Help settle a minor disagreement

[Melinda in VT]

Do you know who Oscar Wilde is?

 

(Please wait for poll.)

 

After you answer the poll, I'd also be interested into what details you know about him.

[RoughCollie]

I have heard of him. I know he wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, but I've never seen it performed or read it, and I have no plans to do so. That's it; I don't know anything else, or want to correct this deficiency.

 

Hmmm. I looked him up on Wikipedia. His hairstyle must be in style again today, because I've seen plenty of kids who have it during the last few years.

Edited October 12, 2010 by RoughCollie

[mazakaal]

I only really know him as the playwright of The Importance of Being Earnest. I don't know much about him, but I seem to remember that he was rather unconventional and maybe somewhat controvertial for him time.

 

Why the poll?

[Onceuponatime]

Do you know who Oscar Wilde is?

 

(Please wait for poll.)

 

After you answer the poll, I'd also be interested into what details you know about him.

 

He also wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray.

 

Since I was young I've known: that he was in trouble with the law, for "crimes against nature." He had some connection with the Marqui De Sade or the Marquis of Queensbury's son, or both. He lived around that time of the little ice age when Mary Shelley, Lord Byron, and a few others I can't remember off hand were churning out morbid and original works.

 

This is all that came to my sluggish brain this morning, without looking him up.

[Jane in NC]

Besides the plays: The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Ballad of Reading Gaol and a body of witty quotes that pepper the discourse today.

[Closeacademy]

He wrote the Importance of being Earnest and several other funny works. I think he is great. But he was tried for homosexuality and I am not sure if he got the death penalty but I think he did. It was a serious crime in England at the time. So sad because he was a good writer.

[JFSinIL]

I know what he wrote, that he was probably gay, definitely flamboyant...and in one of the funniest Monty Python skits (with Geo. B. Shaw) those guys wrote!

[radiobrain]

I was born on his birthday. I know more about him than those that have posted here, but am not in the mood (or awake enough) to write up a list.

 

My husband is working on a graphic novel about his life, with a focus on after prison and when he was no longer the "toast of society".

[patchfire]

A funny: for years, I would mix up Oscar Wilde & Oliver Wendell Holmes. I have no idea why!

 

The Importance of Being Ernest is a wonderful play. And, as others mentioned, he was arrested and charged with whatever the phrase at the time was for homosexuality. An intriguing character. :)

[Mommyfaithe]

I know what he wrote, that he was probably gay, definitely flamboyant...and in one of the funniest Monty Python skits (with Geo. B. Shaw) those guys wrote!

 

this.

 

here is the episode.

 

 

Edited October 12, 2010 by Mommyfaithe

[hana]

don't know what you're looking for:

 

English

most famous for The Importance of Being Earnest

died quite young of meningitis, in 1900, I think

started off wealthy, died poor after series of legal/personal messes

gay

vegetarian

[patchfire]

don't know what you're looking for:

 

English

 

 

Irish by birth, though. :)

[Haiku]

He had two sons, one of whom was named Vyvyan. His wife took them to (I believe) Germany and he never saw them again after he got in trouble for his sexual leanings.

 

Tara

[TravelingChris]

Well I know he was considered Anglo-Irish. He was born in the 19th century and maybe died in the 20th. He died fairly young. He wrote the play The Importance of Being Earnest, which I have seen, and the short novel, The Portrait of Dorian Gray. He was a very strange person. I do know he was arrested for something like perversion.

[TN Mama]

He also wrote one of my favorite children's books, The Selfish Giant.

[KingM]

He also wrote one of my favorite children's books, The Selfish Giant.

 

There are many little jewels among his short stories for children. The Happy Prince is very poignant.

[Danestress]

Do you know who Oscar Wilde is?

 

(Please wait for poll.)

 

After you answer the poll, I'd also be interested into what details you know about him.

 

British writer (Irish?) Wrote the Importance of Being Earnest and Picture of Dorian Grey. Went to prison for something involving male prostitutes (I think .... Some kind of "indecency" charge). Died exiled and in poverty.

 

That's what I know about him.

[snickelfritz]

I only knew that he wrote plays. I couldn't have named one of them.

[thescrappyhomeschooler]

I know him primarily as the author of The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest.

[Aunty Social]

I know that he was a writer, and that I've read some of his work....but I couldn't tell you what the titles were.:tongue_smilie:

[RebeccaS]

He wrote An Ideal Husband, if irrc. I know nothing of his personal life, though.

[JeneralMom]

I knew of him because of his works, and his life.

[GraciebytheBay]

He wrote The Picture of Dorian Gray (which I had to pre-read last year before my son read it) and the Importance of Being Earnest. My son enjoys some of his short stories. I also know he was gay and did some naughty things. That's about it.

[Gooblink]

The Importance of Being Earnest is the only thing I remembered about him.

[Melinda in VT]

Thanks for all of the responses, even though you proved me wrong. :tongue_smilie:

 

(DH and I were arguing over the percentage of readers who would understand a reference to Oscar Wilde. I appear to have underestimated the reading public.)

[Veritaserum]

He was an amazingly witty author. Unfortunately the Victorians couldn't/wouldn't accept someone like Wilde. He was tried and imprisoned for being gay. That effectively ended his life and he died soon after. Such a waste. He was a wonderful artist.

