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Built of Books: How Reading Defined the Life of Oscar Wilde
An entirely new kind of biography, Built of Books explores the mind and personality of Oscar Wilde through his taste in books
This intimate account of Oscar Wilde's life and writings is richer, livelier, and more personal than any book available about the brilliant writer, revealing a man who built himself out of books. His library was his reality, the source of so much that was vital to his life. A reader first, his readerly encounters, out of all of life's pursuits, are seen to be as significant as his most important relationships with friends, family, or lovers. Wilde's library, which Thomas Wright spent twenty years reading, provides the intellectual (and emotional) climate at the core of this deeply engaging portrait.
One of the book's happiest surprises is the story of the author's adventure reading Wilde's library. Reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borges's fictional hero who enters Cervantes's mind by saturating himself in the culture of sixteenth-century Spain, Wright employs Wilde as his own Virgilian guide to world literature. We come to understand how reading can be an extremely sensual experience, producing a physical as well as a spiritual delight.
This intimate account of Oscar Wilde's life and writings is richer, livelier, and more personal than any book available about the brilliant writer, revealing a man who built himself out of books. His library was his reality, the source of so much that was vital to his life. A reader first, his readerly encounters, out of all of life's pursuits, are seen to be as significant as his most important relationships with friends, family, or lovers. Wilde's library, which Thomas Wright spent twenty years reading, provides the intellectual (and emotional) climate at the core of this deeply engaging portrait.
One of the book's happiest surprises is the story of the author's adventure reading Wilde's library. Reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borges's fictional hero who enters Cervantes's mind by saturating himself in the culture of sixteenth-century Spain, Wright employs Wilde as his own Virgilian guide to world literature. We come to understand how reading can be an extremely sensual experience, producing a physical as well as a spiritual delight.
384 pages, Hardcover
First published September 4, 2008
33 people are currently reading
1398 people want to read
About the author
Thomas Wright
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 58 reviews
March 23, 2012
How very much I loved the idea of this book! I can't imagine why no one ever thought to analyze the content of Wilde's character through the lens of his library before. I think it's brilliant!
I like the author's delicate, clear sentences, leavened with a good dose of irony, in the best Wildean tradition. He is forced to rely on supposition and probability in many places in this book...how a volume came into the subject's library, what the effect of a particular book probably was on Wilde absent concrete evidence...and that means I don't judge the book by the same standard I would an academic treatise. It's a very interesting popular biography of a very interesting popular figure told in a novel and instructive way.
And having read it, I now dislike Oscar Wilde the man. He sounds like a perfect pill of a human being, contrary and crabby, sure of himself to the point of obnoxiousness in matters intellectual and aesthetic. He's one of those infuriating people who's Always Right, would never, ever admit to error or misunderstanding or ignorance.
Yuck.
Then came the hard labor years, which were *entirely* his own fault...the Marquess of Queensbury didn't tell a single lie about him, he knew it, and he arrogantly assumed his fame would protect him...and he seemed to get a little less cocksure.
Then he died.
It was a little like having the irrefutable evidence that Louis-Ferdinand Celine was a collaborator and an anti-Semite thrust upon me...I still like Death on the Installment Plan, but its luster is tarnished by the knowledge the author was a rotten, unworthy human being. Such is life, I suppose. Illusions lost later in life hurt no less than those lost early, it would seem. The Picture of Dorian Gray is just a wee bit besmirched for me now.
Read at your own risk, Wilde fans, and those who aren't really should give this book wide berth as it will bore them comatose.
I like the author's delicate, clear sentences, leavened with a good dose of irony, in the best Wildean tradition. He is forced to rely on supposition and probability in many places in this book...how a volume came into the subject's library, what the effect of a particular book probably was on Wilde absent concrete evidence...and that means I don't judge the book by the same standard I would an academic treatise. It's a very interesting popular biography of a very interesting popular figure told in a novel and instructive way.
