Son of Oscar Wilde (Oxford Paperbacks) - Softcover

Holland, Vyvyan

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0192821970 ISBN 13: 9780192821973

Publisher: Oxford University Press, 1988

Synopsis

As the public interest in Oscar Wilde grew, and the lies about him multiplied, Vyvyan Holland, Wilde's son, decided to write his own account of the "Oscar Wilde scandal" and its aftermath. The first publication of Son of Oscar Wilde in 1954 was a daring endeavor, considering that homosexuality remained a crime in England at that time, and his father had been convicted of that crime.
Now available with a new Foreword by Merlin Holland, Vyvyan Holland's son, this memoir--which Vyvyan Holland described as "not a very amusing or entertaining story"--reveals Oscar Wilde as a much-loved though often absent member of the family. Focusing on the scandal from the point of view of a small boy, it dramatically portrays how the family dealt with Oscar's persecution, and after his death, attempted to deny that he ever lived by taking the extreme measure of changing the sons' names from Wilde to Holland. Vyvyan Holland describes in detail his early happy years followed by the exile and his years in Germany and Monaco, his return to England and his adolescent years, and his decision as a mature adult to lay to rest the bitter memory of his early years by recording them for posterity.
This edition also contains 33 of Oscar Wilde's letters to friends; a reminiscence of Wilde by W.W. Ward; some prose poems by Wilde; letters from Lord Alfred Douglas to Vyvyan Holland; and several contemporary newspaper reports of events during and after the Oscar Wilde affair. A tragic story of prejudice, fear, and much sadness, this memoir reveals one boy's ability to survive such extreme cruelty and suffering.

About this title

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.

Review

"A biographical tour de force" -- Observer

"An essential addition to Wildeana by a witness uniquely qualified to testify" -- Library Journal

"Fascinating for the light it sheds on Wilde's Oxford days and on his domestic life." -- Atlantic Monthly

"Mr. Holland's vivid glimpses of the aftermath of that cause clbre of the Nineties [do] a valuable service of his father's memory." -- Saturday Review

Edition details

• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Publication date: 1988
• ISBN 10: 0192821970
• ISBN 13: 9780192821973
• Binding: Paperback
• Language: English
• Number of pages: 288