Record Number: 25765
Reading Experience:
Evidence:
Books read by Oscar Wilde in Pentonville and Wandsworth Prisons, June - November 1895: St Augustine, "Confessions" and "De Civitate Dei"; Pascal, "Pensees" and "Provincial Letters"; Walter Pater, "Studies in the History of the Renaissance"; T. Mommsen, "The History of Rome" (5 vols); Cardinal Newman, "The Grammar of Ascent", "Apologia Pro Vita Sua", "Two Essays on Miracles" and "The Idea of a University".
Century:1850-1899
Date:Between 1 Jun 1892 and 21 Nov 1895
Country:England
Timen/a
Place:city: London
specific address: Pentonville and Wandsworth Prisons
location in dwelling: Cell
(Reader):
silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
(Listener):
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown
Reader / Listener / Reading Group:
Reader: Age:Adult (18-100+)
Gender:Male
Date of Birth:16 Oct 1854
Socio-Economic Group:Professional / academic / merchant / farmer
Occupation:writer
Religion:n/a
Country of Origin:Ireland
Country of Experience:England
Listeners present if any:e.g family, servants, friends
n/a
Additional Comments:
n/a
Text Being Read:
Author: Title:Two Essays on Miracles
Genre:Other religious
Form of Text:Print: Book
Publication Detailsn/a
Provenanceborrowed (institution library)
borrowed from prison libraries, though specially ordered for Oscar Wilde by Liberal MP Richard Haldane
Source Information:
Record ID:25765
Source:Thomas Wright
Editor:n/a
Title:Oscar's Books
Place of Publication:London
Date of Publication:2008
Vol:n/a
Page:Appendix IIa, p.319
Additional Comments:
n/a
Citation:
Thomas Wright, Oscar's Books, (London, 2008), p. Appendix IIa, p.319, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=25765, accessed: 26 September 2024
Additional Comments:
Source author explains: '[Richard] Haldane purchased all the selected volumes, perhaps with the financial help of Lady Brooke, and sent them to Pentonville. Although Wilde had yet to serve three months of his sentence, the books were issued to him at the rate of one title per week...' (pp. 244)Wilde read and re-read everything that was available to him.