The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde

Rating:
Summary: You would think it was Oscar himself
Review: There is humour and pathos here as Peter Ackroyd presents the voice of Oscar Wilde during Wilde's last days in Paris near the turn of the century. Though he was living in exile and was very poor, Wilde's observations are sharp and he bravely steps back from self-pity. He is able to assess his own life as an aesthete and writer. He spends his time in cafes, with English friends and with French acquaintances. As he becomes more ill the tone of the voice of Wilde becomes more poignant but till the end he is full of wit. At the very end he dies in his hotel room.This is an immensely satisfying book. All who are interested in Wilde will be drawn into Peter Ackroyd's poetic prose as he recreates from his own study and imagination the last days of the Irish wit and writer, with his degradation and dignity. In the end Wildes's literary wit triumphs and remains while his detractors and persecutors are forgotten

Rating:
Summary: PARODY OF PATHOS IN PARIS
Review: This is a most amazing book. One would almost believe that, like his beloved William Blake, Ackroyd has the ability to rendevouz with the spirits and have Wilde dictate this marvelous account of his exile in Paris. A cunning pastiche of Wilde's wit and wisdom, this book charts the decent into the human condition. Littered with irony and humour, this book will leave the reader hungry for more insights into the genius of Oscar Wilde and I would reccomend it to everybody, even the few that may not be aware of the subject matter. From the dens of sin to the oppressive beauty of Paris society, the reader is on the journey with Wilde all the way.

Rating:
Summary: PARODY OF PATHOS IN PARIS
Review: This is a most amazing book. One would almost believe that, like his beloved William Blake, Ackroyd has the ability to rendevouz with the spirits and have Wilde dictate this marvelous account of his exile in Paris. A cunning pastiche of Wilde's wit and wisdom, this book charts the decent into the human condition. Littered with irony and humour, this book will leave the reader hungry for more insights into the genius of Oscar Wilde and I would reccomend it to everybody, even the few that may not be aware of the subject matter. From the dens of sin to the oppressive beauty of Paris society, the reader is on the journey with Wilde all the way.