
Oscar Wilde
The Works of a Conformist Rebel
Norbert Kohl(Author)
Cambridge University Press
Published on 9. November 1989
Book
Hardback
452 pages
978-0-521-32463-2 (ISBN)
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Description
Originally published in English in 1989, from a 1980 German edition, this book provides a comprehensive study of Oscar Wilde's work. It aims to gain fresh insight into his literary and critical oeuvre by fully analysing each of his works on the basis of a textually oriented interpretation, taking equal account of the biographical and intellectual contexts. Professor Kohl's starting-point is the thesis that Wilde's identity - both personal and artistic - can only be adequately described in terms of a conflict between two opposing forces: individualism and convention. This conflict colours not only Wilde's use of Romantic and Victorian images and motifs, but also his modern portrayal of the individual's alienation from society, the loss of transcendent values, the sovereignty of subjectivity and autonomous art, and also his formal experiments with language. This is a penetrating and highly readable account of Wilde as a 'conformist rebel'.
Reviews / Votes
Review of the hardback: Of the German edition: 'Here at last is a standard work on Wilde, which combines all the known and relevant facts within a unified and convincing perspective.' Poetica Review of the hardback: 'Kohl's book is a long awaited basic work which gives optimal characterisation ... and never strays from its essential purpose of studying not the author's personality, but the individuality of his work.' Literatur in Wissenschaft und UnterrichtMore details
Series
Language
English
Place of publication
Cambridge
United Kingdom
Target group
Professional and scholarly
College/higher education
Dimensions
Height: 228 mm
Width: 152 mm
Thickness: 28 mm
Weight
822 gr
ISBN-13
978-0-521-32463-2 (9780521324632)
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Content
Preface; Introduction; 1. Epigonic experiments: the early poems and plays; 2. The selfish and the selfless: the fairy-tales and stories; 3. Personality and perfection: the lectures, Reviews and Intentions; 4. Authority and autonomy: The Soul Man under Socialism; 5. Culture and corruption: The Picture of Dorian Gray; 6. Sensuality and suggestion: Salome and The Sphinx; 7. Pathos and paradox: Lady Windermere's Fan: A Woman of No Importance; An Ideal Husband; 8. Propriety and parody: The Importance of Being Earnest; 9. Apologies and accusations: De Profundis and The Ballad of Reading Gaol; 10. Plans, sketches and fragments; Conclusion; List of abbreviations; Notes; Select bibliography; Index.