And having read it, I now dislike Oscar Wilde the man. He sounds like a perfect pill of a human being, contrary and crabby, sure of himself to the point of obnoxiousness in matters intellectual and aesthetic. He's one of those infuriating people who's Always Right, would never, ever admit to error or misunderstanding or ignorance.
Yuck.
Then came the hard labor years, which were *entirely* his own fault...the Marquess of Queensbury didn't tell a single lie about him, he knew it, and he arrogantly assumed his fame would protect him...and he seemed to get a little less cocksure.
Then he died.
It was a little like having the irrefutable evidence that Louis-Ferdinand Celine was a collaborator and an anti-Semite thrust upon me...I still like Death on the Installment Plan, but its luster is tarnished by the knowledge the author was a rotten, unworthy human being. Such is life, I suppose. Illusions lost later in life hurt no less than those lost early, it would seem. The Picture of Dorian Gray is just a wee bit besmirched for me now.
Read at your own risk, Wilde fans, and those who aren't really should give this book wide berth as it will bore them comatose.
February 26, 2015
This literary biography about Oscar Wilde is a brilliant, touching and original portrait of Wilde, exploring in great depth his staggering reading habits and his outlandish personality and lifestyle.
The research behind this book is astounding, as is the love which Wright clearly has for his subject. Throughout the book he manages to strike a balance between devotion and truth, and he makes a convincing case of how Wilde’s life, to a large extent, imitated the books he read and those he wrote, more than the other way round.
A book lover myself, I wallowed in all the bookish details and greatly sympathized with both Wright and with Wilde’s need to live on a diet of great literature. Wright remains in the background throughout, allowing the reader to meet the Oscar Wilde he so convincingly conjures up, and perhaps therefore I was greatly moved by the last chapter in which Wright himself unfolds his lifelong literary love affair with the works of Oscar Wilde.
Although I’ve read several of Wilde’s books, seen the performance of The Importance of Being Earnest and read various other snippets about his life, trial etc., I have increased that knowledge hundredfold, at least, reading this book. It is, as Peter Ackroyd says on the back cover of my book, ‘animated by real intellectual passion’. Highly recommended for book nerds and/or Wilde enthusiasts.
The research behind this book is astounding, as is the love which Wright clearly has for his subject. Throughout the book he manages to strike a balance between devotion and truth, and he makes a convincing case of how Wilde’s life, to a large extent, imitated the books he read and those he wrote, more than the other way round.
A book lover myself, I wallowed in all the bookish details and greatly sympathized with both Wright and with Wilde’s need to live on a diet of great literature. Wright remains in the background throughout, allowing the reader to meet the Oscar Wilde he so convincingly conjures up, and perhaps therefore I was greatly moved by the last chapter in which Wright himself unfolds his lifelong literary love affair with the works of Oscar Wilde.
Although I’ve read several of Wilde’s books, seen the performance of The Importance of Being Earnest and read various other snippets about his life, trial etc., I have increased that knowledge hundredfold, at least, reading this book. It is, as Peter Ackroyd says on the back cover of my book, ‘animated by real intellectual passion’. Highly recommended for book nerds and/or Wilde enthusiasts.
December 13, 2020
Oscar Wilde has been a personal hero of mine since I was, oh, six years old and first saw a cartoon of his fairy tale "The Happy Prince." I've read the behemoth Ellmann biography of him, and Neil McKenna's suburb The Secret Life of Oscar Wilde, which contains new material on Wilde's sexual life and the life of gay men in Victorian England. This book has a much narrower focus--it's a kind of biography of Wilde's books, from his early years to his death. Wright obtained access to Wilde's actual books and studied notes Wilde made in these texts. Wilde frequently wrote in books, doodled in them, underlined them, and even stained the pages with wine and jam. He was not precious about cutting them and dog-earing them, either.
The result is a tour through the towering intellect that is Wilde's mind, and although this text is relatively short and as readable as a novel, I felt I gained new insights into the mind of a writer I've spent all my life reading and loving. I also stumbled upon some wonderful funny new anecdotes and epigrams I hadn't heard before. On the Bible: “When I think of all the harm that book has done, I despair of writing anything to equal it.”
