4 h 28 minAudiobook14 minSummaryRead it, hear it, the 15-minute summary, and print and large print at cost
Audiobook edition · 4 h 28 minPaperback · 6 × 9 in · printing soonHardcover · 6 × 9 in · printing soonAbout this book
What if a fortune teller’s warning becomes a young man’s duty to commit a crime?
At Lady Windermere’s London party, Lord Arthur Savile lets Mr. Podgers read his palm. Arthur is rich, kind and engaged to Sybil Merton. Yet he takes the fortune teller’s warning as a task he must carry out. In Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime, good intentions lead toward something dark, while marriage waits on a very odd sense of duty.
Oscar Wilde turns familiar tales upside down throughout this collection. The Canterville Ghost gives Sir Simon tenants who refuse to be frightened. The Sphinx Without a Secret follows a woman’s mystery, while The Model Millionaire brings love face to face with money. The Portrait of Mr. W.H. follows Cyril Graham’s theory into the puzzle of Shakespeare’s sonnets.
What you’ll discover
- A dangerous sense of duty Follow Arthur as a palm reading turns his comfortable future into a troubling task.
- A ghost meets his match Watch Sir Simon try his frightening tricks on a family that will not scare.
- Secrets behind good manners Enter tales where polished manners sit beside doubts about money, marriage and hidden lives.
- Love without a fortune Meet Hughie Erskine, whose good nature cannot supply the money he needs to marry.
- A literary detective hunt Explore a theory about Shakespeare’s sonnets through a story driven by questions of identity.
Who will love it
Readers who enjoy sparkling dialogue, comic ghosts, English country houses and clever endings will love this book. It also suits admirers of Wilde's humor and anyone drawn to art, Shakespeare and Victorian manners.
What’s inside
The key ideas, in the 15-minute summary
- A prediction becomes a duty
- Failed murders upset Arthur's plans
- The ghost cannot frighten practical people
- Virginia offers kindness instead of fear
- Mystery puts love at risk
- Hughie gives despite having little
- Beauty makes a theory feel true
- Surfaces shape what people believe
- Facts can change the whole picture
Who’s who
- Lord Arthur SavileA rich, kind young Londoner who treats a palm reader's prophecy as a duty and tries to finish it before his wedding.
- Mr. PodgersA small, stout palm reader with gold spectacles who entertains Lady Windermere's guests and frightens one young lord.
- Mr. Hiram B. OtisThe practical American minister who buys a haunted house and meets its ghost with oil and good humor.
- Virginia OtisA fifteen-year-old horsewoman who has a serious heart and feels pity for the lonely ghost of the house.
- Sir Simon de CantervilleThe proud, weary ghost of Canterville Chase, who wants to frighten his tenants and, above all, to sleep.
- Lord MurchisonAn honest, high-spirited lord who falls in love with a beautiful widow and cannot bear her secrets.
- Hughie ErskineA handsome, penniless and good-natured young man who wants to marry Laura Merton and has no profession.
- Cyril GrahamA handsome, vain young actor who builds a daring theory about the young man of Shakespeare's Sonnets.
Formats and delivery
- eBook
- On your phone, tablet or computer, once the book texts are online.
- Large-print eBook
- The same book in bigger, clearer type, once the book texts are online.
- Audiobook
- Read by Lucas Linden, complete. It opens once the recording is online.
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas in about 14 minutes, to read today.
- Paperback
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Hardcover
- 6 × 9 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print paperback
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
- Large print hardcover
- 8.5 × 11 in. Printing soon: leave your email under Paperback or Hardcover above.
Every printed copy is made when you order it and shipped worldwide; shipping is shown at checkout. The eBook and the audiobook open when the book texts go online.
How it works
- Start free. Nothing to pay today; the eBook of this book is yours to keep.
- Read, listen and print. 200,000+ classics as eBook, large-print eBook, audiobook and 15-minute summary, and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print, 5 accounts for the price of one.
- We remind you first. Free for 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment. Then USD 0.14 a day in your first year on the yearly plan and USD 0.27 a day after, or USD 0.66 a day on the monthly plan. Cancel online in two clicks.
Bought on its own? Every eBook, audiobook and printed book you buy without the plan carries our 30-day money-back guarantee.
25 languages, side by side
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories in 25 languages, side by side, paragraph by paragraph, once the book texts are online: the way to learn a language with a book you love.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories
by Oscar Wilde
A palm reader sees murder in Lord Arthur's hand, and a polite young aristocrat sets out to do his duty.
Medium level2–5 hours to read20 languages
Learn a language with medium classicsSpanishFrenchGermanItalianJapanesePortugueseEnglishHow we measure levels
Excellent
Free for 3 months · starts right away, on any device
Read free3 months free · cancel anytimeFree for 3 months, then USD 0.14 a dayCancel anytimeHow it works
- Read or listen
- 25 languages, side by side
- Print and large print at cost
- 5 accounts for the price of one
In short
What would you do if a stranger read your palm and told you that you will commit a murder? Lord Arthur Savile, a rich and courteous young Londoner, does not run to the police.
