The Wildes: A Novel in Five Acts

Louis Bayard’s imagining of the relationship between Irish literary giant Oscar Wilde and his wife Constance is inventive and, at times, quite compelling, but — as a whole — The Wildes is a bit too uneven to be fully successful.

Bayard uses the conceit of a five act structure to tell this story. It’s a clever choice given that Oscar Wilde is best known for his works of drama and his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray. Bayard present Wilde as a man who, much like his protagonist in Dorian Gray, does not want to grow up despite having a wife and two sons. He wants to spend time with robust young men and passes it off to his wife as though he is the great benefactor of these young, emerging poets. Constance believes this as she believes in her husband’s talent and goodness, but when he is brought up on charges of gross indecency related to a relationship with Lord Alfred Douglass, Constance must confront the truth.

These sections of the book are witty and driven with urgency. They don’t last long enough. Wilde’s incarceration and death are glossed as is Constance’s own death; instead, their sons Cyril and Vyvyan are given far too many pages to keep the story moving.

Still, if you are an Oscar Wilde fan and interested in another perspective on this life, The Wildes is worth a read.