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Table Talk: Oscar Wilde
"For the true melody and majesty of [Wilde's] voice...we may turn with confidence to these hitherto uncollected stories. Here lie the foundations of his unique genius"--from the foreword by Peter Ackroyd. "I have a new story..."--when Oscar Wilde uttered those words, even his enemies leaned in close to listen, for his legendary wit and wisdom enchanted everyone in person as on the printed page. (Some even thought he was better in conversation than in writing.) For the first time, a century after his death, a collection of Wilde's spoken stories reveals the true scope of his genius. 42 bite-size literary gems shine with humor, intelligence, and surprising twists and turns. Some were set on paper by Wilde himself, others were jotted down by friends, family, and guests at Wilde's table. Painstakingly researched, each with an illuminating introduction, and illustrated with prints and photographs of the period, these tales weave pure magic. They include modern stories and anecdotes, fantasies (often based on Irish folktales), biblical sagas, and prose poems. A treasured invitation to "dinner" with Wilde that no lover of literature would miss!
192 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2000
6 people are currently reading
170 people want to read
About the author
Peter Ackroyd
184 books1,493 followersPeter Ackroyd CBE is an English novelist and biographer with a particular interest in the history and culture of London.
Peter Ackroyd's mother worked in the personnel department of an engineering firm, his father having left the family home when Ackroyd was a baby. He was reading newspapers by the age of 5 and, at 9, wrote a play about Guy Fawkes. Reputedly, he first realized he was gay at the age of 7.
Ackroyd was educated at St. Benedict's, Ealing and at Clare College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a double first in English. In 1972, he was a Mellon Fellow at Yale University in the United States. The result of this fellowship was Ackroyd's Notes for a New Culture, written when he was only 22 and eventually published in 1976. The title, a playful echo of T. S. Eliot's Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (1948), was an early indication of Ackroyd's penchant for creatively exploring and reexamining the works of other London-based writers.
Ackroyd's literary career began with poetry, including such works as London Lickpenny (1973) and The Diversions of Purley (1987). He later moved into fiction and has become an acclaimed author, winning the 1998 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for the biography Thomas More and being shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987.
Ackroyd worked at The Spectator magazine between 1973 and 1977 and became joint managing editor in 1978. In 1982 he published The Great Fire of London, his first novel. This novel deals with one of Ackroyd's great heroes, Charles Dickens, and is a reworking of Little Dorrit. The novel set the stage for the long sequence of novels Ackroyd has produced since, all of which deal in some way with the complex interaction of time and space, and what Ackroyd calls "the spirit of place". It is also the first in a sequence of novels of London, through which he traces the changing, but curiously consistent nature of the city. Often this theme is explored through the city's artists, and especially its writers.
Ackroyd has always shown a great interest in the city of London, and one of his best known works, London: The Biography, is an extensive and thorough discussion of London through the ages.
His fascination with London literary and artistic figures is also displayed in the sequence of biographies he has produced of Ezra Pound (1980), T. S. Eliot (1984), Charles Dickens (1990), William Blake (1995), Thomas More (1998), Chaucer (2004), William Shakespeare (2005), and J. M. W. Turner. The city itself stands astride all these works, as it does in the fiction.
From 2003 to 2005, Ackroyd wrote a six-book non-fiction series (Voyages Through Time), intended for readers as young as eight. This was his first work for children. The critically acclaimed series is an extensive narrative of key periods in world history.
Early in his career, Ackroyd was nominated a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1984 and, as well as producing fiction, biography and other literary works, is also a regular radio and television broadcaster and book critic.
In the New Year's honours list of 2003, Ackroyd was awarded the CBE.
Peter Ackroyd's mother worked in the personnel department of an engineering firm, his father having left the family home when Ackroyd was a baby. He was reading newspapers by the age of 5 and, at 9, wrote a play about Guy Fawkes. Reputedly, he first realized he was gay at the age of 7.
