Recollections of Oscar Wilde

olutions and conclusions in that document, reverted to his baser self, and died with his life fallen far below the altitude marked in the prison letters. That knowledge of a few is set forth in concrete, intimate manner in the pages of this book... (Percival Pollard) --- Those who came to know Wilde only in the latter years of his life can scarcely, in view of that feeble and infirm existence, have had any conception of this wonderful personality. It was in 1891 that first I saw him. Wilde had at that time what Thackeray termed the most important of talents, success. His gestures, his look, were triumphant. So complete was his success that it seemed as if it had preceded him, and Wilde had nothing to do but follow it up. His books were talked about. (Andre Gide) --- Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (1854 - 1900) was an Irish playwright, novelist, poet, and short story writer. Known for his barbed wit, he was one of the most successful play-wrights of late Victorian London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. As the result of a famous trial, he suffered a dramatic downfall and was imprisoned for two years of hard labour after being convicted of the offence of "gross indecency" (i.e. of homosexual acts).