[Veritaserum]

Thanks for all of the responses, even though you proved me wrong. :tongue_smilie:

 

(DH and I were arguing over the percentage of readers who would understand a reference to Oscar Wilde. I appear to have underestimated the reading public.)

 

Well, this is the Hive. I would expect (hope) us to be rather more literate than an average cross-section of readers. :)

[Joyofsixreboot]

Foppish guy. Wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, The Portrait of Dorian Gray, The Ballad of Reading Gaol. Went to prison on morals charges.

[LibraryLover]

He was a modern playwrite who lived an 'unconventional' life.

Edited October 12, 2010 by LibraryLover

[LibraryLover]

I just went to read the other responses. If you are arguing "See, *they* all know of him; it's common knowledge', I might remind you that we aren't really a good control group. lol.

[Dawn in OH]

I don't know much about him, but I do, of course, know who he is.

 

I know he was born in Ireland. He was a poet and playwright. He spent some time in prison. He died fairly young.

[LauraGB]

I know who he is because of A Picture of Dorian Gray and Our Town. I also know that he was Irish, lived during the late 1800s, was likely gay, served time in prison, and died of meningitis. However, I didn't always know that - my dc did an author bio on him.

[Melinda in VT]

Well, DH wasn't saying that every reader would have heard of him, just that a sizable majority of readers of historical novels would have. So the board isn't an exact match, but close enough that I have acknowledged his win. ;)

[Melinda in VT]

I know who he is because of A Picture of Dorian Gray and Our Town. I also know that he was Irish, lived during the late 1800s, was likely gay, served time in prison, and died of meningitis. However, I didn't always know that - my dc did an author bio on him.

 

Our Town was written by Thornton Wilder. I've gotten them mixed up before too. :001_smile:

[LauraGB]

Our Town was written by Thornton Wilder. I've gotten them mixed up before too. :001_smile:

 

:eek::lol::lol:

 

Oops! I guess I didn't know as much as I thought ;).

 

(It's early here. 1st cup of coffee. Lol!)

[Word Nerd]

I love his work, and he's one of my favorite writers. He was brilliant. My sister and I also won duet acting in a forensics meet by performing a scene from Earnest.

[HRAAB]

I enjoy his work. I have seen The Importance of Being Earnest and The Ideal Husband plus reading them. I thought he was Irish. Was tried and imprisoned on charges of 'homosexuality'. I believe he was baptized Catholic on his death bed.

[Punchie]

He wrote the Importance of Being Ernest (favorite play) and Dorian Gray. For personal life, he was very popular and flamboyant until he was publically charged/humiliated for his sexual orientation.

[Laura Corin]

I've read several of his plays and know the basics of his life history. I've seen the film version of Importance and studied it in school.

 

Laura

[Mrs Mungo]

He was an author and playwright; The Picture of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest are his best known works. He was flamboyant and heavily involved in the aesthetic movement, but he also boxed. He was married and had two sons, but was imprisoned for 2 years or so due to his homosexual activities. He died young and the reasons for his death were under contention.

 

eta: After looking over the thread, I have to agree with LibraryLover, that this board (and the self-selected people who answered) are not necessarily a cross-section of the reading public.

Edited October 12, 2010 by Mrs Mungo

[Belacqua]

His (supposed, though probably too fabulous to be true) last words were, "Either that wallpaper goes, or I do."

[newlifemom]

Have not read thread and nervous about looking like a complete fool, but . . .

 

Isn't he the late 19th c playwright [sp?] who wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, and struggled with life b/c he was gay? Maybe even committed suicide.

 

I'm pretty sure that's who he was. Can't remember the plot of the play, but do remember enjoying it immensely. :tongue_smilie:

[Sparkle]

Yes, I'm familiar with him and have read several of his works. One of the characters in The Importance of Being Earnest is named Cecily, and that is my daughter's name.

[Krista in LA]

I know he is an author and that is about it.

 

I just looked him up out of curiosity, I had no idea he lived that long ago.

[Wheres Toto]

I knew he was a playwrite but probably couldn't come up with anything he wrote without really working at it.

 

I'm embarassed to say I didn't know he wrote Picture of Dorian Gray and I love that story.

[Tap]

I barely know who he is....

 

 

While I would get a basic reference/quote with him as the author, I wouldn't understand the context of a quote without a reminder of what work it came from.

[Beth in OH]

I've read a number of his plays and short stories. He had a very dry wit. He was gay and is now heralded as one of the first openly gay playwrights.

[Kirch]

(Without looking at previous posts)

He was an author--don't know exact dates, but I'm thinking early 1900's? He wrote The Importance of Being Earnest, The Picture of Dorian Gray, and more. His lifestyle lived up to his (Wilde) name, and I believe he was prosecuted for being gay and I'm thinking he was even in jail for a while? Now I'm going to have to go look that up!

 

Oh--he was British (or Irish or Scottish--not exactly sure which).

[Annie Laurie]

Ds16 and I were just (in the last few weeks) reading about him on Wikipedia because ds was remembering how he read The Picture of Dorian Gray years before and it scared the heck out of him. Oops, that was a big mom slip-up. It was a Junior Illustrated Classics when he was 9 or 10, and I didn't realize a Jr book would still be so creepy.

[mcconnellboys]

He was rather flamboyant all his life, wore his hair long, etc. at a time when others didn't. He alluded to Greek love (homosexual love) in his writings. He was initially involved with women (and married), but became involved in a homosexual relationship later on. He was destitute when he died..... I'm not sure what you're looking for here....