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Built of Books: How Reading Defined the Life of Oscar Wildeby Thomas Wright
Synopses & ReviewsPublisher Comments:An entirely new kind of biography, Built of Books explores the mind and personality of Oscar Wilde through his taste in books This intimate account of Oscar Wildes life and writings is richer, livelier, and more personal than any book available about the brilliant writer, revealing a man who built himself out of books. His library was his reality, the source of so much that was vital to his life. A reader first, his readerly encounters, out of all of lifes pursuits, are seen to be as significant as his most important relationships with friends, family, or lovers. Wildes library, which Thomas Wright spent twenty years reading, provides the intellectual (and emotional) climate at the core of this deeply engaging portrait. One of the books happiest surprises is the story of the authors adventure reading Wildes library. Reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borgess fictional hero who enters Cervantess mind by saturating himself in the culture of sixteenth-century Spain, Wright employs Wilde as his own Virgilian guide to world literature. We come to understand how reading can be an extremely sensual experience, producing a physical as well as a spiritual delight. Thomas Wright was educated at Magdalen College, Oxford, Wilde's alma mater. He lectures frequently on Wilde, and has written countless articles about him. The author of Oscar Wildes Table Talk, Wright lives in Genoa and London, and sometimes writes about subjects unconnected with his hero. This intimate account of Oscar Wildes life and writings is richer, livelier, and more personal than any book available about the brilliant writer, revealing a man who built himself out of books. His library was his reality, the source of so much that was vital to his life. Wilde was a reader first, and his literary encounters, out of all of lifes pursuits, are seen to be as significant as his most important relationships with friends, family, or lovers. His library, which Thomas Wright spent twenty years reading, was the intellectual and emotional element in which he lived, breathed, and wrote. One of the books happiest surprises is the story of the authors adventure reading Wildes library. Reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borgess fictional hero, Pierre Menard, who enters Cervantess mind by saturating himself in the culture of sixteenth-century Spain, Wright gets closer to Wilde than any other commentator by exploring the bookshelves of his library. We also come to understand the way Wilde read—reading was a sensual experience for him, producing a physical as well as an intellectual and spiritual delight. "Given its subject, Built of Books couldn't fail to be fascinating . . . Thoroughly entertaining and useful."—Michael Dirda, The Washington Post "Entertaining and highly original, [Built of Books] is animated by a real intellectual passion. It should be read by anyone interested in Wilde or in the art of literary biography."—Peter Ackroyd "A wholly original book about reading, its comforts and perils: an eccentric landmark in the art of literary biography . . . riches on every page."—Daily Mail "[A] biography-cum-study of Wilde, which promises to measure out the life not by the familiar biographical landmarks, but by a chronological excavation of Wilde's life-long reading list . . . One hundred and eight years after his demise, we still seem not to have run out of things to say about Wilde—and Wright's novel slant allows quite a few of them to be said again with both knowledge and flair."—The Guardian "If you're a newcomer to the wonderful world of Wilde, and can't face the length . . . of the now-official Ellman biography, this is the book for you . . . Perhaps no other scholar of Wilde has succeeded so well in moving into Oscar's head."—The Irish Times "Revealing portrait of the noted—and notorious—writer, viewed through the prism of the books that educated, inspired and comforted him. From birth, Oscar Wilde was awash in words. His Anglo-Irish parents recounted aloud local tales, classic literature and their own work (Sir William was a pioneering folklorist, Lady Wilde 'a famous poetess'), fostering both an early aptitude and undying love for language, writing and books. Wilde thrilled at collecting and devouring a variety of volumes; each added to his prodigious intellect as well as to a store of ideas that contributed to many a lush oration. His years at Oxford were marked by extravagant academic accomplishments, particularly in the classics he had loved since childhood, and by symposiums hosted with Socratic gusto in his school quarters. As an adult of growing notoriety, Wilde found sustenance, inspiration and solace in his prized library; he regarded the carefully collected books as both 'a record of his life and as an emblem of his personality.' Wilde scholar Wright, who spent 20 years reading this library, allows his own prose to convey his subject's literary duality—excess and allusion. 'Hubris had provoked the wrath of the Gods, and Doom entered the stage with running feet,' he writes of the guilty verdict in the infamous Queensbury trial, referring to the Greek tragedies that provided so much joy to Wilde the reader but also inescapably pervaded his life. In general, the author suggests, Wilde enjoyed 'the pleasant confusion of life and art'—until his prison sentence forced him to become an actual tragic hero. At the start of his incarceration, all of his belongings, including his entire library, were sold at public auction to settle his debts. An 'inconsolable' Wilde suffered the losses behind bars; he would never fully recover. The author accents this remarkable account with pages of Wilde's reading lists, reproductions of annotated books and an index of referenced authors. A sumptuous literary biography."—Kirkus Reviews "Twenty years ago, Wright, a writer and lecturer on Oscar Wilde, decided to read all the books that Wilde had read. Ultimately, he realized that he could not complete this task, but he learned enough to write an engaging literary biography. Because Wilde's father was a preeminent Irish folklorist and his mother a poet, he became a voracious reader, aided by a photographic memory and a talent for speed reading. Having been found guilty in 1895 of 'gross indecency' and sentenced to two years in prison, his personal library was sold at auction. Although some valuable first editions and other books with Wilde's inscriptions and annotations were purchased by friends and eventually returned to him, a significant and unknown number were dispersed; Wright was able to locate and examine many of them. Wright's passion and knowledge radiate through this detailed yet readable portrait. Recommended for devotees of Wilde and literary biography as well as those who simply love books."—Anthony Pucci, Library Journal Review:When he was 16, Thomas Wright happened upon a collection of Oscar Wilde's writing in a Cambridge, England, bookshop. He bought the book and later the same day began to read Wilde's "The Picture of Dorian Gray," that languidly diabolical novel about the seductive young man who sells his soul for eternal youth. Wright was simply overwhelmed. "Wilde's elegant prose and his agile intellect dazzled me;... Washington Post Book Review (read the entire Washington Post review) Synopsis:An entirely new kind of biography, "Built of Books" explores the mind and personality of Oscar Wilde through his taste in books. Synopsis:An entirely new kind of biography, Built of Books explores the mind and personality of Oscar Wilde through his taste in books This intimate account of Oscar Wilde's life and writings is richer, livelier, and more personal than any book available about the brilliant writer, revealing a man who built himself out of books. His library was his reality, the source of so much that was vital to his life. A reader first, his readerly encounters, out of all of life's pursuits, are seen to be as significant as his most important relationships with friends, family, or lovers. Wilde's library, which Thomas Wright spent twenty years reading, provides the intellectual (and emotional) climate at the core of this deeply engaging portrait. One of the book's happiest surprises is the story of the author's adventure reading Wilde's library. Reminiscent of Jorge Luis Borges's fictional hero who enters Cervantes's mind by saturating himself in the culture of sixteenth-century Spain, Wright employs Wilde as his own Virgilian guide to world literature. We come to understand how reading can be an extremely sensual experience, producing a physical as well as a spiritual delight. About the AuthorThomas Wright was educated at Saint Thomas More School in Bedford, England. He lectures frequently on Wilde and has written countless articles about him. The author of Oscar Wilde's Table Talk, Wright lives in Genoa and London, and sometimes writes about subjects unconnected with his hero. What Our Readers Are SayingBe the first to add a comment for a chance to win!Product Details
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