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories at a glance
- Reading time
- About 2 h 35 min2 h fast, 3 h 5 min slow
- Length
- 36,700 words
- Library level
- Medium longer sentences, everyday words
Reading time at 238 words a minute (fast 300, slow 200). How long the classics take to read · Updated
From the 15-minute summary · Key idea 1
A palm reader hands Lord Arthur a duty
The first tale begins at Lady Windermere's last reception before Easter. Bentinck House is crowded with ministers, bishops and a princess in emeralds. Lady Windermere asks for her favorite palm reader, Mr. Podgers. He is a small, stout man with a bald head and gold spectacles, and he looks more like a country lawyer than a mystic.
Podgers reads a few hands for fun, and the guests laugh. Then Lord Arthur, engaged to Sybil Merton, holds out his hand. Podgers turns pale and sweats. He says only that Arthur will take a voyage and lose a distant relative. Arthur is not fooled. He offers a hundred pounds for the truth, and ten minutes later he rushes out into the night, shaken to the bone.
Free for 3 months · Cancel anytime
You looked at
Which edition is right for me
- 15-minute summary
- The key ideas of the whole book in about 14 minutes. A good first look, or a refresher.
Details
- Language
- English
- Reading time
- 2 h 50 min
- Level
- Medium level
Cite this edition
Wilde, Oscar. Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories. Library of Alexandria, 2026, libraryofalexandria.com/products/lord-arthur-saviles-crime-the-portrait-of-mr-w-h-and-other-stories.
Wilde, O. (2026). Lord Arthur Savile's crime; the portrait of Mr. W.H., and other stories. Library of Alexandria. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lord-arthur-saviles-crime-the-portrait-of-mr-w-h-and-other-stories
Wilde, Oscar. Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories. Library of Alexandria, 2026. https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lord-arthur-saviles-crime-the-portrait-of-mr-w-h-and-other-stories.
@book{wilde2026lord,
author = {Wilde, Oscar},
title = {Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories},
publisher = {Library of Alexandria},
year = {2026},
url = {https://libraryofalexandria.com/products/lord-arthur-saviles-crime-the-portrait-of-mr-w-h-and-other-stories}
}
Free gifts
USD 580 in free gifts when you start
Every book in every format and in 25 languages, 5 accounts for the price of one. Nothing to pay today.
- 200,000+ classic eBooksIn 25 languages, side by side
USD 170FREE - Every audiobookIn 25 languages, any device
USD 120FREE - 15-minute summariesRead or listen, in 25 languages
USD 60FREE - Print at cost, no markupPaperback, hardcover, large print
USD 60FREE - 5 accounts for the price of oneA shelf for everyone at home
USD 170FREE - A part in rebuilding the libraryNew languages and books for all
FREE
Questions about Lord Arthur Savile's Crime; The Portrait of Mr. W.H., and Other Stories
Can I read it free?
Yes. The first key idea of the 15-minute summary is free with no sign-up. Start free and the whole book is yours for 3 months, with the eBook to keep, plus 200,000+ more classics and any book printed at cost as a paperback, hardcover or large print. Nothing to pay today: we email you 7 days before your first payment, and you can cancel online in two clicks.
Can I buy the printed book?
Soon. The paperback, hardcover and large print editions are being prepared. Choose Paperback or Hardcover above, leave your email, and we tell you the day you can order it, printed at cost.
How many accounts do I get?
Five, for the price of one: you and 4 more people, each with their own login, shelf and their own place in every book.
Can I cancel anytime?
Yes. Cancel online in two clicks at any time and nothing more is charged. Nothing is charged in your first 3 months, and we email you 7 days before your first payment.
What is Lord Arthur Savile's Crime about?
A palm reader tells young Lord Arthur Savile that he is fated to commit a murder. Arthur decides to do it quickly and neatly, so he can marry Sybil Merton with a clear conscience. His plans meet comic trouble at every step.
Who is Mr. W. H. in Wilde's story?
Mr. W. H. is the person to whom Shakespeare's Sonnets are dedicated. In the story, Cyril Graham argues that he is Willie Hughes, a boy actor in Shakespeare's company, and the tale follows how that idea takes hold of everyone who hears it.
Is The Canterville Ghost a scary story?
It is a comedy of manners. The ghost is meant to terrify, but a practical American family answers him with stain remover, lubricating oil and pillows. The tone is playful, with a gentle and moving turn in the later scenes.
The author
Oscar Wilde
1854–1900 · Irish playwright and poet
Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was an Irish poet, playwright, and novelist born in Dublin. He lived in London and later in France, where he died in Paris. He published The Picture of Dorian Gray in 1890. His play The Importance of Being Earnest was first performed in 1895.
More by Oscar Wilde
See all their booksMore like this
Our mission
The library burned once. We are building it back.
Every great book, in every language and every format, for every family. Every plan helps pay for new languages, new audiobooks and books for readers who have never had them. Join the movement.
Read our story- Every language25 languages today, side by side, and more every year
- No wastePrinted on demand: no warehouses, no unsold stock, no pulped copies
- For everyonePaperback, hardcover and large print at the cost of printing
Popular in short stories
See all
