OSCAR: A LIFE

This is the first major biography of Oscar Wilde in 30 years — and the one the world has been waiting for. Wilde was famous for being brilliant but also f amous for being famous. Lauded and ridiculed in equal measure, his achievements were frequently down- played, his successes often resented. He was an unabashed snob who nevertheless delighted in exposing the faults of society. He affected a dandified disdain but was pr one to great acts of kindness. Extensive, delightfully detailed and lovingly researched, Matthew Sturgis’s book draws on new material to place Oscar firmly in the context of his times. The author brings alive the distinctive mood and characters of the fin de siècle in this rich account of Wilde’s life, death and times. Brilliant. Out now