The Invention of Oscar Wilde - Hardcover

by Nicholas Frankel (Author)

"One should either wear a work of art, or be a work of art," Oscar Wilde once declared. In The Invention of Oscar Wilde, Nicholas Frankel explores Wilde's self-creation as a "work of art" and a carefully constructed cultural icon. Frankel takes readers on a journey through Wilde's inventive, provocative life, from his Irish origins--and their public erasure--through his challenges to traditional concepts of masculinity and male sexuality, his marriage and his affairs with young men, including his great love Lord Alfred Douglas, to his criminal conviction and final years of exile in France. Along the way, Frankel takes a deep look at Wilde's writings, paradoxical wit, and intellectual convictions.

Author Biography

Nicholas Frankel is professor of English at Virginia Commonwealth University. He is the author or editor of many books about Oscar Wilde, including The Picture of Dorian Gray: An Annotated Uncensored Edition and The Annotated Prison Writings of Oscar Wilde.