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Oscar Wilde E Il Gioco Della Morte (2008)

by Gyles Brandreth(Favorite Author)

3.77 of 5 Votes: 5

ISBN

8820046105 (ISBN13: 9788820046101)

languge

English

genre

Mystery & Thriller

publisher

Sperling & Kupfer

series

The Oscar Wilde Murder Mysteries

review 1: One of the many horrors of Christmas is being bought books which those who understand you very poorly think you might enjoy. This was just such a volume. If you're the sort of person who calls a quotation 'a quote', or who buys a fridge magnet with a 'saying' of Oscar Wilde on it ('I can resist everything except a handbag'), you'll love it. I found it lazy and opportunistic. Needless to say, all the best lines are Wilde's - when Brandreth pastiches him, the results are rather like my 7 year old neighbour's attempts at Beethoven. The historical background is thin and name-droppy. Those who know their Wilde may enjoy recognising the intersection of his life with this fiction, but that is the sole pleasure to be gained. The mystery is contrived and preposterous. Wilde would s... moreurely never have had any interest in the vulgar processes of ratiocination, and he could find many more rewarding ways of misapplying his intelligence than by untying Gordian granny-knots. And as for the dialogue...please Gyles, stop using 'Oscar murmured'. If I had a Smartie for every time you deploy this expression, I would soon be as fat as Oscar himself. Peter Ackroyd's version of the Wilde voice is far more engaging (and convincing).From now on, I am placing an embargo on all Christmas presents from aunts.
review 2: Not my favourite of my recent murder mysteries, but still a good read with an interesting twist. My only quibble with this series is that there's a lot of what I think is quite obvious foreshadowing of Oscars future that's written in a way that jars to me - a bit like having someone sat next to you elbowing you saying "look - that's a reference to Oscar getting imprisoned" "look there's a suggestion about where Conan Doyle got a bit of plot from". I've read other books with similar nods to real life characters that have seemed more natural. less

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