It is impossible to imagine the universe, someone said, without Wilde's epigrams. Their secret is that they can be at once true and false. As we absorb the paradox, our view of life is extended and enlarged.

Here, in small compass, is a collection of more than 400 of Wilde's best sayings, culled from his plays and other writings. Wilde's wit is never ponderous or pretentious. Like Falstaff, Wilde is not only gay himself but the inspiration of gaiety in others.