Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions by Frank Harris provides an in-depth and intimate look into the life of one of history's most enigmatic and controversial figures. Harris, a close friend of Wilde, offers a detailed account of Wilde's life, from his early days as a talented writer and playwright to his tragic downfall and imprisonment for homosexuality.

Harris's writing is both engaging and informative, shedding light on the complexities of Wilde's personality and the challenges he faced as a gay man living in a society that was not accepting of his lifestyle. The book is filled with personal anecdotes and insights that bring Wilde's character to life, allowing readers to truly grasp the depth of his wit, charm, and intelligence.

Overall, Oscar Wilde: His Life and Confessions is a fascinating read for anyone interested in the life and works of this literary giant. Harris's perspective as a friend and confidante of Wilde adds a unique and personal touch to the biography, making it a compelling and enlightening read for fans of Wilde's writing and legacy.

Book Description:

Consumers of biography are familiar with the division between memoirs of the living or recently dead written by those who “knew” the subject more or less intimately, and the more objective or scholarly accounts produced by later generations.

In the case of Wilde, as presented to us by Frank Harris, we are in a way doubly estranged from the subject. We meet with Oscar the charismatic talker, whose tone of voice can never be reproduced – even if a more scrupulous biographer had set down his words accurately – and we are perhaps already aware of him as Wilde the self-destructive celebrity who uneasily fills the place of the premier gay icon and martyr in our contemporary view.

Neither of these images will do. We need to read as many accounts as possible. Harris, though himself a self-advertising literary and sexual buccaneer, takes a wincingly representative view of Wilde’s homophile activity: for him it is a patrician excrescence, the abominable vice of the few, contracted at English boarding schools – though thankfully “not infectious” as far as he himself is concerned.

What a long road we have to travel to arrive at the essentially gay man of today! But there are many shortcuts to take us back to where we came from…