Oscar Wilde / John Sloan.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sloan, John, 1948-

Contributor:

Gotham Book Mart Collection (University of Pennsylvania)

Series:

Oxford world's classics (Oxford University Press). Authors in context

Oxford world's classics. Authors in context

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900.

Wilde, Oscar.

Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900--Political and social views.

Authors, Irish--19th century--Biography.

Authors, Irish.

Political and social views.

Literature and society--Great Britain--History--19th century.

Literature and society.

Great Britain.

History.

Genre:

Biographies.

Penn Provenance:

Gotham Book Mart (former owner) (Gotham Book Mart Collection copy)

Physical Description:

xii, 225 pages : illustrations ; 20 cm.

Place of Publication:

Oxford ; New York : Oxford University Press, 2003.

Summary:

Wit, dandy, literary anarchist, self-publicist, and homosexual martyr: Wilde achieved fame and notoriety at a time when mass culture and communication promoted the 'new' in every area of British life -- 'New Women', 'New Hedonism', 'New Journalism', 'New Imperialism'. His plays, tales, and critical writings questioned traditional attitudes to religion, sexuality, women and the home, crime and punishment, and the freedom of the individual. John Sloan examines the rich interplay between Wilde's society and his writings and shows the remarkable recontextualizing of Wilde and his work on stage, in film and the media in the century that has followed his death. The book includes a chronology of Wilde's life and times, suggestions for further reading, websites, illustrations, and a comprehensive index.

Contents:

1. The Life of Oscar Wilde 1

Irish Beginnings 1

Oxford and Intellectual Influences 5

The Aesthete in the Market-place 9

The Creator of Dorian Gray 16

Theatrical Success 20

Prison, Exile, and Last Writings 26

2. The Fabric of Society 31

The Challenge to Authority 32

Civilizing Trends 49

3. The Literary Scene 61

The Growth of New Markets 61

The Reaction against Realism 75

Wilde and Censorship 87

4. Wilde and Social Issues 99

Politics and Political Writings 100

Sexual Politics: Feminism and Gender 104

Social Remedies 119

Prison and Prison Writings 126

Consumerism: Dorian Gray and Other Collectors 134

5. Wilde and Intellectual Issues 139

Philosophy and Science 139

Ethics and Religion 156

6. Recontextualizing Wilde 168

Reproducing Wilde 171

Wilde's Changing Image 182

Film, Opera, and Ballet Adaptations 211.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages [193]-210) and index.

ISBN:

0192840649

OCLC:

50810007