Oscar Wilde: Art and Morality
Stuart Mason
Read by Martin Geeson
“Who can help laughing when an ordinary journalist seriously proposes to limit the subject-matter at the disposal of the artist?”
“We are dominated by journalism.... Journalism governs for ever and ever.”[/i]
One of the nastiest of the British tabloids was founded a year too late to join in the moral panic generated to accompany Oscar Wilde’s court appearances in 1895. Yet there was no shortage of hypocritical journalists posing as moral arbiters to the nation, then as now.
This compendium work - skillfully assembled by the editor, Stuart Mason - ends with transcript of Wilde’s first appearance in the Old Bailey, when he was cross-examined on the alleged immorality of his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. The disastrous outcome of these trials provides an ironic conclusion to the earlier knockabout exchanges between Oscar and his reviewers. In these he is at his flamboyant best, revelling in the publicity he pretends to disdain. His brave performances in the dock did nothing, however, to save him from hard labour, the treadmill and complete physical and moral breakdown which the law found it necessary to inflict on him.
In contrast to the hacks and lawyers, two refreshingly open-minded Americans write perceptively about the novel, as does Walter Pater, the grand old man of Aestheticism.
This solo Librivox project complements a new dramatised reading of The Picture of Dorian Gray, currently in preparation, featuring the present reader as Narrator. (Introduction by Martin Geeson) (3 hr 55 min)
Chapters
Reviews
PainfullyPrOblEmaTIC
potuc
At the very least, spell your goddamn insults right. Secondly, bloody hell, man, what's WRONG with you?! Mr. Geeson is a very good reader, and his voice is fine. Clearly, something is amiss with your ears, and your senses too! For who could possibly put THAT little effort into a review? Good God, stay far away from me, you little sh*t.
Oscar Wilde: Art and Morality
shirleypig
I totally agree with the last reviewer,this is exactly how an Oscar Wilde book SHOULD be read!!!!! Mr Geeson is fantastic!!!! He has the perfect voice for reading Oscar Wilde,and no doubt many other classic English literature. GREAT!!!!!!
I mean this is not for everybody....
Terry Diane
Don't listen to him!
arosebyanyothername
Goodness, members of the public, never has a previous commenter been so wrong! I normally don't bother reviewing, but this really got my blood boiling! Mr Geeson is a professional and I feel HONORED to have had the pleasure to listen to this book!
Hate the voice
PainfullyPoetic
Can't rate this book because I can't get past the first 5 minutes of the narrator speaking. What a douchbag.