As much as Queer Reader enjoyed Richard Ellman’s Oscar Wilde biography, one finished it with the impression that certain parts of the the story weren’t completely fleshed out. Although all the important events were covered, the book lacked a certain breathing room. Only by reading Matthew Sturgis’s new Wilde biography did QueerReader learn that this book was written while Mr. Ellman was ailing–and it was published posthumously. If Mr. Ellman might have rushed through his Wilde biography, Mr. Sturgis seems to have made the conscious decision not to.
At the time of his death, Oscar Wilde was perceived as something of a failure–at least in Britain. Fleet Street generally echoed the words of The Sunday Times which pronounced, “…the dregs of sympathy…” for Wilde “were flung away by the conduct and pernicious surroundings in later days…” But, as Mr. Sturgis points out, Wilde’s death also began a steady reappraisal–and rehabilitation–of his life and works. By the nineteen-sixties, his reputation was established not only as a literary giant, but also as a queer martyr. When Craig Rodwell opened America’a first queer bookstore in 1967, no one was surprised that he chose the name “The Oscar Wilde Memorial Bookshop.”
The portrait Matthew Sturgis paints of Oscar Wilde is of neither a martyr nor a scoundrel, but of a complex, sensitive, curious, troubled nineteenth century queer who just happened to be a literary genius. In this exhaustive biography, Mr. Sturgis reclaims Wilde’s Irishness, details his Swinburnian influences, and revisits his socialism. Mr. Sturgis also meticulously describes Mr. Wilde’s financial woes. Partly because of Wilde’s extravagances, there doesn’t seem to be any point in his adult life when his finances were stable.
Of course the question that is most often asked about Wilde is quite simply: How could someone so brilliant be so foolish? More specifically: Why did he stupidly mention that one of his accusers was “ugly” in the trial–seemingly dooming his case? Why didn’t he flee to France to avoid his sentence? With his methodical approach, Mr. Sturgis gives us insights which may well help answer these questions. He illustrates how from the beginning of the trial, Wilde was more focused on entertaining the audience than he was in convincing the jury. And his slip of the tongue may not have been determinative–the prosecution had more damning evidence to come. His mother might have influenced his decision not to flee. And, perhaps for the first time, Mr. Sturgis examines how alcohol may have impaired his judgement.
For this queer reader, the best chapters of this book are those dealing with the prison sentence and its aftermath. Because it is here that the most misconceptions are cleared up, including the precise nature of Wilde’s hard labor and the story of how halfway through his two year term, a new warden saved his life and gave him hope for the future. Highly informative. And also a damned good read.
Matthew Sturgis’s Oscar Wilde, A Life is published by Alfred A. Knopf.
Richard Ellman’s Oscar Wilde is published by Vintage.
10/31/2021