This is both a wonderful introduction to Wilde as well as a great book for die-hard Wildeans such as myself. I wish the same approach could be used to give a biography of other writers throughout the ages!
The result is a tour through the towering intellect that is Wilde's mind, and although this text is relatively short and as readable as a novel, I felt I gained new insights into the mind of a writer I've spent all my life reading and loving. I also stumbled upon some wonderful funny new anecdotes and epigrams I hadn't heard before. On the Bible: “When I think of all the harm that book has done, I despair of writing anything to equal it.”
This is both a wonderful introduction to Wilde as well as a great book for die-hard Wildeans such as myself. I wish the same approach could be used to give a biography of other writers throughout the ages!
August 9, 2018
Alla sommarläsare är vana vid att vifta bort flygfän, men just vid passagerna om Wildes fängelsevistelse slog sig en vacker fjäril ner på den uppslagna boken och bara satt där en stund. Det har aldrig hänt förut.
Utöver biografistens något påträngande och melodramatiska närvaro är det en fin skildring av en riktig bokälskares liv. Detta var en hyllvärmare, men filmen The Happy Prince fick mig att ta med den i sommarbokpackningen. Blev också sugen på att semestra i Berneval-sur-mer i Wildes fotspår.
Tror att många av oss läste den Wildebiografi, som alltid var med på 90-talets bokrea - och som sammanföll med min gymnasiala Wildevurm - men där har jag för mig att hans koncept 'golden books' inte togs upp. Avser favoritböckerna man inte kan leva utan och de bör följa med överallt eller i alla fall ha en särskild plats i ens bibliotek. Får idér om att spraymåla en hylla i guld för detta ändamål.
Utöver biografistens något påträngande och melodramatiska närvaro är det en fin skildring av en riktig bokälskares liv. Detta var en hyllvärmare, men filmen The Happy Prince fick mig att ta med den i sommarbokpackningen. Blev också sugen på att semestra i Berneval-sur-mer i Wildes fotspår.
Tror att många av oss läste den Wildebiografi, som alltid var med på 90-talets bokrea - och som sammanföll med min gymnasiala Wildevurm - men där har jag för mig att hans koncept 'golden books' inte togs upp. Avser favoritböckerna man inte kan leva utan och de bör följa med överallt eller i alla fall ha en särskild plats i ens bibliotek. Får idér om att spraymåla en hylla i guld för detta ändamål.
February 16, 2013
Another book that was good enough to make me wish it had been a little better. I had a girlfriend, once, who thought I should spend less time reading and more time experiencing 'real' life. I didn't cut down on my reading, but, I suppose, I reluctantly agreed with her until a friend with whom I'd shared her disapproval asked me, "How is reading less 'real' than any other human experience?" Yeah, huh? So, when I heard about Built of Books I thought the conceit was an exceptionally promising approach to literary biography, which tends, given the nature of the writing process, to be a little short on incident. I love the idea of looking closely at the reading life of an extraordinary mind. Wright portrays each phase of Wilde's life by examining the texts which he was known or (in the absence of volumes with established provenance) might reasonably be supposed to have owned or read. Wright personally examined about fifty books that belonged to Wilde, and makes deductions about others based on references in Wilde's writing, published and unpublished.
Wright, who reveals in his epilogue that he is a lifelong Wilde obsessive, writes prose that tends toward the purple. This would not be unfitting, given the subject, but, unfortunately, in Wright's case (in contrast to Wilde), the urge to excess is combined with a bit of a tin ear. "Where he had hoped," Wright ham-fistedly pronounces with regard to Wilde's fantastically ill-advised libel suit against his lover's irate father, "to be the author and hero of a clever comedy, Wilde found himself the protagonist of a tragedy that was Greek but far from gracious. Hubris had provoked the wrath of the Gods, and Doom entered the stage with running feet." My other complaint is that there is far too much speculation about what Wilde must have felt looking up from such-and-such a volume to gaze out such-and-such a window. On the plus side, I thoroughly enjoyed all the bibliomanic tech-talk about foxed pages and bumped corners, and the chapters about Wilde's incarceration, and, in particular, about the psychological cruelty of the isolative "Separate System" in penological vogue at the close of the 19th century, were profoundly moving. I hadn't realized before reading Built of Books how utterly Wilde's public humiliation and imprisonment destroyed him. This is poignantly demonstrated when he moves out of the Villa Giudice following a failed reconciliation with Bosie. Nothing could speak more eloquently of his defeat and despair than the fact that he left his library behind. He knew, as a reader and as a writer, that he was finished.
