Oscar Wilde by Frank Harris has been keeping me company while I worked in the garden for the past few weeks. I must admit that I knew absolutely nothing about him, except that he might have written 'The Importance of Being Earnest,' which I have also not read.
I enjoyed the beginning part of the book of when he was young. Rather fascinating! He really enjoyed the good life, and he enjoyed talking much more than writing.
I will be honest I did not know that he was gay. It's quite shocking that he was thrown into jail for two years because of this! It was also rather sad to learn about all the little children that were jailed at that time and the very cruel circumstances. I am very grateful for how things have changed.
He sounded like a horrendous friend in his later life, constantly borrowing money so that he could pay off debt. But then, instead of paying off his debt, he would buy a bicycle for a boy that he liked. It was also interesting to learn that he was married and had children, but he really didn't think much of women.
Here are some of the quotes from the book that I liked:
Lilies
that fester smell far worse than weeds (William Shakespeare)
Sickness
is a symptom of weakness (Oscar Wilde)
Strong
men are made by opposition; like kites they go up against the wind (Frank
Harris)
Creation
is the first condition of art (Oscar Wilde)
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