Son of Oscar Wilde (Oxford Paperbacks)

By Vyvyan Holland and Merlin Holland

Book Overview

As the public interest in Oscar Wilde grew, and the lies about him multiplied, Vyvyan Holland, Wilde's son, decided to write his own account of the "Oscar Wilde scandal" and its aftermath. The first publication of Son of Oscar Wilde in 1954 was a daring endeavor, considering that homosexuality remained a crime in England at that time, and his father had been convicted of that crime.
Now available with a new Foreword by Merlin Holland, Vyvyan Holland's son, this memoir--which Vyvyan Holland described as "not a very amusing or entertaining story"--reveals Oscar Wilde as a much-loved though often absent member of the family. Focusing on the scandal from the point of view of a small boy, it dramatically portrays how the family dealt with Oscar's persecution, and after his death, attempted to deny that he ever lived by taking the extreme measure of changing the sons' names from Wilde to Holland. Vyvyan Holland describes in detail his early happy years followed by the exile and his years in Germany and Monaco, his return to England and his adolescent years, and his decision as a mature adult to lay to rest the bitter memory of his early years by recording them for posterity.
This edition also contains 33 of Oscar Wilde's letters to friends; a reminiscence of Wilde by W.W. Ward; some prose poems by Wilde; letters from Lord Alfred Douglas to Vyvyan Holland; and several contemporary newspaper reports of events during and after the Oscar Wilde affair. A tragic story of prejudice, fear, and much sadness, this memoir reveals one boy's ability to survive such extreme cruelty and suffering.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0192821970
• ISBN13: 9780192821973
• Release Date: December 1988
• Publisher: Oxford University Press
• Length: 288 Pages
• Weight: 0.65 lbs.
• Dimensions: 7.7" x 0.8" x 5.1"

Customer Reviews

Son Of Oscar Wilde - A great book

I was interested in this book beecause I was curious of how Oscar Wilde son had lived the consequences of the happenings which envolved his father. His description of his life (and of the rest of the family) and of how he felt all that happened is amazing and very interesting. I have read this book in a moment! Really It worths the price.

Time Travel

I love this book. When I read it, I feel as if his son is in my living room telling me stories of the old days. It is written very honestly and colloquial, so that you can really go through it. And yet, the Europe at the early part of the century - it is different. This is a chance to read something and feel like the author is with you and telling you about himself and his family. Very sad in parts, but vivid, and at no time written to be a victim's story. Very good.

A TRUER VIEW OF WILDE: THE SON WE BARELY NEW

the Empire painted WIlde a degenerate, a scapegoat sacrificed for its own corruption and sins. THis book, written by his surviving son, with emendations and commentary and suggestions by his grandson, reveals the true Wilde, who early loved his sons and whose greatest loss in his pillorying by the EMpire was his family. Wilde is not the painted savant fruit he is pictured, but a true family man, a true nationalist Irishman (to know Wilde, know his mother), and a truly gentle genius. TO read this book is hear again the epic tale of sons in search of their lost father. In this case Telemachus never again sees Odysseus, and the aching yearning between father and son oozes gently from these pages like an embarrased fatal wound. THe greatest artistic work, and the most grecian tragic, as Wilde predicted, became his own life. TO understand WIlde, please read this book. What wonders of literature this talented son might have produced, besides his remarkable translations from the French, etc., had this gifted family remained intact, and even at home with Lady Wilde in Dublin. Perhaps Wilde's second son would never have died for the EMpire at war. But such musings lead to the despairing madness which ultimately tempted Oscar upon his early deathbed. Essential for any and all student and reader of Mr. Wilde. A universal legend of filial affection in its own right, as cross generational as any Garcia MArquez work. BEautifully written.

The Intriguing Perspective of Being Oscar's Child

As an Oscar Wilde fanatic (I have read literally everything ever written by/about him) I was drawn to this book because of the new perspective about him that was offered: that of his child. Not only is it interesting to read about his Vyvyan's memories about him, but the biography is written in such a vivid way that one can actually feel the pain Oscar's son goes through when his father is sentenced to prison and when he dies. This is a must read for an Oscar Wilde fan interested in gaining a new perspective on the legendary writer...it is the closest one will ever be to understanding what it was like being in his family.