Ackroyd was educated at St. Benedict's, Ealing and at Clare College, Cambridge, from which he graduated with a double first in English. In 1972, he was a Mellon Fellow at Yale University in the United States. The result of this fellowship was Ackroyd's Notes for a New Culture, written when he was only 22 and eventually published in 1976. The title, a playful echo of T. S. Eliot's Notes Towards the Definition of Culture (1948), was an early indication of Ackroyd's penchant for creatively exploring and reexamining the works of other London-based writers.
Ackroyd's literary career began with poetry, including such works as London Lickpenny (1973) and The Diversions of Purley (1987). He later moved into fiction and has become an acclaimed author, winning the 1998 James Tait Black Memorial Prize for the biography Thomas More and being shortlisted for the Booker Prize in 1987.
Ackroyd worked at The Spectator magazine between 1973 and 1977 and became joint managing editor in 1978. In 1982 he published The Great Fire of London, his first novel. This novel deals with one of Ackroyd's great heroes, Charles Dickens, and is a reworking of Little Dorrit. The novel set the stage for the long sequence of novels Ackroyd has produced since, all of which deal in some way with the complex interaction of time and space, and what Ackroyd calls "the spirit of place". It is also the first in a sequence of novels of London, through which he traces the changing, but curiously consistent nature of the city. Often this theme is explored through the city's artists, and especially its writers.
Ackroyd has always shown a great interest in the city of London, and one of his best known works, London: The Biography, is an extensive and thorough discussion of London through the ages.
His fascination with London literary and artistic figures is also displayed in the sequence of biographies he has produced of Ezra Pound (1980), T. S. Eliot (1984), Charles Dickens (1990), William Blake (1995), Thomas More (1998), Chaucer (2004), William Shakespeare (2005), and J. M. W. Turner. The city itself stands astride all these works, as it does in the fiction.
From 2003 to 2005, Ackroyd wrote a six-book non-fiction series (Voyages Through Time), intended for readers as young as eight. This was his first work for children. The critically acclaimed series is an extensive narrative of key periods in world history.
Early in his career, Ackroyd was nominated a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 1984 and, as well as producing fiction, biography and other literary works, is also a regular radio and television broadcaster and book critic.
In the New Year's honours list of 2003, Ackroyd was awarded the CBE.
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Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
September 26, 2017
An impressive collection short stories and fragments of plays that Wilde told at dinner parties but never bothered to write down. Since Wilde isn't coming to any of my dinner parties, the next best thing is to listen to them in audiobook format and try to use my faulty imagination to fill in the blanks.
March 6, 2014
ebox: read (beautifully) by Tom Baker.
Oral meanderings laid down in print after Wilde's lifetime.
Because of the paraballic ramblings this gets a bit much, though some inserts are as sparkling as the champagne he insists his interviewers provide.
Oral meanderings laid down in print after Wilde's lifetime.
Because of the paraballic ramblings this gets a bit much, though some inserts are as sparkling as the champagne he insists his interviewers provide.
February 7, 2016
Este pequeno livro não é apenas uma simples coleção de histórias de Wilde. Não. De todo!
Antes de cada conto Wilderiano existe uma descrição breve do contexto em que tal história foi contada e por vezes quais os maneirismos de Wilde aquando desse relato. Desta feita permite a quem lê este livro, visualizar este fabuloso autor conhecendo-o mais profundamente enquanto génio da palavra, da ironia, da crítica e do humor.
Eu como fã de Oscar Wilde tenho em grande estima este pequeno volume que tão barato foi, mas que tão rico é.
Antes de cada conto Wilderiano existe uma descrição breve do contexto em que tal história foi contada e por vezes quais os maneirismos de Wilde aquando desse relato. Desta feita permite a quem lê este livro, visualizar este fabuloso autor conhecendo-o mais profundamente enquanto génio da palavra, da ironia, da crítica e do humor.
