Oscar Wilde

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This biography offers the most comprehensive and accurate account of Oscar Wilde's extraordinary life, drawing on extensive new research and materials. It is hailed as the best modern biography of Wilde, praised for its depth and insight. Matthew Sturgis utilizes newly discovered letters, documents, and the full transcript of Wilde's libel trial to vividly depict the key events and influences that shaped his life, placing him firmly within his historical context. The narrative explores Wilde's Irish childhood, highlighting his early traits as a dreamy boy and a gifted classicist. It details his time at Oxford, marked by brilliance and a rebellious spirit, and his arrival in London in 1878, where he quickly became a prominent figure. The biography covers his ten-year marriage to Constance Lloyd, the father of two boys, and the complexities of their relationship, including her unknowing acceptance of Wilde's lovers. Wilde's evolution as a playwright and his role as a leading figure in the aesthetic movement are thoroughly examined, alongside his rise to celebrity. The account does not shy away from the darker aspects of his life, including his double life in defiance of England's sodomy laws and the tragic fall that led to his imprisonment, ultimately destroying his life and spirit.