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Teleny

Las tempestuosas relaciones entre el rico heredero Camille des Grieux y el pianista René Teleny, podrían, en efecto, ser consideradas una suerte de transposición del «inconfesable» vínculo con Lord Alfred Douglas, que llevó a Wilde a la cárcel. Pero son, sobre todo, la plasmación típico-literaria de determinado aspecto oculto de la sociedad victoriana, que Wilde no podía ironizar en sus más celebradas obras, por su personal y flagrante inmediatez con los hechos. Teleny, en este sentido, puede considerarse una especie de reverso o negativo de Dorian Grey: todo cuanto en esta aparece nimbado de reticente y maligna perversidad, se aclara en Teleny en forma de equívocos sociales, fundados en simples deseos carnales. Lo que evidentemente condenaba al secreto a la novela en exceso explícita, que hasta fechas recientes circuló solo en ediciones privadas, de las que la primera, de 1893, es precisamente el libro de amarilla cubierta antes mencionado. En cuanto a la autoría del mismo, son varias las hipótesis barajadas por los críticos y prologuistas de las diversas ediciones, todos coinciden en que la forma final se la dio el propio Wilde, aunque no es improbable que fueran varias las manos que participaran en su confección, o al menos en su elaboración temática. Lo que, en cualquier caso, no hace sino acentuar el carácter testimonial de la obra, a la que no pocos consideran un verdadero monumento arqueológico de la literatura «gay».

190 pages, Paperback

Published January 5, 2024

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About the author

Oscar Wilde

5,944 books40.2k followers
Oscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.

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5 stars
36 (22%)
4 stars
63 (38%)
3 stars
40 (24%)
2 stars
17 (10%)
1 star
7 (4%)
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews
Profile Image for JannyLuJatzon.
2 reviews
November 27, 2024
Audiolibro
Duración: 5h 41m.
Calificación: 4.5 estrellas.

"Teleny" es una novela erótica gay que se público por primera vez en 1893 como un texto anónimo, fue hasta 1958 cuando se le atribuyó la obra a Óscar Wilde.

La historia se desarrolla en el Paris del siglo XIX, y cuenta la historia de Camille de Grieux un joven empresario francés, que un día conoce a un pianista húngaro llamado René Teleny, desde el momento en que se ven por primera vez nace entre ellos una atracción y un amor arrolladores que da como resultado una relación intensa y prohibida que al final y por desgracia termina de una manera trágica ( y no es spoiler porque se intuye desde el principio).

Este libro me ha dejado totalmente en shock. Para empezar y como ya dije es una historia principalmente erótica con escenas sumamente explícitas y que toca temas bastante sensibles. Ahora. A pesar de lo crudo del relato, esta bellamente escrito y la intensidad de las emociones y sensaciones ha hecho que me metiera de lleno en él . Como se sabe para la época en que fue escrita la homosexualidad era considerada un delito y por los tintes trágicos de la relación entre nuestros protagonistas podríamos intuir que este escrito tiene toques autobiográficos y por eso no es tan descabellado atribuirle la obra a Wilde.

En general y a pesar de que podría resultar incómodo en ciertas descripciones el libro me ha fascinado porque es una historia bella, intensa y que sin duda te hace reflexionar sobre ciertas cosas.

Ahora. ¿ recomendaría la lectura de este libro? Pues si has leído al Marques de Sade y no has salido huyendo y si te gustan las historias de amores intensos y trágicos; sin lugar a dudas este libro es para ti.

Noviembre 2024.
Profile Image for pinkgarazi.
88 reviews6 followers
July 29, 2024
Francamente, no tengo palabras para describir lo que acabo de leer
Profile Image for abril :).
189 reviews
July 9, 2025
"es como el fantasma de canterville pero en un cine xxx a las tres de la mañana" rucho,2025

le pongo tres estrellas porque los dos últimos capítulos me tuvieron CHILLANDO, pero es increíblemente grotesco
me lo leí por el drama todo de si está escrito por wilde o no (algo cien por cien tuvo que ver) y no se yo si fue la mejor de las ideas, no creo que se lo recomiende a nadie, pero wow vaya final
Profile Image for Sara Fari?a.
11 reviews
January 12, 2026
Put*s m*r*c*n*s. Drama erótico gay muuuuy explicito. Como estaban en 1893, no ha cambiado mucho la cosa jj
Profile Image for Tina's bookshelf ⏾.
81 reviews1 follower
January 30, 2026
I found this disappointing, mainly because of how excessively detailed it was—so much so that it borders on what many would consider pornographic. That level of description felt unnecessary and, at times, distracting from the narrative rather than enhancing it.
My issue wasn’t simply the presence of sexual relationships. Humor and sensuality can certainly enrich a story when used with purpose. However, the episode involving the artistic fixation and the man’s absurd death after breaking a bottle inside himself struck me as overly grotesque and somewhat ridiculous. It crossed a line from provocative into something that felt unintentionally silly, making it difficult to take the scene seriously.