Wright, who reveals in his epilogue that he is a lifelong Wilde obsessive, writes prose that tends toward the purple. This would not be unfitting, given the subject, but, unfortunately, in Wright's case (in contrast to Wilde), the urge to excess is combined with a bit of a tin ear. "Where he had hoped," Wright ham-fistedly pronounces with regard to Wilde's fantastically ill-advised libel suit against his lover's irate father, "to be the author and hero of a clever comedy, Wilde found himself the protagonist of a tragedy that was Greek but far from gracious. Hubris had provoked the wrath of the Gods, and Doom entered the stage with running feet." My other complaint is that there is far too much speculation about what Wilde must have felt looking up from such-and-such a volume to gaze out such-and-such a window. On the plus side, I thoroughly enjoyed all the bibliomanic tech-talk about foxed pages and bumped corners, and the chapters about Wilde's incarceration, and, in particular, about the psychological cruelty of the isolative "Separate System" in penological vogue at the close of the 19th century, were profoundly moving. I hadn't realized before reading Built of Books how utterly Wilde's public humiliation and imprisonment destroyed him. This is poignantly demonstrated when he moves out of the Villa Giudice following a failed reconciliation with Bosie. Nothing could speak more eloquently of his defeat and despair than the fact that he left his library behind. He knew, as a reader and as a writer, that he was finished.
January 9, 2010
This is a splendid book about Oscar Wilde - stylish, idiosyncratic and full of insight, much like its subject. Thomas Wright is a character who has strayed from a story Borges may have written - an obsessive Wilde-phile who has conceived the ambition to read every book Wilde ever read, and to amass a duplicate of Wilde's own book collection, either acquiring Wilde's own books where possible or books we know he read in the editions he must have owned.
But these revelations are left for last, after a fascinating, illuminating look at the life of a man who truly seems to have invented himself out of the things he picked up from his 'golden books'. We see the subtle and not so subtle relations between Wilde's reading and his own writings and ideas and follow the lifelong odyssey of a man whose love for reading helped him endure the rigours of a darker fate than he ever deserved.
While Wright might have written a more sensational book by foregrounding his own Wildeian bibliophilic quest, I think he has made the right decision by leaving it for a personal afterword.
But these revelations are left for last, after a fascinating, illuminating look at the life of a man who truly seems to have invented himself out of the things he picked up from his 'golden books'. We see the subtle and not so subtle relations between Wilde's reading and his own writings and ideas and follow the lifelong odyssey of a man whose love for reading helped him endure the rigours of a darker fate than he ever deserved.
While Wright might have written a more sensational book by foregrounding his own Wildeian bibliophilic quest, I think he has made the right decision by leaving it for a personal afterword.
July 9, 2015
If Peter Ackroyd's selective, deep-focus analysis of the most notable works of William Blake made for the most compelling moments in his biography of the greatest artist of the dawn of 1800s, one can't quite help but wonder; how might the same (or even nominally similar) approach have coloured Thomas Wright's exploration of greatest artist at the century's twilight?
As Wright introduces us to the child fated to be known as Saint Oscar, it actually appears as if a literal, revelatory look into the library of his hero will be his investigative method for the book's duration. Whole chapters are given over to the impact of the Irish Bardic tradition and the Ossian poetic cycle upon the young Oscar, and it's an approach that works splendidly well; knowingly favouring conjecture over concrete fact, the book leans closer to speculation than confirmation, and one suspects that the peacock Wilde might've preferred it that way.
