Recollections of Oscar Wilde [Paperback]

Andre Gide (Author), Ernest La Jeunesse (Author), Percival Pollard (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 9, 2007

Three men of literature - Nobel Prize winner Andre Gide, the French Ernest La Jeunesse and the German Franz Blei - present their "Recollections" of the last years of Oscar Wilde. --- Just as his letters from prison to Mr. Ross, printed as a book under the title "De Profundis," hint the tragedy of his prison life, a tragedy more of soul than of body, so does this present little volume disclose some few facts from the man's life after leaving prison. The author of "De Profundis", after all the resolutions and conclusions in that document, reverted to his baser self, and died with his life fallen far below the altitude marked in the prison letters. That knowledge of a few is set forth in concrete, intimate manner in the pages of this book... (Percival Pollard) --- Those who came to know Wilde only in the latter years of his life can scarcely, in view of that feeble and infirm existence, have had any conception of this wonderful personality. It was in 1891 that first I saw him. Wilde had at that time what Thackeray termed the most important of talents, success. His gestures, his look, were triumphant. So complete was his success that it seemed as if it had preceded him, and Wilde had nothing to do but follow it up. His books were talked about. (Andre Gide) --- Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854 - 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. Known for his barbed wit, he was one of the most successful play-wrights of late Victorian London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. As the result of a famous trial, he suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years of hard labour after being convicted of the offence of "gross indecency" (i.e. of homosexual acts).

Product Details

• Paperback: 104 pages
• Publisher: Mondial (June 9, 2007)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1595690816
• ISBN-13: 978-1595690814
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 4.2 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #5,249,419 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)