Brief lives

"Irish-born Oscar Wilde was one of the most controversial figures of the late nineteenth century. Notorious for his flamboyant lifestyle as much as for his unorthodox views, he penned a series of poems, plays, criticism and fairy stories. It is, however, the theatrical masterpieces The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband that have secured his reputation as one of the sharpest wits of all time. This new biography presents a fresh, modern take on the life and trials of Oscar Wilde from an academic renowned in the field of gay literature."--Jacket.