Once Wilde has grown and become settled into the London of the 1880s, Wright by and large drops this approach for a relatively conventional tour of Wilde's life, home, and circle. Chapters average about eight pages a piece, and the prose is light and effervescent as could be, but never to the books detriment. Indeed, this is possibly THE best book presently available to begin a study of the life of Wilde, a delectable but fulsome aperitif to lead smoothly onto a potent vintage such as Richard Ellmann's great and definitive biograpy. Why resist the temptation?
As Wright introduces us to the child fated to be known as Saint Oscar, it actually appears as if a literal, revelatory look into the library of his hero will be his investigative method for the book's duration. Whole chapters are given over to the impact of the Irish Bardic tradition and the Ossian poetic cycle upon the young Oscar, and it's an approach that works splendidly well; knowingly favouring conjecture over concrete fact, the book leans closer to speculation than confirmation, and one suspects that the peacock Wilde might've preferred it that way.
Once Wilde has grown and become settled into the London of the 1880s, Wright by and large drops this approach for a relatively conventional tour of Wilde's life, home, and circle. Chapters average about eight pages a piece, and the prose is light and effervescent as could be, but never to the books detriment. Indeed, this is possibly THE best book presently available to begin a study of the life of Wilde, a delectable but fulsome aperitif to lead smoothly onto a potent vintage such as Richard Ellmann's great and definitive biograpy. Why resist the temptation?
August 14, 2013
A light biblio-biographic of Wilde's book-filled life. It maps his influences from school days to death, and, in so doing, is a far more interesting biography than those that just focus on his homosexuality, or the injustice of his case. In my opinion--we are interested in the man because of what he wrote, and so a biography of his literary influences seem more apropos than other feature of his character.
But that's not to say the Wright's narrative is devoid of these details or is so dry that he talks only about Baudelaire and such. Instead, he keeps his chapters short, provides flash summaries of the books he discusses, and talks as much about how Wilde read as what he read. Wright recreates Wilde's Tite Street study and lingers on a jam stain found on a book, and does an excellent job of conjuring up an impression of Wilde's character through his dedications, book-gifts, and prison requests.
The author's afterward, a personal narrative of how he became enamored of Wilde's writing and resolved to read everything he read, is sentimental but feels very appropriate as a capstone. The appendixes that list Wilde's prison requests, and his list of books not to read is a great addition that makes the subject come alive. Highly recommended.
But that's not to say the Wright's narrative is devoid of these details or is so dry that he talks only about Baudelaire and such. Instead, he keeps his chapters short, provides flash summaries of the books he discusses, and talks as much about how Wilde read as what he read. Wright recreates Wilde's Tite Street study and lingers on a jam stain found on a book, and does an excellent job of conjuring up an impression of Wilde's character through his dedications, book-gifts, and prison requests.
The author's afterward, a personal narrative of how he became enamored of Wilde's writing and resolved to read everything he read, is sentimental but feels very appropriate as a capstone. The appendixes that list Wilde's prison requests, and his list of books not to read is a great addition that makes the subject come alive. Highly recommended.
August 27, 2016
This is hands-down one of the best biographies I have ever read. Meticulously researched but just imaginative enough to be very engaging. The biographer's feelings about Wilde resonate so strongly with my own that it was, at times, a surprisingly intense experience. Absolutely amazing.
December 12, 2019
En sällsynt, levande och vacker biografi. Från en poet, till en poet.
September 4, 2025
I enjoyed this book but was also a little bit disappointed - perhaps there is too much of Wilde's life and not enough about his books. But the problem is that we don't know the names of many of Wilde's books, they were auctioned in job lots not by title, those we do know were often presented to him so we don't if he read them; indeed I rather uncharitably wondered how often Wilde used his 'library' for reading. Owning books and reading books are two different things and while I would never suggest Wilde was not well read I do believe his most important and formative reading was done long before he had a 'library'. He was a busy man and I can't imagine that Bosie was someone who was happy to while-a-way an evening reading with Wilde. Maybe I find Wilde's obsession with the fancy editions of his own works just plain annoying.
