of short stories written by Oscar Wilde and first published in 1891. The collection includes some of Wilde's most famous short stories, including "The Canterville Ghost" and "The Sphinx Without a Secret."

The titular story, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime," follows the titular character, a wealthy young man, who is told by a palm reader that he will commit murder. Rather than live with the uncertainty, Arthur decides to commit the murder before he marries his fiancée, so as not to jeopardize their future together. The story is a clever satire of Victorian society, poking fun at the obsession with fate and destiny.

Other stories in the collection include "The Sphinx Without a Secret," in which a young man becomes obsessed with a woman who seems to have no secrets, and "The Model Millionaire," in which a poor artist is rewarded for his kindness to a beggar with a large sum of money.

One of the standout stories in the collection is "The Portrait of Mr. W. H.," which is a fictional essay exploring the mystery surrounding Shakespeare's sonnets. In the story, a man becomes convinced that the sonnets were written to a young actor named Willie Hughes, and that the portrait of Hughes holds the key to understanding the true meaning of the sonnets.

Overall, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories" showcases Wilde's wit and cleverness in a series of entertaining and thought-provoking short stories. The collection is a great introduction to Wilde's work, and a must-read for fans of Victorian literature and satire.