Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity Book PDF, ePub eBook

Join our eBook service for unlimited books & audiobooks. Get a free 7 day subscription! ↓↓↓↓↓


Book Descriptions:

The story of Oscar Wilde’s landmark 1882 American tour explains how this quotable literary eminence became famous for being famous.

On January 3, 1882, Oscar Wilde, a twenty-seven-year-old “genius”―at least by his own reckoning―arrived in New York. The Dublin-born Oxford man had made such a spectacle of himself in London with his eccentric fashion sense, acerbic wit, and extravagant passion for art and home design that Gilbert & Sullivan wrote an operetta lampooning him. He was hired to go to America to promote that work by presenting lectures on interior decorating. But Wilde had his own business plan. He would go to promote himself.

And he did, traveling some 15,000 miles and visiting 150 American cities as he created a template for fame creation that still works today. Though Wilde was only the author of a self-published book of poems and an unproduced play, he presented himself as a “star,” taking the stage in satin breeches and a velvet coat with lace trim as he sang the praises of sconces and embroidered pillows―and himself. What Wilde so presciently understood is that fame could launch a career as well as cap one.

David M. Friedman’s lively and often hilarious narrative whisks us across nineteenth-century America, from the mansions of Gilded Age Manhattan to roller-skating rinks in Indiana, from an opium den in San Francisco to the bottom of the Matchless silver mine in Colorado―then the richest on earth―where Wilde dined with twelve gobsmacked miners, later describing their feast to his friends in London as “First course: whiskey. Second course: whiskey. Third course: whiskey.”

But, as Friedman shows, Wilde was no mere clown; he was a strategist. From his antics in London to his manipulation of the media―Wilde gave 100 interviews in America, more than anyone else in the world in 1882―he designed every move to increase his renown. There had been famous people before him, but Wilde was the first to become famous for being famous. Wilde in America is an enchanting tale of travel and transformation, comedy and capitalism―an unforgettable story that teaches us about our present as well as our past.

16 pages of illustrations

Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity by David M. Friedman

From reader reviews:

Lisa Gaither:

What do you think about book? It is just for students as they are still students or it for all people in the world, the actual best subject for that? Only you can be answered for that question above. Every person has several personality and hobby for each and every other. Don't to be forced someone or something that they don't wish do that. You must know how great and also important the book Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity. All type of book is it possible to see on many methods. You can look for the internet sources or other social media.

Lori McDonald:

Spent a free time for you to be fun activity to perform! A lot of people spent their free time with their family, or their very own friends. Usually they accomplishing activity like watching television, gonna beach, or picnic from the park. They actually doing same every week. Do you feel it? Would you like to something different to fill your personal free time/ holiday? Could be reading a book could be option to fill your no cost time/ holiday. The first thing that you will ask may be what kinds of book that you should read. If you want to consider look for book, may be the publication untitled Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity can be good book to read. May be it is usually best activity to you.

Angela Latham:

A lot of people always spent their very own free time to vacation as well as go to the outside with them family or their friend. Do you know? Many a lot of people spent these people free time just watching TV, or playing video games all day long. If you would like try to find a new activity here is look different you can read the book. It is really fun for yourself. If you enjoy the book that you read you can spent the entire day to reading a e-book. The book Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity it is rather good to read. There are a lot of people that recommended this book. They were enjoying reading this book. In case you did not have enough space to develop this book you can buy often the e-book. You can m0ore very easily to read this book from a smart phone. The price is not to fund but this book possesses high quality.

Nathaniel Mitchell:

A lot of publication has printed but it is unique. You can get it by internet on social media. You can choose the most effective book for you, science, comedian, novel, or whatever through searching from it. It is identified as of book Wilde in America: Oscar Wilde and the Invention of Modern Celebrity. You can add your knowledge by it. Without leaving the printed book, it might add your knowledge and make you happier to read. It is most crucial that, you must aware about reserve. It can bring you from one destination to other place.