A book that promises more then it can deliver.
A book that promises more then it can deliver.
September 10, 2023
Oscar Wilde grew up with lots of books. His mother also passed on the love of poetry to him. He studied in Irish equivalent of Eton and got a scholarship to Oxford. He had legendary memory and ability to speed-read. Books are tools for him, and his are often of poor conditions with annotations and cut-outs. He regarded his library as a chapel dedicated to beauty and revolted with idea of reading in one furnished with appalling taste as most. A library should be a man’s portrait. When he’s inside his, his boys were never permitted to enter ‘except by special invitation’. Wilde would hold Greek style symposia with his friends and he discovered homosexuality through “Hellenists’s writing”. Unfortunately for him, one of his young friends Douglas is believed to be intimate with Wilde and the young man’s father (Marquis of Queensbury or Q as Wilde calls him) began increasingly public campaign against Wilde. Wilde unwisely sued for defamation but lost. As a result, his books were auctioned to pay damage and he was jailed. In jail, Wilde lost access to books and conversations and was almost driven insane. He did move to a better prison with a good governor that provided him with books and his friends also could send him books. Unfortunately, he contracted some disease (thought to be middle ear disease) in prison and died of it a few years after his release, at the age of 46.
This book is an interesting biography written entirely around the theme of books, very much recommended for all book lovers.
This book is an interesting biography written entirely around the theme of books, very much recommended for all book lovers.
January 18, 2013
The concept of this book attracted me from the beginning and I have to say, it has not disappointed me in any way. As a book lover and an Oscar Wilde admirer,I found the idea of a biography of Wilde which centered on books and how they defined his life simply wonderful.
And it is indeed wonderfully executed: far from being pedantic, the pace is agile and at the same time the narration is deep, revealing so many aspects of Wilde through every book he read, reviewed, loved or hated; his beloved Greek poets, the Romantics, Pater, Ruskin, boring Victorian popular novels, the Bible, philosophers, French and German literature...I have felt deeply identified with Wilde's bibliophilia and its devotion to books,which were with him to the end and which were as essential to him as food and rest, and just when I was thinking that his devotion to them was only comparable to that of Borges', another idol of mine, the author surprised me by quoting at the end of this biography his marvellous poem "Mis Libros"(My Books):
My books (which do not know that I exist)
are as much a part of me as this countenance
of gray temples and gray eyes
I vainly seek in looking-glasses...
For everyone who loves Wilde, or books, or both, this book is a discovery and a delight.
And it is indeed wonderfully executed: far from being pedantic, the pace is agile and at the same time the narration is deep, revealing so many aspects of Wilde through every book he read, reviewed, loved or hated; his beloved Greek poets, the Romantics, Pater, Ruskin, boring Victorian popular novels, the Bible, philosophers, French and German literature...I have felt deeply identified with Wilde's bibliophilia and its devotion to books,which were with him to the end and which were as essential to him as food and rest, and just when I was thinking that his devotion to them was only comparable to that of Borges', another idol of mine, the author surprised me by quoting at the end of this biography his marvellous poem "Mis Libros"(My Books):
My books (which do not know that I exist)
are as much a part of me as this countenance
of gray temples and gray eyes
I vainly seek in looking-glasses...
For everyone who loves Wilde, or books, or both, this book is a discovery and a delight.
December 9, 2018
Excellent book! I absolutely loved it! I need more books like these about various authors. Books have influenced me in every step of my life and learning how books influenced my favourite author was absolutely wonderful too. The book is not dry at all and it has its own 'voice' so to speak, rather than just rattling off various historical facts. There were so many interesting facts about his life and the people around him I could scarcely stop taking notes.
My favourite was the fact that Oscar Wilde used to EAT books. And perhaps the most bewildering one of all: he encouraged plagiarism! He viewed it as a way to improve upon literary works, even citing Shakespeare as a fellow plagiariser.
