- Paperback: 656 pages
- Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd; New edition edition (5 Sep 1988)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0140096612
- ISBN-13: 978-0140096613
- Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 12.9 x 4.5 cm
- Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars See all reviews (6 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 38,331 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- See Complete Table of Contents
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||
Did you know you can trade in your old books for an Amazon.co.uk Gift Card to spend on the things you want? Visit the Amazon.co.uk Trade-In Store for more details. |
Product details |
More About the Author
Product Description
Product Description
In this long-awaited bioraphy, Wilde the legendary Victorian - brilliant writer and conversationalist, reckless flouter of social and sexual conventions - is brought to life. More astute and forbearing, yet more fallible than legend has allowed, Wilde is given here the dimensions of a modern hero. Based on fresh material from many hitherto-untapped sources, Ellmann depicts Wilde's comet-like ascent on the Victorian scene and his equally dramatic sudden eclipse. His Irish background, the actresses to whom he paid court, his unfortunate wife and lovers, his clothes, coiffures, and the decor of his rooms - all are presented here in vivid detail. The saga of his 1882 American tour is recounted with a wealth of new details; also his later impact on the bastions of the French literary establishment. The London of the Nineties, of Whistler and the Pre-Raphaelites, Lillie Langtry and the Prince of Wales, is evoked alongside Paris of the "belle epoque" and the Greece, Italy and North Africa of Wilde's travels. Ellmann's definitive critical account of Wilde's entire oeuvre shows him as the proponent of a radical new aesthetic who was perilously at odds with Victorian society. After his period of success and daring, the fatal love affair with Lord Alfred Douglas is followed by exposure, imprisonment, a few wretched years abroad and death in exile. The tragic end of Wilde's life leaves the reader with a sense of compassion and grief for the protagonist. This edition make the popular and best selling biography available in paperback for the first time.
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
Sell a Digital Version of This Book in the Kindle Store
If you are a publisher or author and hold the digital rights to a book, you can sell a digital version of it in our Kindle Store.
Learn more
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
|
Share your thoughts with other customers:
|
||||||||||||||||||||||
|
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
16 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A worthy tribute,
By Last Goodbye (England) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Oscar Wilde (Paperback)
This book is wonderful, in every aspect; one that genuinely deserves its 5 star rating. Ellmann has written a biography that must make other biographers jealous, as I've never read one that comes close to this in terms of depth, honesty and breadth of knowledge. I've been reading Wilde for years and thought I knew a lot about him; yet there are details in here about his life that I knew nothing about. It's like discovering Oscar Wilde all over again.One of the things that makes this book so powerful is the tremendous feeling of empathy you get for Wilde from Ellmann. Reading the tragic episodes that constitiuted Wilde's life and death is often painful, especially towards the end. If you would like to discover or rediscover a truly great man, then I urge you to read this book.
15 of 15 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Outstanding Read!,
By A Customer
This review is from: Oscar Wilde (Paperback)
The scope, breadth, and insight of this book are extraordinary. This is 180 degrees from the masses of shallow, flashy celebrity biographies. This book is hardly a quick read -Ellmann explores every facet of his subject with amazing depth- and the result is a sometimes hilarious, sometimes sad book. --Suky
15 of 16 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
A biography of genius,
This review is from: Oscar Wilde (Paperback)
Of all the books written on Oscar Wilde, this is the only work that matches the genius and generosity of the subject. This book works in many layers and is sometimes overwhelming in its breadth. You may find that it will spoil your appetite for other biographies you may read in the future - for it will take a lot to come close to the bar set by Professor Ellmann.
Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review
Would you like to see more reviews about this item?
|
Most Recent Customer Reviews |
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
|
|
Look for similar items by category
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
