Talk on the Wilde Side

by Ed Cohen

Talk on the Wilde Side focuses on the formation of a new `type' of sexual category in the newpaper reports of the trials of Oscar Wilde, relating this to middle-class discussions of masculinity throughout the nineteenth century.

Genres: Nonfiction, History, LGBT, Queer

272 pages, Paperback

First published October 22, 1992

Reviews

[Myles Grant · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this book for an undergrad paper concerning nineteenth century men-desiring-men and the language they used to express their attractions. I struggled deeply to follow the first two sections of this scholarship-- Cohen uses dense, academic jargon in nearly every sentence, which frustrated me to no end. I knew that the material was important and I was able to piece his arguments together, but the language was incredibly alienating, and I really had to work for the information. The final section, which was the longest, was absolutely wonderful. This section contained Cohen's analysis of the actual Wilde trials, and captivated me endlessly. He writes with wit, humor, and from a position of deep understanding. I wish this type of approach had been used throughout the whole book! Totally recommend just reading the final section if you're hoping to get a better grip on what happened during the Wilde trials, and how the public and press reacted to them.

[Laura Lee]

This is academic and not for the general reader. That is to say, you will not want to read this to relax on a cold evening with a cup of tea. It does, however, have a lot of valuable insight into the Wilde trials, the cultural forces that made them evolve as they did and be reported by historians as they were, and the impact the episode had on culture and the cultural concept of masculinity. I had to work a bit to read it, but it was worth the slog.