I think in a way I recognise myself in Wilde. Of course I don't think I could ever match his level of literary genius, but surrounding himself with "Uranian" literature and "purple" friends is something I relate to as someone (semi) closeted. To see yourself in your favourite author is perhaps one of the best feelings in the world.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about Wilde.
My favourite was the fact that Oscar Wilde used to EAT books. And perhaps the most bewildering one of all: he encouraged plagiarism! He viewed it as a way to improve upon literary works, even citing Shakespeare as a fellow plagiariser.
I think in a way I recognise myself in Wilde. Of course I don't think I could ever match his level of literary genius, but surrounding himself with "Uranian" literature and "purple" friends is something I relate to as someone (semi) closeted. To see yourself in your favourite author is perhaps one of the best feelings in the world.
I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who would like to learn more about Wilde.
August 4, 2010
This is the sort of book that Wilde afficianados, like myself, will gobble up. But Wright's premise/conceit is of interest beyond that: he considers the way in which Wilde's work and persona were the product of his (voracious) reading from his boyhood, reminding us especially that Wilde was a first-rate classicist. Thus we'll fail to understand Wilde if we fail to appreciate his indebtedness to the Greeks (as well as Pater's revival of "Platonic" love). A really delightful read. And Wright includes a couple of fascinating appendices that include the books from Wilde's Tite Street library, auctioned off after his imprisonment, as well as the list of the books he requested while in prison. The latter alone is worth the price of the book.
This biographical strategy--consider how a person and intellectual corpus is "built of books"--would also be a very productive way to understand the life and work of St. Augustine. Indeed, the Confessions already does this in some ways, tracking Augustine's reading during his long pilgrimage to faith.
This biographical strategy--consider how a person and intellectual corpus is "built of books"--would also be a very productive way to understand the life and work of St. Augustine. Indeed, the Confessions already does this in some ways, tracking Augustine's reading during his long pilgrimage to faith.
January 22, 2019
This is the most original biography I‘ve ever read, and it’s fitting that the person it‘s about is Oscar Wilde. I had the book on my shelf for quite a while because I like to discover books by and about Oscar Wilde, but at this point I had read so many of his biographies that I didn’t feel like I needed to read another one.
I‘m so glad I did though because this is such a new and clever approach that I felt as in love with Oscar Wilde as I had been when I originally discovered Dorian Gray. Most biographies usually succeed in sketching the outlines of a life, but after reading Thomas Wright‘s approach I felt like I genuinely understand what kind of a person Oscar Wilde was. Focussing on the books he read helps navigate the common pitfall of taking everything Oscar Wilde said about himself at face value while also taking him very seriously as an interpreter of his own life.
Neil McKenna‘s Wilde biography used to be the one I would always recommend but I honestly think this one surpassed it.
I‘m so glad I did though because this is such a new and clever approach that I felt as in love with Oscar Wilde as I had been when I originally discovered Dorian Gray. Most biographies usually succeed in sketching the outlines of a life, but after reading Thomas Wright‘s approach I felt like I genuinely understand what kind of a person Oscar Wilde was. Focussing on the books he read helps navigate the common pitfall of taking everything Oscar Wilde said about himself at face value while also taking him very seriously as an interpreter of his own life.
Neil McKenna‘s Wilde biography used to be the one I would always recommend but I honestly think this one surpassed it.
March 19, 2019
I read this book after visiting a couple plays and short stories of Wilde in March for the Irish in me. I tried the new Sturgis biography Oscar for about 120 pages, but the dry history just didn't capture me. I tried just a couple chapters of Ellmann's biography, and I may return to it at a later date. Instead I decided on this book because I was more interested in the artist and those books that were an influence on his life.
I found the focus on the literature with a little history/biography to spice the insights quite interesting. Is this a quality biography to truly know all of the events and relationships of Wilde's life? No. Is it filled with lots of suppositions that are stretches in regards to the information at hand? Yes. Still, it is far more interesting than most biographies that leave you without any feeling that the subject is a real person in all of their beauty and faults. Read Wilde and visit this book as a companion on the short literary career of an extraordinary bibliophile.