Even if the explicitness had remained, I might have appreciated it more if the romance between Teleny and Camille had been stronger. Instead, their connection seemed driven mostly by instant attraction, without a convincing emotional foundation. I was hoping for a deeper exploration of their inner lives—their thoughts, vulnerabilities, and emotional struggles—but the novel focuses more on repression and fear than on genuine introspection.

There were, admittedly, a few beautifully written sentences scattered throughout the text. Unfortunately, these moments were often overshadowed by the heavy emphasis on eroticism, which simply isn’t my preferred style—especially when it isn’t supported by a solid romantic core.

I should also note that I generally love Oscar Wilde and deeply admire his works. This novel simply felt like an exception for me—while the writing remains undeniably strong, it wasn’t particularly memorable.

The one element that raised my rating slightly was the tragic ending. I tend to appreciate darker conclusions, and Teleny’s final act provided the only moment that truly resonated with me. Because of that, I would give the book two stars—though, if I’m honest, it feels closer to a one-and-a-half.

Overall, while the novel touches on themes of homosexuality, self-discovery, and social oppression, I was left wanting a more emotionally grounded narrative rather than one driven primarily by sensual excess.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
64 reviews1 follower
August 21, 2025
Oscar Wilde : est-il l’auteur ou l’ombre bienveillante qui plane sur ces pages ? Esthète flamboyant, dandy provocateur, Wilde n’est jamais là où on l’attend. S’il n’a peut-être pas écrit Teleny seul, son souffle – celui d’un amoureux des plaisirs, du beau et du scandale – en traverse chaque ligne.

Londres, fin du XIXe siècle. Teleny circule sous le manteau, écrit à plusieurs mains dans le cercle très privé de Wilde et de ses amis. Roman érotique, oui, mais bien plus : un cri d’amour et de douleur dans une époque corsetée. C’est une œuvre rare, subversive, clandestine.

Teleny, le pianiste maudit, Camille Des Grieux, son double ébloui : deux âmes qui se cherchent, s’aiment, se perdent. Autour d’eux gravitent des figures-fantômes – mères possessives, amants vénéneux – tous jouant un rôle dans l’élévation (ou la chute) du héros.

Un jeune homme tombe amoureux d’un artiste au charme magnétique, dans une société où cet amour est impossible : voilà Teleny en une phrase.

On y parle de désir interdit, d'identité sexuelle, de passion destructrice (et de la société qui broie les différences). L’amour y est absolu, dangereux, sublime. La sexualité devient lutte, révélateur, abîme.

L’écriture est fiévreuse, dense, parfois lyrique, parfois très crue. Le style capte autant l’émotion que le vertige charnel. On est emporté, secoué, brûlé par cette intensité presque incantatoire.

Teleny laisse une empreinte trouble et lumineuse. On y repense longtemps, comme à un amour qu’on n’a pas su vivre. Autant le dire, c'est un roman pornographique, pour l'époque et je dirai aussi pour aujourd'hui. Il fait écho, mais dans le style, à Giovanni’s Room de James Baldwin (identité et marginalité), à L’Amant de Marguerite Duras (désir et interdits). Et si l’on revient à Wilde, Le Portrait de Dorian Gray explore ce même mélange d’éros et de damnation, tandis que De Profundis donne à lire l’aveu intime derrière le masque (souffrance et rédemption).
Profile Image for Sophy.
9 reviews
August 7, 2026
“Não obstante, a ideia de suicídio nunca mais regressou à minha mente. A morte não parecia desejar-me.”

“Teleny” foi um dos primeiros romances assumidamente homossexuais da literatura inglesa, publicado em 1893 e atribuído a Oscar Wilde apenas em 1958.

Há muito que eu tenho para dizer sobre este livro.

Inicialmente, achei-o demasiado explícito sem necessidade, ao ponto de se tornar repugnante. Pensei em parar de ler devido à falta de sentido e encadeamento. Mas, a partir do meio da história, mais especificamente quando Teleny salva Camille de se atirar da ponte, tudo muda.

