‘After Oscar’ by Merlin Holland
Reading Between the Lies1
Merlin Holland’s new retrospective of the societal and family legacy of Oscar Wilde has been over two decades in the making—which is understandable given the research necessary to counter what Holland describes as “…one of the longest continuous acts of hypocrisy in British history.”
The result is a historical accounting that alternates between biography and autobiography into a 700 page feat of storytelling.
‘After Oscar’ is recommended for two types of readers:
—anyone who has never read anything of Wilde’s legacy; to whom we should say, “read this first!” before you become corrupted;
—and anyone who has read anything of Wilde’s legacy; to whom we should say, “read this now!” so as to become uncorrupted.
The corruption in question, of course, is the familiar echo chamber of myth sounded in successive books, articles, and reportage on Wilde, which Holland refers to as the ‘follow-my-leader’ style of biography.
This does not mean that After Oscar adopts a superior position in that sense. The book’s diligent length and breadth of revisionism is interspersed by an affecting depth of feeling—this latter mostly manifested by what have been the author’s gradual coming terms with the act of disclosure, and his maturing sense of place within the legacy.
While the book is corrective where necessary and its stated aim is to shock, it does take an accepting view of people’s motives given their historical context. However, this is not usually the case, and no one is spared a candid appraisal; and it is refreshing to note that Holland’s apportioning of forgiveness and blame is not influenced by family ties.
Far-reaching though all this is, the narrative is episodic and therefore remains an engaging read, especially for the Oscar Wilde fraternity—because for anyone who knows Merlin’s “voice,” the reading experience is like a long conversation with him. It is also a frank conversation, personally revealing, perhaps to a fault, but full of esoteric research and knowledge.
The Wilde story will always be an incomplete jigsaw puzzle, but this book is an extremely large and important piece that we did not know was missing. Or I should say, were not able to know: because if ever an Oscar Wilde book could have only been written by one person, this is it.
© John Cooper, 2025.
After Oscar: The Legacy of a Scandal is published by Europa Editions.
2025, pp. 700, Hardcover
ISBN: 9781787705920
links in connection with the book launch
The book launch at Maggs together with a display of Oscar Wilde items in their Bedford Square show room.
The Guardian book review by Matthew Sturgis.
Merlin Holland at the Oscar Wilde Society Annual Dinner.
Footnote:
- ‘Reading Between the Lies’ was Merlin’s typographical slip that suggested a possible a subtitle for the book. [After Oscar p. 17] ↩︎
Hats off to you, for sharing “After Oscar”, and to Merlin for a new light on the thereafter.