Status
Available
Call number
Series
Collection
Publication
John Murray (2007), Edition: First Edition, Hardcover, 352 pages
Description
Fiction. Mystery. HTML: London, 1889. Oscar Wilde, celebrated poet, wit, playwright, and raconteur is the literary sensation of his age. All Europe lies at his feet. Yet when he chances across the naked corpse of sixteen-year-old Billy Wood, posed by candlelight in a dark stifling attic room, he cannot ignore the brutal murder. With the help of fellow author Arthur Conan Doyle he sets out to solve the crime�but it is Wilde's unparalleled access to all degrees of late Victorian life, from society drawing rooms to the underclass, that will prove the decisive factor in the investigation of what turns out to be a series of brutal killings. Oscar Wilde and a Death of No Importance is a classic murder mystery in the tradition of Dorothy L. Sayers and Arthur Conan Doyle..… (more)
User reviews
LibraryThing member dsc73277
An enjoyable late Victorian murder-mystery from the one time star of breakfast television and "Countdown". Using Oscar Wilde as his amateur sleuth gives Brandreth the opportunity of raiding the many witty quotations from this colourful historical figure, and it is an opportunity he seizes with both
Given my historical background, I am often uneasy about fictional representations of real people. They leave me curious about how much is based on fact, and how much has been dreamt up by the author. I will now have to read more about Wilde to distinguish one from the other. I should probably read some of his own work whilst I am at it.
Brandreth was a Tory MP from 1992 to 1997, which led me to wonder if he was having a bit of fun at the expense of some of his political opponents by using as address in Cowley Street as the scene of the crime. Cowley Street, though not number 23 where the murder occurs, houses the head quarters of the Liberal Democrats.
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hands. His own lively writing style also held my attention.Given my historical background, I am often uneasy about fictional representations of real people. They leave me curious about how much is based on fact, and how much has been dreamt up by the author. I will now have to read more about Wilde to distinguish one from the other. I should probably read some of his own work whilst I am at it.
Brandreth was a Tory MP from 1992 to 1997, which led me to wonder if he was having a bit of fun at the expense of some of his political opponents by using as address in Cowley Street as the scene of the crime. Cowley Street, though not number 23 where the murder occurs, houses the head quarters of the Liberal Democrats.
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LibraryThing member SmithSJ01
This book is fabulous. Starting with the front cover - it's vibrant mix of colours and patterns represents the characters excellently. It was actually the cover that caught my eye rather than hearing about the book. I think this has done Gyles Brandreth a favour as most people won't know this side
The plot is quirky and sucks you straight in. Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde are friends (this is confirmed in the notes at the back of the book), Doyle is in the middle of having one or two books published and Wilde enjoys the character of Sherlock Holmes. Thrown into the mix is the great-grandson of Wordsworth, Robert Sherard. Documented information is filtered throughout the novel and it is narrated by Robert.
It is written in the tradition (from the blurb) of Dorothy Sayers (whom I am not familiar with) and Arthur Conan Doyle. An easy read which will have you looking for clues as the novel progresses. Enjoyable characters and superbly written prose - I can't wait for the next one!
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of him; instead they'll know him for his more dryer material! The plot is quirky and sucks you straight in. Arthur Conan Doyle and Oscar Wilde are friends (this is confirmed in the notes at the back of the book), Doyle is in the middle of having one or two books published and Wilde enjoys the character of Sherlock Holmes. Thrown into the mix is the great-grandson of Wordsworth, Robert Sherard. Documented information is filtered throughout the novel and it is narrated by Robert.
It is written in the tradition (from the blurb) of Dorothy Sayers (whom I am not familiar with) and Arthur Conan Doyle. An easy read which will have you looking for clues as the novel progresses. Enjoyable characters and superbly written prose - I can't wait for the next one!
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LibraryThing member mana_tominaga
A young artist's model is found dead in a ritualized slaughter scene. Legendary writer and wit Wilde solicits help from his friend Doyle and Sherard to investigate. Wonderfully evocative portraits of fictionalized mystery writers and a satisfying twist.
LibraryThing member TheoClarke
Brandreth is a gloriously lush writer whose enthusiasm for history is this novel's grreatest strength and its key weakness. The evocation of fin-de-siecle London and the mingling of historical figures with convincing fictional characters is hugely satisfying but Brandreth's determination to display
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his learning can be tiresome and the relentless presentation of historical facts is distracting at times. For all that,he breathes sympathetic life into all his characters and the historian in me could find no fault with his depiction of those aspects that were already known to me. The plot may be unremarkable and its unfolding too leisurely for hardcore whodunnit enthusiasts but I was ensnared by the language, the wit, and the sense of place that pervades the whole. It takes bravado to create witticisms for literary icons such as Wilde and Conan Doyle but Brandreth carries it off with panache and I am eager to read the sequels. Show Less
LibraryThing member Prop2gether
The use of a "secret" diary by a compatriot of Wilde to tell how Wilde solved a murder mystery is extremely similiar to others, most notably Palmer's use of Wilkie Collins as a narrator for Charles Dickens solving murders in a slightly early time period. The resolution was easily solved by any
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reader of mysteries, and I found Brandeth's evocation of Wilde less interesting than Peter Ackroyd's--but still, as a sort of cozy mystery, it works just fine. Show Less
LibraryThing member djfiander
Oscar Wilde did really know Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard. But in Brandreth's novel, Wilde was also inspired by the fictional deductions of Conan Doyle's creation and as good at deduction as Holmes.
