Re: Oscar Wilde
Posted: Sat Dec 08, 2012 12:39 pm
Masao, I would recommend Oscar Wilde by Richard Ellmann. The only outdated aspect is that her surmises that Wilde died of syphilis, whereas contemporary research has revealed that he died of acute meningitis. But that's a minor point - it's a really fantastic book and tells Wilde's story as it deserves to be told.
Guess I should proceed with the questions...
1. What's your favourite work of his?
Dorian is great, of course, but I actually like Wilde's fairy tales very much. They're really charming and don't exactly have simple lessons. His plays are fun but much more so when brought to life through performance. The most recent films for An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest are a blast.
2. Have you read any of his numerous biographies, or seen a biographical film? Thoughts?
I mentioned the Ellmann bio above... Every couple of years there seems to be a new biography published, though the authors seem too eager to show how "modern" Wilde was rather than considering him in the context of the Victorian Era.
The Wilde film is fun but he doesn't seem like the "perfect" Oscar. Just Stephen Fry bubbling around. Wilde strikes me as having a lot more energy and spontaneity than is depicted. I think this series of books really captures his character well: http://www.oscarwildemurdermysteries.com/
3. What's his wittiest quote or epigram, in your opinion?
Always changing, but lately I like this one: " If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated."
4. Has his life and work inspired you in some way? If so, how?
I read a lot about Wilde while in university, and went on to study a lot of other figures and aspects from the Victorian Era and the early 20th Century, so I can thank him for spurring these interests. I still get mailings from the William Morris Society.
Wilde inspires me not to take things too seriously, esp. other people's opinions. He challenged many widely-held social norms of his time that are now horribly outdated, so I wonder how outdated our society will seem in a century, and what changes we can make here and now to improve it for everyone.
Guess I should proceed with the questions...
1. What's your favourite work of his?
Dorian is great, of course, but I actually like Wilde's fairy tales very much. They're really charming and don't exactly have simple lessons. His plays are fun but much more so when brought to life through performance. The most recent films for An Ideal Husband and The Importance of Being Earnest are a blast.
2. Have you read any of his numerous biographies, or seen a biographical film? Thoughts?
I mentioned the Ellmann bio above... Every couple of years there seems to be a new biography published, though the authors seem too eager to show how "modern" Wilde was rather than considering him in the context of the Victorian Era.
The Wilde film is fun but he doesn't seem like the "perfect" Oscar. Just Stephen Fry bubbling around. Wilde strikes me as having a lot more energy and spontaneity than is depicted. I think this series of books really captures his character well: http://www.oscarwildemurdermysteries.com/
3. What's his wittiest quote or epigram, in your opinion?
Always changing, but lately I like this one: " If I am occasionally a little over-dressed, I make up for it by being always immensely over-educated."
4. Has his life and work inspired you in some way? If so, how?
I read a lot about Wilde while in university, and went on to study a lot of other figures and aspects from the Victorian Era and the early 20th Century, so I can thank him for spurring these interests. I still get mailings from the William Morris Society.
Wilde inspires me not to take things too seriously, esp. other people's opinions. He challenged many widely-held social norms of his time that are now horribly outdated, so I wonder how outdated our society will seem in a century, and what changes we can make here and now to improve it for everyone.