"I am one-third of the way through Merlin Holland’s tome about his grandfather, Oscar Wilde, and am finding it very interesting and informative.It starts with a short recap of the deaths of Oscar's wife, Constance, and Oscar, with details I had never heard before, then deals with Wilde's legacy up through 2025.
While I can imagine some people saying the book gets a little bogged down in details, I find that all these details lead to some interesting insights. For instance, I didn’t realize that Vyvyan Holland, Oscar’s second son, had a very affectionate relationship with Robbie Ross, often referring to him in letters as a fatherly/brotherly figure. Oscar’s first son, Cyril, also had a somewhat close relationship with Ross, if mainly through correspondence.
We also learn that Vyvyan lost his first wife, Violet, his brother, Cyril, and Robbie Ross in a relatively short amount of time.
Holland also paints a very unflattering portrait of Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas, especially in the years after Oscar’s death. One could infer (quite rightly, I believe) that Bosie’s constant litigious behavior played a role in Robbie’s premature death.
I’m looking forward to the rest of the book."
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