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Oscar Wilde's life - like his wit - was alive with paradox. He was both an early exponent and victim of 'celebrity culture': famous for being famous, he was often ridiculed and disparaged. His achievements were frequently downplayed, his successes resented. He had a genius for comedy but strove to write tragedies. He was a snob but was prone to great acts of kindness. Although happily married, he became a passionate lover of men. At the height of his success he brought disaster upon himself by defending his love for Lord Alfred Douglas. Having delighted in fashionable throngs, he died almost alone. In the first major biography of Oscar Wilde in thirty years, Matthew Sturgis brings alive the radical ideas and distinctive characters of the fin de siecle to write the richest account of Wilde's life to date.
Author: Matthew Sturgis
Paperback Published 10 January 2023 656 pages
originally published in hardcover November 2018
'The Book of the Year, perhaps of the decade' TLS
'Simply the best modern biography of Wilde... A terrific achievement' Evening Standard
'Page-turning... Vivid and desperately moving. However much you think you know Wilde, this book will absorb and entertain you' The Sunday Times Books of the Year