The Evening Star - Saturday, June 1, 1895
This report was originally published in English. Machine translations may be available in other languages.
LITERARY NOTES.
[From Our Special Correspondent.]
London, April 19.
All Oscar Wilde's books have been withdrawn from circulation, and are already worth well-nigh their weight in silver as "curios." Copies of 'Dorian Gray' in its original magazine form in 'Lippincott's' easily fetched £3 to £5 apiece, and should be carefully preserved. Of course I refer to the unexpurgated issue, and not to the revised version, which till a fortnight ago Ward, Lock published. The value of the 'Chameleon,' the objectionable periodical produced by the Oscarian clique, and strangled by its publishers ere fifty numbers had been sold, is probably £25. I know, indeed, this sum was recently refused for one by Messrs Gay and Bird, who have the balance of the issue locked away in the recesses of their private safe. Apart from the single story of 'The Priest and the Acolyte,' the 'Chameleon' was the usually wishy-washy "æstheria" and indistinguishable from other short-lived periodicals of its school.
All Oscar Wilde's books have been withdrawn from circulation, and are already worth wellnigh their weight in silver as "curios." Copies of "Dorian Gray," in its original magazine form in Lippincott's, easily fetch 3 to 5 apiece, and should be most carefully preeerved. Of course I refer to the unexpurgated issue and not to the revised version, which till a fortnight ago Ward Lock published. The value of the Chameleon, the objectionable periodical, produced by the Oscarian clique and strangled by its publishers ere fifty numbers had been sold, is probably 25. I know, indeed, this sum was recently refused for one by Messrs Gay and Bird, who have the balance of the issue locked away in the recesses of their private safe. Apart from the single story of "The Priest and the Acolyte," the Chameleon was the usually wisby-wasby "AEtheria," and indistinguishable from other short-lived periodicals of its school.
Our London correspondent writes:—All Oscar Wilde's books have been withdrawn from circulation, and are already worth well nigh their weight in silver as curios. Copies of 'Dorian Gray' in its original magazine form in 'Lippincott's' easily fetch £3 to £5 a-piece, and should be most carefully preserved. Of course I refer to unexpurgated issue, and not to the revised version, which, till a fortnight ago, Ward, Lock and Co. published. THe value of the 'Chameleon,' the objectionable periodical produced by the Oscarian clique and strangled by its publishers ere fifty numbers had been sold, is probably £25. I know, indeed, this sum was recently refused for one by Messrs Gay and Bird, who have the balance of the issue locked away in the recesses of their private safe. Apart from the single story of 'The Priest and the Acolyte,' the 'Chameleon' was the usually wishy-washy 'æstheria,' and indistinguishable from other short-lived periodicals of its school.
The fact that Wilde latterly derived his mental pabulum chiefly from the 'Yellow Book,' and tucked a copy under his arm when removed to the "durance vile," will not, I fear, increase that edifying quarterly in popular estimation. If Mr Lane is wise he will suppress it without delay. The vogue for that unwholesome class of literature has received its death-blow. "The Philistine" wounded the morbid sex-maniac sorely, and Oscar has given him his coup de grace. Art with a big A has, like Humpty Dumpty, had a great fall, and never again can the misbegotten fetish exercise the influence it did over us. IN the words of Arthur Roberts, "Culchah, dear boys, is a bit off."
The fact that Mr Oscar Wilde latterly derived his mental pabulum chiefly from the 'Yellow Book,' and tucked a copy under his arm when removed to 'durance vile,' will not, I fear, increase that edifying quarterly in popular estimation. If Mr Lane is wise he will suppress it without delay. The vogue for that unwholesome class of literature has received its death-blow. 'THe Philistine' wounded the morbid sex-maniac sorely, and Oscar has given him his coup de grace. Art with a big A has, like Humpty Dumpty, had a great fall, and never again can the misbegotten fetish exercise the influence it did over us. In the words of Arthur Roberts, 'Culchah, deah boys, is a bit off.'
The fact that Oacar Wilde latterly derived his mental pabulum chiefly from the "Yellow Book," and tucked a copy under his arm when removed to "durance vile" will not, I fear, increase that edifying quarterly in popular estimation. If Mr Lane is wise he will suppress it without delay. The vogue for that class of literature has received its deathblow. "The Philistine" wounded the morbid sax maniac sorely and Oscar has given him his coup de grace. Art with a big A has, like Humpty Duinpty, had a great fall, and never again can the misbegotten fetiah exercise the influence it did over us. In the words of Arthur Roberts "Culchab, dear boys, is a bit off."
That Wilde was not unconscious of the descent to Avernus, down which his unbridled and morbid passions were surely leading him, the 'Portrait of Dorian Gray' shows us. Therein he boldly drew himself and forecast this terrible degradation. Unfortunately, physically Oscar Fingall O'Flahertie Wills Wilde is a coward, or he might have put himself partially right with "society" and saved us these ghastly revelations by committing suicide before his arrest. As he proposes to be an Atheist, this would have been a logical conclusion to his career of unbridled self-indulgence. But of course Wilde isn't an Atheist. He's too intelligent for that, and prefers the worst man can do to him to facing God.
Mr Ernest Parke, the manage of the 'Star,' smiles, I should imagine, somewhat cynically over the virtuous indignation of the public in the Wilde case. For trying to expose members of this very clique Mr Parke got twelve months' imprisonment. You see, instead of having rich men on his side to shepherd his witnesses and help him to get up his case, he had rich men to fight against. And, of course, a big blunder was made in introducing Lord Euston's name. After the object lesson of Mr Parke's reward for a public-spirited attempt to expose a notorious scandal, both public and police held their hands. We know now that hundreds of persons were cognisant of Wilde's clique's doings, and, revolted though they were, tacitly winked thereat.
"Mr Ernest Parke, the manager of the Star, smiles, I should imagine somewhat cynically over the virtuous indignation of the public in the Wilde case. For trying to expose members of this very clique, Mr Parke got twelve months' imprisonment. You see, instead of having rich men on his side to shepherd his witnesses and help him to get up his 3 case, he had rich men to fight against. And, of course, a big blunder was made in introducing Lord Euston's name."