The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde facts for kids
First edition cover
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| Author | Peter Ackroyd |
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| Country | United Kingdom |
| Language | English |
| Publisher | Hamish Hamilton |
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Publication date
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April 1983 |
| Media type | Print (Hardback & Paperback) |
| ISBN | 978-0-241-10964-9 |
The Last Testament of Oscar Wilde is a 1983 novel by Peter Ackroyd. It won the Somerset Maugham Award in 1984.
Contents
About the Book
This book is a special kind of story. It is written as if it were a secret diary. This diary belongs to the famous writer Oscar Wilde.
A Fictional Diary
The story takes place in Paris in the year 1900. It covers the time leading up to Oscar Wilde's death. Even though the diary feels real, it is completely made up by the author, Peter Ackroyd.
Real People, Fictional Story
Many of the people in the diary are real historical figures. These include Lord Alfred Douglas and Robert Ross. The novel lets us imagine what Oscar Wilde might have thought. He looks back at his life and his writing.
New Fairy Tales
Oscar Wilde was famous for writing beautiful fairy tales. In this novel, Peter Ackroyd includes new fairy tales. These stories are written in a style similar to Wilde's own. However, these fairy tales are also inventions by Ackroyd.
The Valet's Words
The very last parts of the diary are not written by Oscar Wilde. They are written from the point of view of Maurice. Maurice was Oscar Wilde's personal helper, called a valet. This gives a different look at the story's end.