Eu como fã de Oscar Wilde tenho em grande estima este pequeno volume que tão barato foi, mas que tão rico é.
November 15, 2025
Recopilació entretinguda d’historietes i anècdotes que Oscar Wilde va explicar i reexplicar al llarg de la seva vida, sovint escrites per a la posteritat per amics que el van conèixer i li van sentir pronunciar-les. M’han semblat interessants les reinterpretacions de passatges bíblics, que ens permeten intuir una evolució espiritual des del Wilde descregut i enfant-terrible de la joventut fins al devot torturat per la recerca de Crist del De Profundis. Les faules no tenen cap gràcia i els poemes en prosa em temo que estan fets per ser dits, i no llegits. No tinc clar que a Wilde li hagués agradat la impressió pòstuma d’aquest llibre, ja que per ell la narració oral era un fenomen totalment diferent de l’escriptura, inseparable de la veu, la gestualitat, l’expressió facial i els silencies i sobreentesos, elements que es perden totalment en la versió escrita.
August 14, 2013
Um livro fantástico!
O facto de cada conto ter uma introdução, na qual se descreve um pouquinho da pessoa que era Wilde e em que contexto é que cada conto foi criado e contado, é extremamente original e interessante!
E os contos, na sua maioria, são ou comoventes, ou divertidos ou simplesmente profundos e inteligentes. Ao ler este livro fico com uma vontade enorme de ter conhecido Oscar Wilde e de ter presenciado alguns dos seus serões no qual entretia os convidados com as suas histórias!!
O facto de cada conto ter uma introdução, na qual se descreve um pouquinho da pessoa que era Wilde e em que contexto é que cada conto foi criado e contado, é extremamente original e interessante!
E os contos, na sua maioria, são ou comoventes, ou divertidos ou simplesmente profundos e inteligentes. Ao ler este livro fico com uma vontade enorme de ter conhecido Oscar Wilde e de ter presenciado alguns dos seus serões no qual entretia os convidados com as suas histórias!!
September 24, 2013
You really were born in the wrong century Mr. Wilde. The world needs more of you. I truly wish I could have been one of the people to have been regaled with any of these little tales. It does help to picture him telling them as you read them.
Sorry this is so short but I'm off to read more by him. All I can add is that this was really a lovely find for a fan.
Sorry this is so short but I'm off to read more by him. All I can add is that this was really a lovely find for a fan.
November 21, 2012
Of all the most beautifully brilliant human fireworks, Oscar Wilde must have been the finest.
September 24, 2022
what I wouldn't give to travel back in time and witness oscar wilde telling one of his tales at a dinner party 💜
April 23, 2022
Tom Baker's narration was quite enticing. I liked the format of the book - a little bit of an exposition to how the story was crafted or who noted it down or what is the story's significance, all of which were able to give little dashes of Oscar Wilde's personality.
As good as it is, the stories themselves were only at times enchanting. They were quite short, so maybe that's why I was never fully drawn in, however, Wilde probably would be known more akin to Hans Christian Andersen if he had foresight and dedication to write all of his little tales down.
As good as it is, the stories themselves were only at times enchanting. They were quite short, so maybe that's why I was never fully drawn in, however, Wilde probably would be known more akin to Hans Christian Andersen if he had foresight and dedication to write all of his little tales down.
September 7, 2024
I’ve always admired OscarWilde’s writing , but this little book is exceptional in that it feels that he’s actually talking to you. I enjoyed it very cynical view of the biblical tales. It’s no secret that I am a born again atheist.The only thing that spoilt the book for me was the last few pages entitled poems in prose, but the narrator of the accompanying notes to each tale forewarned the reader that the prose poems were not as good as the tales. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed the book.
May 9, 2018
Livro de Oscar Wilde, com breves contos, relatados por ele em vida real, que foram compilados neste livro (registados por amigos) A arte de cativar o público quando se conta uma história é sempre difícil, mas este senhor fazia-o da melhor maneira.. assim o dizem.
