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The Exquisite Life of Oscar Wilde
Book by Calloway, Stephen, Colvin, David
112 pages, Paperback
First published July 21, 1997
35 people want to read
About the author
Stephen Calloway
48 books14 followersStephen Calloway is a curator of paintings at the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.
He is an expert on 19th century art, and has made a particular study of the decadent and dandy culture of the fin de siecle.
He staged the V&A's exhibition on the 1890s, 'High Art and Low Life' in 1993, and curated the 'Aubrey Beardsley Centenary Show' in Tokyo and London in 1998.
He writes on the history of taste and lectures widely in England and America.
He also worked, in his role as a consultant on period sytle and manners, with Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich on Jane Campion's film of Henry James' novel 'The Portrait of a Lady'.
He is an expert on 19th century art, and has made a particular study of the decadent and dandy culture of the fin de siecle.
He staged the V&A's exhibition on the 1890s, 'High Art and Low Life' in 1993, and curated the 'Aubrey Beardsley Centenary Show' in Tokyo and London in 1998.
He writes on the history of taste and lectures widely in England and America.
He also worked, in his role as a consultant on period sytle and manners, with Nicole Kidman and John Malkovich on Jane Campion's film of Henry James' novel 'The Portrait of a Lady'.
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
April 9, 2020
The adjective in the title is a most appropriate one for the book also, because it is a large format exquisite book with many not often seen illustrations - it is delightful.
In addition the content is also excellent. Obviously there is little new to be told about Oscar's life but the authors tell the tale with style and sympathy.
Birth, upbringing in Dublin, aesthetic tendencies at Oxford, initial poetry publication, lecture tour in America, lecture tour in Britain, Literary fame, involvement with Bosie, court cases, Reading jail, exile in Paris and death is all there with plenty of Wilde witticisms to enlighten the reading along the way.
A most entertaining volume.
I saw this on my shelves and couldn't resist reading it again. And it was just as good on the second read with all the relevant detail of Wilde's life brought to the fore. This time I particularly liked the chapters about his time in America on his lecture tour - on his return he came to my hometown of Blackpool and spoke on 'The House Beautiful', one of the lectures he had given in the States. Unfortunately it was a Wilde night in Blackpool (forgive the pun, I used it as an article I once wrote) - wet and windy and only 50 people attended and although his talk went down well, one critic commented, 'taken as a whole, Mr Wilde was an agreeable disappointment'. Faint praise indeed!
Also I noticed something that I had obviously forgotten, for after Queensberry had left him his somdomite [sic] note, Oscar sought him out and entertained him so well that Queensberry retracted all the abuse he had formerly heaped on Wilde and said to his son Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), 'I don't wonder you are so fond of him, he is a wonderful man.' But, sadly, by the time Queensberry got home, the Screaming Marquess, as Wilde called him, retracted his retraction! This then led to the trials that were eventually to prove Oscar's downfall.
This book is, as I said before, aptly titled, as it really is an exquisite volume with the standard of plentiful illustrations being superb.
In addition the content is also excellent. Obviously there is little new to be told about Oscar's life but the authors tell the tale with style and sympathy.
Birth, upbringing in Dublin, aesthetic tendencies at Oxford, initial poetry publication, lecture tour in America, lecture tour in Britain, Literary fame, involvement with Bosie, court cases, Reading jail, exile in Paris and death is all there with plenty of Wilde witticisms to enlighten the reading along the way.
A most entertaining volume.
I saw this on my shelves and couldn't resist reading it again. And it was just as good on the second read with all the relevant detail of Wilde's life brought to the fore. This time I particularly liked the chapters about his time in America on his lecture tour - on his return he came to my hometown of Blackpool and spoke on 'The House Beautiful', one of the lectures he had given in the States. Unfortunately it was a Wilde night in Blackpool (forgive the pun, I used it as an article I once wrote) - wet and windy and only 50 people attended and although his talk went down well, one critic commented, 'taken as a whole, Mr Wilde was an agreeable disappointment'. Faint praise indeed!
Also I noticed something that I had obviously forgotten, for after Queensberry had left him his somdomite [sic] note, Oscar sought him out and entertained him so well that Queensberry retracted all the abuse he had formerly heaped on Wilde and said to his son Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie), 'I don't wonder you are so fond of him, he is a wonderful man.' But, sadly, by the time Queensberry got home, the Screaming Marquess, as Wilde called him, retracted his retraction! This then led to the trials that were eventually to prove Oscar's downfall.
This book is, as I said before, aptly titled, as it really is an exquisite volume with the standard of plentiful illustrations being superb.
February 12, 2023
beautifully and so much tenderly written biography
mark my words, I’m getting a tattoo “whatever I touched I made beautiful” from Oscar’s epitaph
mark my words, I’m getting a tattoo “whatever I touched I made beautiful” from Oscar’s epitaph
December 20, 2023
There really is a lot to like about this illustrated biography of Oscar Wilde. Succinct and informative, Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life provides a highly effective introduction to the life and career of the most celebrated and infamous Irish writers to have ever garnered literary success. Through the engaging text provided by the authors, redolent with Wilde’s words and filled with more than just the essential facts, the reader is able to discern more than just an inkling of the great man’s genius. Neither hagiography nor simplistic, this book will serve as an excellent entree for further exploration of the man and his writing.
It goes without saying that such a relatively short and heavily illustrated book will not provide a definitive biographical account of Wilde, nor a fulsome critical analysis of his writing. That is not the point of Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life; one can readily see that Calloway and Colvin have tried to develop an epitome of the man, his career, the scandal that engulfed him and the aesthetics that Wilde and others promoted in the dying decades of the Victorian era. The two authors have brought their own sensibilities to their subject, with Calloway’s interest in visual arts undoubtedly making him more authoritative on the artistry associated with Wilde. It’s harder to see what Colvin brings to the book, however that is not a problem. The sum of the whole is more than what might be expected from such a relatively short book.
Where Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life excels is that it helps form a vivid picture of Wilde through the combination of his own words and of images included in the book. No doubt longer, and more wordy text would provide an extensive, perhaps more authoritative biography of Wilde. However, through the insertion of so many pictures and so many of Wilde’s witticisms one is treated to a more vital, more essential depiction of the man. Yes, a lot more could’ve been written, and there must be more erudite biographies of Oscar Wilde out there. For now this will do, and more than that; surely the need to read Wilde’s writing is greatly encouraged as a result of Calloway and Colvin’s efforts.
So, who will like this book? Obviously fans of Oscar Wilde will be intrigued by it, and hopefully enjoy it. Those who don’t really know Wilde, students of English literary history, drama and/or late Victorian era culture will also benefit. Finally, anyone who is fascinated with the tragedy of a man who was somewhat like a literary Icarus will find Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life a rewarding read.
It goes without saying that such a relatively short and heavily illustrated book will not provide a definitive biographical account of Wilde, nor a fulsome critical analysis of his writing. That is not the point of Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life; one can readily see that Calloway and Colvin have tried to develop an epitome of the man, his career, the scandal that engulfed him and the aesthetics that Wilde and others promoted in the dying decades of the Victorian era. The two authors have brought their own sensibilities to their subject, with Calloway’s interest in visual arts undoubtedly making him more authoritative on the artistry associated with Wilde. It’s harder to see what Colvin brings to the book, however that is not a problem. The sum of the whole is more than what might be expected from such a relatively short book.
Where Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life excels is that it helps form a vivid picture of Wilde through the combination of his own words and of images included in the book. No doubt longer, and more wordy text would provide an extensive, perhaps more authoritative biography of Wilde. However, through the insertion of so many pictures and so many of Wilde’s witticisms one is treated to a more vital, more essential depiction of the man. Yes, a lot more could’ve been written, and there must be more erudite biographies of Oscar Wilde out there. For now this will do, and more than that; surely the need to read Wilde’s writing is greatly encouraged as a result of Calloway and Colvin’s efforts.
So, who will like this book? Obviously fans of Oscar Wilde will be intrigued by it, and hopefully enjoy it. Those who don’t really know Wilde, students of English literary history, drama and/or late Victorian era culture will also benefit. Finally, anyone who is fascinated with the tragedy of a man who was somewhat like a literary Icarus will find Oscar Wilde: an Exquisite Life a rewarding read.
February 2, 2019
I am a self-described "Oscar Wilde Fangirl", so needless to say I was thrilled to find this book at a scandalous price. It is a lovely balance of photos, illustrations, and text.
March 31, 2012
This elegant coffee table oversized trade has all the earmarks of a photo-journal, but also manages to include text written with a pleasant Victorian piquancy. The historical information is accurate and generous, with anecdotal material as charming as the aesthetic sensibilities used in the volume's design. My favorite quote: "Wilde used to sit up all night with withering flowers, for fear they might die alone." A fine addition to any biographical collection. The book is too short, but so too was the life of its luminous subject.
August 7, 2007
A simple read that does include many pictures and representations of his trial, imprisonment and even childhood (in which he is dressed as a girl).
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews