Son of Oscar Wilde [Paperback]

Vyvyan Holland (Author)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0786707011 | ISBN-13: 978-0786707010 | Publication Date: August 12, 1999 | Edition: Revised

With its thirty-three previously unpublished Oscar Wilde letters and its poignant recollections of a man as spontaneous, humane, and sincere as he was prodigiously witty, Vyvyan Holland's memoir of his famous father has come to be regarded as a biographical classic in Wildean studies. Sharply observed, vivid, and dispassionate, it offers not only an unforgettable portrait of Wilde himself, his circle of friends, and his band of persecutors, but also a touching chronicle of Holland's own childhood, of the loneliness he experienced as the son of a remarkable, notorious father and of his emergence from the shadows of cruel injustice and dark scandal.
"Fascinating for the light it sheds on Wilde's Oxford days and on his domestic life." - Atlantic Monthly
"A strange chronicle . . . of considerable literary value." - New Yorker
"Mr. Holland's vivid glimpses of the aftermath of that cause célèbre of the Nineties [do] a valuable service of his father's memory." - Saturday Review
"An essential addition to Wildeana by a witness uniquely qualified to testify" - Library Journal
"A biographical tour de force" - Observer

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

This is the first of what no doubt will be many volumes (see below) on Wilde to celebrate the centennial of his death in 2000. Holland's somewhat syrupy portrait of his father, whom he really didn't know well as he was only four when Oscar died, nonetheless won high praise from critics when it was released in 1954. This edition has been updated by Holland's son Merlin. The volume also contains several monochrome photos of the players.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From The New Yorker

"A strange chronicle . . . of considerable literary value."

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 240 pages
• Publisher: Carroll & Graf; Revised edition (August 12, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0786707011
• ISBN-13: 978-0786707010
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.2 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.1 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (8 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,164,000 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

25 of 25 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Childhood in Exile, June 29, 1998

By A Customer

This review is from: Son of Oscar Wilde (Oxford Paperbacks) (Paperback)

By now, the story of Oscar Wilde's glorious rise and tragic fall are well-known. But most readers are unfamiliar with the story of how Wilde's wife and two sons were affected by his fall from grace. "Son of Oscar Wilde" is a beautifully written and poignant account of how a young boy's life was afected by his father's notoriety. Like his father, Holland carefully avoids self-pity in describing his life's events and still manages to convey a sense of loss and disorientation which is most heartwrenching. Holland's recollections of his father are priceless, and the book is an essential volume for anyone interested in Wilde the personality. Amazon.com was able to find a copy of this book for me in no time at all, and at a very reasonable price.

19 of 22 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Father and Son, May 11, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Son of Oscar Wilde (Paperback)

For more than 20 years Oscar Wilde has been one of my favourite author, perhaps the favourite author. Because the life was taken away from him he could not wrote all the plays, poems and stories I want so much to read, so I have read his works over and over again. Each time I find something new/something to enjoy; partly it is his wonderful point of view, partly his good sense of humour. For a long time I have been aware of his downfall, but don't know what exactly happened until recently. I also knew that he was married and that he and his wife had two sons, and sometimes I revolved in my mind: What happened to them? Where did they go? So when I found the book Son of Oscar Wilde at Amazon.com I bought it immediately. This is a beautiful book by man who knew and loved his father, but suddenly his father was no longer taken place in his life. Why? It took him more than ten years to let himself to try to find the answer. In this book he tells the world how. Everybody who like Wilde's works, love an honesty, are interested in the Victorian time or want to try to understand the consequences of hate should do themselves the favour to read Son of Oscar Wilde. Vyvyan Holland wrote: ..."my father's character was his great humanity, his love of life and of his fellow-men, his sympathy with suffering. He was the kindest and gentles of men, an he hated to see anyone suffer." After reading Son of Oscar Wilde I do believe this is also the description of his son. Vyvyan Holland died in the year 1968 so I will not get the opportunity to thank him for his book, nor can I thank his father for all the good times he have gave me, but both, father and son, deserved my thanks.

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars A Heartfelt Story of Loss and Betrayal, July 17, 2006

By 

Jack Levic (Los Angeles, CA United States) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Son of Oscar Wilde (Paperback)

Vyvan Holland was just a child when his beloved father Oscar Wilde "disappeared" from his life in 1895. SON OF OSCAR WILDE is a remarkable story told by Wilde's youngest son. Holland makes no effort to answer burning questions about the demise of his father--one of the greatest figures of moden English literature. He never defends or condemns his father's actions. He cherishes the memory of a loving father. The Wilde family crisis changed Holland's life forever. Holland never saw his father or had contact with him after 1895. He was in his late teens before he was told the actual truth about his father. He had been so carefully protected from the truth by his mother's family that he assumed his father had been a bigamist or criminal. It was a relief to learn the reason his father had been imprisoned. Holland wrote his autography more than 50 years after the death of his father. He tells his story as he lived it. In 1895, Wilde was sentenced to two years of hard labor in prison for his homosexuality. The court confiscated his home and his property leaving his family broken-hearted. Even Holland's precious toys were sold at auction for pennies. The scandal was so great that his wife and 2 sons left for exile in Europe. Their surnames were changed and they lived in fear of the identity of their father being discovered. His mother died not long afterward during exile leaving the sons in the care of a guardian. Alone and lost and ashamed, the brothers were sent off to separate boarding schools. The brothers rarely saw each other again. Their mother's family made every effort to erase the memory of Oscar Wilde from their lives. Wilde died in 1900 never being able to make contact with his sons. Holland's writing can be dry at times and he often jumps forward and back in time but overall he has an incredible story to tell. Most people know the basic story of Wilde's demise. A brilliant literary mind went silent and Wilde could never write again after release from prison. The truth about Wilde's suffering wife and sons is finally told in this book. Although the family was forced into exile, their mother did not abandon Wilde and kept in contact with him until her tragic death. She knew his suffering but did not consent to allowing contact with the son. Only years later, did Holland learn of Wilde's great writings. So great was the scandal, that Wilde's books were basically banned in England. Several lives were ruined in a scandal that would be nothing more than jiucy fodder for the tabloids today. SON OF OSCAR WILDE gives some rare insight into a story that had never been fully told.