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Oscar

A Life

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Oscar

By: Matthew Sturgis
Narrated by: Jot Davies
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Bloomsbury presents Oscar by Matthew Sturgis, read by Jot Davies.

The first major biography of Oscar Wilde in thirty years, and the most complete telling of his life and times to date.

NOMINATED FOR THE WOLFSON HISTORY PRIZE 2019

'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 TimesBooks of the Year

Oscar Wilde's life – like his wit – was alive with paradox. He was both an early exponent and a victim of 'celebrity culture': famous for being famous, he was lauded and ridiculed in equal measure. His achievements were frequently downplayed, his successes resented. He had a genius for comedy but strove to write tragedies. He was an unabashed snob who nevertheless delighted in exposing the faults of society. He affected a dandified disdain but was prone to great acts of kindness. Although happily married, he became a passionate lover of men and – at the very peak of his success – brought disaster upon himself. He disparaged authority, yet went to the law to defend his love for Lord Alfred Douglas. Having delighted in fashionable throngs, Wilde died almost alone. Above all, his flamboyant refusal to conform to the social and sexual orthodoxies of his day make him a hero and an inspiration to all who seek to challenge convention. Matthew Sturgis draws on a wealth of new material and fresh research, bringing alive the distinctive mood and characters of the fin de siècle in the richest and most compelling portrait of Wilde to date.©2018 Matthew Sturgis (P)2018 Bloomsbury Publishing PLC Art & Literature Authors Biographies & Memoirs Europe Great Britain Historical Funny
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Critic reviews

However much you think you know about Wilde, this book will absorb and entertain you. It thickens the texture of every aspect of his unique life – dazzling, decadent and doomed
A perfectly diligent book, and tells new readers all they possibly need to know about Wilde and his world
Authoritative, magnificently researched
Matthew Sturgis uses new letters and a libel trial transcript to give a fuller picture of Oscar Wilde's dazzling rise and tragic fall... He is a tremendous orchestrator of material, fastidious, unhurried, indefatigable'
Oscar Wilde is more fashionable than ever, and his demise still makes for a gripping read... Sturgis's account is fuller and in some ways more reliable [than Richard Ellmann's biography]... Sturgis's account of the hearing at the Old Bailey is as gripping as it is grim'
[Sturgis's biography] is the first major attempt since that of Richard Ellman some 30 years ago, and it's much better... This is simply the best modern biography of Wilde... A terrific achievement'
The Book of the Year, perhaps of the decade... Captures the wit, the love-ability, the dramatic genius, the insane self-destructiveness, the originality of Wilde... [Sturgis] is the greatest chronicler of the 1890s we have ever had'
Astute in its judgements and offers a sharp and detailed grasp of the period and an appreciation of Wilde's ambiguities
The first major biography of the great Oscar Wilde in 30 years offers a sumptuous insight into the life of the famous – and infamous – fin de siècle playwright, author and poet
Like Churchill, Oscar Wilde [...] is one of those people who never seem to stop inspiring outstanding biographies, and Oscar: A Life by Matthew Sturgis is one of the best, as well as the latest, of a long line
A first rate biography
This book provides not only a comprehensive record of [Wilde's] activities, friendships and financial affairs, but also a powerful sense of what it was actually like to know him... This is undoubtedly the most comprehensive, reliable and clear-sighted study of Wilde ever likely to be written'
This excellent biography offers a deeper, more rounded picture of the writer's life, his rise to stardom, his fall and tragic final days... At once entertaining and scholarly. The man himself would be proud'
Sturgis' attention to decadence allows readers to view Wilde's post-prison years in a new light... [An] insightful biography'
Very solid and complete biography
A great read
All stars
Most relevant
Annoying narrator who emphasised the phrasing in a very strange way - quite distracting. The writing itself was most interesting and insightful

Accurate and truthful

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This is a detailed account of Wilde’s life that keeps up a good pace. His rise and spectacular fall are superbly described and documented. The author never tries to influence the reader but presents the facts without prejudice. It’s impossible not to weep for Wilde as he undergoes humiliation and suffers in prison, but just as hard not to loathe him for his monstrous lack of consideration for his wife. He’s a fascinating figure who made his own life into a work of art. Kudos to Matthew Sturgis for writing such an outstanding biography.

Lots of well-researched information excellently organized

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