O enredo começa a encaixar-se e as cenas anteriores começam a ganhar um motivo para terem sido escritas. Somos presenteados com um retrato perfeito, mas melancólico, da sociedade desse período, e percebemos como os homossexuais eram encarados.

Oscar Wilde ganha-me sempre pelos eventos arrebatadores e inesperados que me deixam sem palavras. As coisas mais inimagináveis acontecem nas suas histórias e já aprendi a esperar a tragédia de tudo o que ele escreve. O fim é inevitável, mesmo para o amor mais forte, e para as emoções mais avassaladoras.

Este romance marcou-me e vai me deixar a pensar nele durante algum tempo. Ainda bem que insisti nesta leitura e espero ler mais Oscar Wilde nos próximos tempos.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Bülent Bilgili.
82 reviews5 followers
March 24, 2026
"Toplum sizden tam olarak erdemli olmanızı talep etmez, ama ahlaklı görünmeyi sürdürmenizi ve her şeyden öte, skandaldan kaçınmanızı zorunlu tutar."

Eğer siz de şu hayatta "en büyük kötülük yüzeyselliktir" diyorsanız, Teleny'yi mutlaka okumalısınız. [Arka kapaktan]
Profile Image for Samed Zengin.
116 reviews
April 3, 2026
Oscar Wilde’ın direkt kendi cinsel tercihlerine atıfta bulunan ve sanatçı kişiliğinin temellerini oluşturan bir eser diyebiliriz bu kitap için. Birbirine aşık iki eşcinsel erkek ve onların karşısında toplum ve tüm bunlardan doğacak olan trajedi ve skandallar…
24 reviews
April 28, 2026
Ho amato lo stile, l'eleganza con cui vengono narrati atti osceni, il ruolo della madre, la psicologia del pianista e del protagonista. Tuttavia non ho apprezzato particolarmente il Preludio a fine libro
Profile Image for Navhi Andrade.
28 reviews
June 1, 2026
Just gay and straight porn in various forms. I mean, it's poetic porn, but yeah. I dropped it because there is a traumatic scene and I hated every moment of it, so be careful when diving into this ocean, an ocean full of porn, but an ocean nonetheless.
Profile Image for Perita Cernas.
13 reviews3 followers
January 25, 2025
Un libro apasionante, con una narrativa espectacular. Es la historia de amor de dos hombres cuya química te envuelve. Además, el erotismo es exquisito.
Profile Image for Jimgreen.
3 reviews2 followers
February 11, 2025
Al principio me incomodaron las escenas sexuales,sin embargo analizando la historia sin este aspecto me gusto aún más, es una historia interesante
Profile Image for Rumo.
20 reviews1 follower
November 6, 2025
I aborted it 2/3rds in.
the misogyny really is annoying with this one.
Male homosexuality really was intertwined with misogyny back then, hm?
Profile Image for Kristi Leibhart.
14 reviews
January 17, 2026
This book includes both sensory details and sensual acts. It’s not for the faint of heart.
Profile Image for Ocin Menacho.
18 reviews
January 21, 2026
No sé si es de oscar wilde, a veces me recuerda a su prosa y a veces no, pero q esto se escribiese en el s.xix wow, q valor.
Aun así, demasiado sexo para mi, mucho paroxismo del delirio jsjs
Profile Image for Delia.
174 reviews
April 16, 2026
Powiem tak, dla mnie za bardzo wyuzdana, ale historia w sumie git.
Profile Image for Termoon.
1 review
Did Not Finish
August 20, 2026
Horrible. No me lo he podido acabar de lo asqueroso que me parecía en ocasiones y de la misoginia por la cara que aparece sin venir a cuento
Profile Image for Fabrice del Dongo.
93 reviews45 followers
February 1, 2025
grand dieu...

écrit avec le cul si je puis me permettre quel enfer (j'ai vraiment lu en grande diagonale car tw 🟣 certaines parties vraiment pas possible à lire / bcp d'autres passages hyper superflus et inutiles assez nuls)

(mention de Léotard cependant appréciable +1 étoile juste pour ça)
Profile Image for Andy  GH.
2 reviews
December 31, 2024
Estaba paralizado con mucho miedo y no me podía mover 💀
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
Profile Image for Anna Herebia.
24 reviews2 followers
July 4, 2025
Tanta toxicidad homosexual me cansa un poco al cabo de un rato. Pero está muy bien escrito, a pesar de que a mi no me recuerda a la prosa de Wilde....pero qué sabré yo!
Displaying 1 - 28 of 28 reviews