Alguns contos leem-se bem, outros são mais aborrecidos, especialmente aqueles da parte bíblica.
Alguns contos leem-se bem, outros são mais aborrecidos, especialmente aqueles da parte bíblica.
April 26, 2020
This short collection are not truly from Oscar Wilde, more they're recollections from his various audiences. Probably because of this, these are small pieces of stories and don't really stand on their own.
April 4, 2023
Favourite little stories had to be Salome ,the shameful death of pope John,the god who left his temple ,the mirror of narcissus in fact I loved most of these tales. It even gave me inspiration for an illustration and cemented the fact Oscar Wilde is one of my beloved authors.
June 4, 2019
Adorei ler e/ou reler estas histórias. Deu-me vontade de ter conhecido Oscar Wilde e ficara a ouvi-lo contar estas histórias. Eu ia adorar.
May 6, 2017
Table Talk is an interesting little book, because it’s a collection of the anecdotes that Oscar Wilde used to tell at dinner parties. A notorious wit and speaker, people agreed that when he told his stories, he seemed to light up – one woman thought she saw a halo, and other people were known to faint after one of his impromptu readings.
Edited by Thomas Wright and containing a foreword by Peter Ackroyd (whoever that is), it’s a lovely little collection that’s beautifully bound in a high quality hardback edition. Better still, it’s easy to whizz through it; I read the entire book in a day, although the editor recommends dipping in and out of it instead, to get more of a feel for what it would have been like to have known Wilde and to have heard him talking.
Overall then, this is a fantastic little addition to your book collection, and a great read if you like Oscar Wilde. The only problem with it was that the anecdotes are just too short!
Edited by Thomas Wright and containing a foreword by Peter Ackroyd (whoever that is), it’s a lovely little collection that’s beautifully bound in a high quality hardback edition. Better still, it’s easy to whizz through it; I read the entire book in a day, although the editor recommends dipping in and out of it instead, to get more of a feel for what it would have been like to have known Wilde and to have heard him talking.
Overall then, this is a fantastic little addition to your book collection, and a great read if you like Oscar Wilde. The only problem with it was that the anecdotes are just too short!
September 12, 2012
Oscar Wilde never disappoints. This book is no exception. This book was an unexpected surprise, found on my Goodreads friend list. These recountings of his oral story telling had me laughing in public. You can't get enough of his flair for the dramatic and his way with a tall tale. The ever surprising twist at the end of his stories and the intriguing tale that leads you to it blend together and create a perfect mental journey for the reader.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can see myself reading it again in a few years if not months. It's a quick read and a nice little escape from the day.
I thoroughly enjoyed this book and can see myself reading it again in a few years if not months. It's a quick read and a nice little escape from the day.
July 25, 2013
One of my favorite writers. It's a shame he didn't write these stories down himself. All of the stories in this book are ones that Wilde only orated and were later written down by others after his death, so I suggest reading a good amount of his writing before you pick this up. You need a good understanding of Wilde's writing and particularly his speeches so that you can use your imagination to fill in the gaps left by this work. A must read for any Oscar Wilde fan.
November 10, 2015
A perfect first Oscar Wilde experience.
My first introduction to the author. This book contains a description of Wilde, his stories and his character as a person. A nice detail was how he created stories from nothing during dinner parties, always being in focus.
Major part is short stories and not sure if they appears in other book formats.
My first introduction to the author. This book contains a description of Wilde, his stories and his character as a person. A nice detail was how he created stories from nothing during dinner parties, always being in focus.
Major part is short stories and not sure if they appears in other book formats.
January 9, 2016
Pequenos contos contados por Oscar Wilde, que foram posteriormente passados a escrito por quem os ouviu. Gostei bastante de alguns, rindo com o fim de alguns. Para reler um dia... ;)
February 20, 2016
The reader gets a sense of the magical presence that Oscar Wilde was in person.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews