A nice companion follow up to The Picture of Dorian Gray. Deep thinking required but rich.

Disappointing. Very smug and self-righteous.

This is the third book in the series that I have read so far, and I must say that it is my least favorite. This is odd since it is probably one of the most useful in terms of engaging in an apologetic debate with the people I encounter most. We live in a culture of hedonists, and people who believe that there should be no bounds to what a person could do for sexual gratification...unless it "hurts another person." Zacharias addresses this issue along with the rest well. The content of the book is very helpful. My problems with it stem from the medium (a fictional dialogue that didn't work for me as well as the other books did--perhaps it was because it involved Wilde and the bar for language should be higher?), and the winding nature of the dialogue that made me wonder if this was the most logical outcome of this particular conversation.
Therefore:
Information--great
Story--mediocre
The apologist in me gives this three stars while the English major would give it two. I guess you can decide what you're going for.

"A work of art that takes years to create can be desecrated in seconds."

This is a great look into Oscar Wilde's life and how he both embraced and resisted Christ as well as morality. It will bring more depth to the thought of how God purposed pleasure and what ultimate beauty is.

Taking his cue--I think--from Peter Kreeft, Zacharias here crafts a Socratic dialogue between Oscar Wilde, Jesus, and a religious writer who meant much to Wilde: Blaise Pascal. The dialogue takes place in a sort of dream shortly before Wilde's death, dramatizing the lifelong spiritual struggle that seems to have peaked in the last days of his life, as evidenced by Wilde's deathbed conversion to Catholicism.

Zacharias demonstrates a deep familiarity with the work and life of both Wilde and Pascal, and he uses actual quotes or paraphrases from all three figures to create the bulk of his dialogue. Because of this, the book comes off as a nice blend of scholarship and imagination.

This was my first "Ravi" book and after having experienced his insight and profundity in the podcast venue, I had expectations for much more than I got out of this book.

I think it is a very approachable book, albeit the conversation sometimes gets in the way for me. I would really enjoy a more dedicated treatise on this topic by Ravi in a more traditional form.

That said, this could be a very easy entry for anyone into the balance of beauty and profanity, art and law, love and selfishness.

I'll be looking to read Ravi's "Lotus and the Cross" sometime soon.

Incredibly pertinent to the issues of today. Should be required reading for high school and college age people. Wonderful examination of worldview and society. Highly recommended!

Another great book in this series! An imaginary conversation between Oscar Wilde, Blaise Pascal, and Jesus Christ about some of life's most fascinating questions...especially those related to seeking joy and satisfaction. Very brief. Very insightful!!

A must read twice!

This is the first of Zacharias' books that I've read. He has a particularly clever way of developing this conversation between Wilde, Jesus and Pascal using ideas each had put forward in various other writings. The main purpose is to identify the materialistic outlook that pleasure is the chief end of man. Wilde may have taken this further than most, but it is a frightening commentary on our current culture. The conversation identifies where and why that goes wrong and then shows the logical outcome of living such a life. I think it is eye opening for those who live in such a way (and probably don't even know it) and those who would reject this worldview.

Awesome little book, taken from the perspective of a conversation between two incredibly brilliant people with two very different perspectives. Very relevant to our day and age. Ravi Zacharias has become a role model for me.