The proposed book is a collection of the best known stories by the outstanding English writer and playwright Oscar Wilde (1851—1900). Beauty and art thrilled and inspired the author for creating masterpieces, but most of all he was interested in eccentricity — which is why ghosts and chiromancers, model millionaires and Shakespeare’s muses appear before the reader. The writer, with peculiar only to him ironic manner, combines the bitterness of disillusionment with the imperfection of the world and subtle ridicule. The aphoristic character of descriptions and exquisite style — that is what distinguishes his works among other ones, and especially is manifested in short prose.