I found the focus on the literature with a little history/biography to spice the insights quite interesting. Is this a quality biography to truly know all of the events and relationships of Wilde's life? No. Is it filled with lots of suppositions that are stretches in regards to the information at hand? Yes. Still, it is far more interesting than most biographies that leave you without any feeling that the subject is a real person in all of their beauty and faults. Read Wilde and visit this book as a companion on the short literary career of an extraordinary bibliophile.
October 16, 2017
This is more than just a list and review of Wilde's personal libraries (he had several over the years), it's also a biography of the man himself. The book traces Oscar's life through his choice of literature. Wilde was a voracious reader and found both excitement and comfort amongst the pages of his numerous volumes. As Wilde situation changed, so did his reading, but he always clung onto his favorites. This was a herculean effort by the author, one that was taken and executed as a labor of love, a love which the writing of this book deepened. It is a highly enjoyable read. Those who may not wish to dive into Ellman's monumental biography would get an excellent insight into the incredible life of Oscar Wilde. Those who have read Ellman's biography will find this as a great supplement or refresher.
June 16, 2009
"Hermes was the Olympian god of orators, wits and poets, and the inventor the lyre. He was also the deity of liars of thieves. In most legends he is depicted as a cheeky trickster, who becomes embroiled in scrapes out of a love of mischief and extricates himself from them through marvelous eloquence, a prodigious gift for telling stories and a genius for playing the lyre. This is the god whose shadow was cast across Wilde's writing-desk."
July 8, 2010
An interesting, original approach to biography that wasn't nearly the heavy read I was expecting. Unfortunately, the author makes a lot of jumps from the material to what may have motivated Wilde, and it seems that this is more a biography of the author's romantic idea of Wilde, rather than the man himself. Nevertheless, an easy, entertaining read that's simultaneously intriguing for Wilde fans.
August 19, 2023
Absolutnie wspaniała książka, a na pewno jedna z najlepszych lektur o Wildzie jakie czytałam. Autor przedstawia nam Wilde'a nie jako pisarza, ale jako czytelnika. Poprzez analizę książek, które czytał Wilde, próbuje zrozumieć nie tylko jego twórczość, ale także jego życie i decyzje, które podejmował. Niesamowita lektura, pokazująca silny wpływ książek na jednostkę. Po prostu cudowna.
July 11, 2014
A creative and interesting look into the life of Oscar Wilde. This work examines how Wilde's life was a product of his reading. It is unlike any biography I have ever read before, exceedingly entertaining, and an excellent source of further intellectual reading.
January 29, 2017
I love books and I also love the quotes of Oscar Wilde - even if some of them he may not have said. To discover more about the man through his books - if other biographies were written like this, it would be a good thing.
August 3, 2022
Im speechless…this is some of the most addictive and brilliant non-fiction I have ever read, and I shall be grateful for the efforts mustered by Thomas Wright for all eternity! This may have been life changing, for me personally.
October 27, 2023
Obviously this is quite the hagiography, but I can’t think of anyone better to write a hagiography for. Crucially it’s true to the inherent multifaceted nature of the man; the volumes and volumes that would have lines his shelves are a perfect metaphor, so the effort makes much sense.
August 1, 2009
Interesting look at the books in Wilde's library and how they impacted his work, life, etc.
February 7, 2014
Novel idea, building a biography of a man through his books, set into the context of a biography. Heartbreaking when Oscar Wilde was broken into one Sebastian Melmouth.
October 15, 2014
This is a fascinating biography told with reference to the books which shaped Oscar's life. Definitely worth a read for fans of Oscar Wilde or even just the 19th century.
January 17, 2017
An intellectual biography of Oscar Wilde that tells his story through the books that influenced him. One of the most engaging biographies I've read recently.
November 24, 2019
This is a wonderful biography of Wilde through the books he read and admired. This interesting biography gives credit to a highly creative writer and individual.
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