This is a simple period mystery about which the only interesting thing is the use of real
The book was poorly edited (after spending a great deal of time reiterating that a certain weekly event happens on Tuesdays, one turns the page to discover that it happened on Wednesday).
Something to take to the beach. I won't be buying further books in the series.
This is a simple period mystery about which the only interesting thing is the use of real
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people as the principal characters. Much of Wilde's dialogue is cribbed from his more quotable moments in life, and Brandreth works hard at being as ambiguous as possible about Wilde's sexuality.The book was poorly edited (after spending a great deal of time reiterating that a certain weekly event happens on Tuesdays, one turns the page to discover that it happened on Wednesday).
Something to take to the beach. I won't be buying further books in the series.
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LibraryThing member devenish
The first book in the series which features Oscar Wilde in the guise of a detective. In this he is assisted by Robert Sherard and Arthur Conan Doyle. The case he investigates concerns the murder of a young boy in a candle-lit room,in a low and dubious area of Victorian London.
The question is,does
Furthermore the identity of the murderer(s) was fairly obvious at an early stage and came as no surprise,when finally announced.
So,an ok verdict on this first book which has possibilities for more tales in the same vein and hopefully improvements will follow.
The question is,does
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this all come off ?. Well the scene is set well,and individually the characters are quite believable. There are some lovely quotations from both of the main characters too. However when you put Wilde and Doyle together in the investigation the reader will begin to think,'hold on a moment,this just doesn't sound right,it should be Doyle leading, and Wilde following his deductions.Furthermore the identity of the murderer(s) was fairly obvious at an early stage and came as no surprise,when finally announced.
So,an ok verdict on this first book which has possibilities for more tales in the same vein and hopefully improvements will follow.
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LibraryThing member Dorritt
Competent, but nothing special. The mystery is not particulary engaging; more disappointingly, the Oscar Wilde character never really becomes real. The witty aphorisms are there, the eccentric clothing, the accurate biographical details, but you never get an idea of the psychological motivations
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driving this complex and fascinating man. Overall, I got the strong impression that the author really would have preferred to have Arthur Conan Doyle (a good friend of Oscar Wilde's, as it turns out) as his main character. Indeed, this wasn't really a book about Oscar Wilde solving a mystery; this was a book about Oscar Wilde pretending to be Sherlock Holmes solving a mystery. Maybe his publisher said that Oscar Wilde on the cover would sell better? Show Less
LibraryThing member omnia_mutantur
One would think it would be hard to go wrong with a novel about Oscar Wilde and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle teaming up to solve the murder of pretty young boy. Maybe it is hard to go wrong, but wrong this went (to me). This was totally an was an uphill slog.
LibraryThing member sageness
aka Oscar Wilde and the Candlelight Murders
LibraryThing member librisissimo
Fun if you're a Wilde & Holmes fan, but not a first-rate mystery despite the trappings.
LibraryThing member LARA335
Well-written murder-mystery, with Oscar Wilde becoming detective to solve the bizarre murder of a beautiful young man. Rich in Victorian detail and Oscar's amusing sayings. And I didn't see the twist coming.
LibraryThing member cbl_tn
Author Oscar Wilde is shaken by his discovery of the naked and bloody corpse of a teenage acquaintance Billy Wood. However, he doesn't immediately go to the police. While breakfasting the next morning with his friends Robert Sherard and his new acquaintance Arthur Conan Doyle, Wilde tells them
The pacing of the investigation is uneven, with several months elapsing between the murder and its resolution. Some of the descriptive passages are repetitive. For instance, Wilde is often described as “on song” and “wearing his bottle-green overcoat with the astrakhan collar”. Although some aspects of the book are flawed, this was still an entertaining read. Gyles Brandreth's affection for Oscar Wilde is contagious.
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about his gruesome discovery and asks them to return to the scene of the crime with him. Wilde is as surprised as anyone to find an empty room with no trace of a body or of the crime that had been committed there. It seems that Scotland Yard is not interesting in investigating a crime without a body or evidence, so Wilde sets out to solve the murder himself, assisted by his friend and diarist Sherard. Taking his inspiration from Doyle's A Study in Scarlet, Wilde assumes the persona of Sherlock Holmes.The pacing of the investigation is uneven, with several months elapsing between the murder and its resolution. Some of the descriptive passages are repetitive. For instance, Wilde is often described as “on song” and “wearing his bottle-green overcoat with the astrakhan collar”. Although some aspects of the book are flawed, this was still an entertaining read. Gyles Brandreth's affection for Oscar Wilde is contagious.
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LibraryThing member susan259
Very nicely done mix of historical fiction and mystery. The author communicates the flavor of the time period without overdoing it. I love all the food and drink and restaurants and clothes and conversations. I am looking forward to the second one.
LibraryThing member susan259
Very nicely done mix of historical fiction and mystery. The author communicates the flavor of the time period without overdoing it. I love all the food and drink and restaurants and clothes and conversations. I am looking forward to the second one.
LibraryThing member susan259
Very nicely done mix of historical fiction and mystery. The author communicates the flavor of the time period without overdoing it. I love all the food and drink and restaurants and clothes and conversations. I am looking forward to the second one.
LibraryThing member john257hopper
This started off very well, with the discovery by Oscar Wilde of the dead body of a boy on the first page. With Wilde as the central character, playing at being Sherlock Holmes and occassionally sparring with Arthur Conan Doyle, this was full of witty lines and laugh out loud moments. However, I
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thought it sagged in the middle and became a bit irritating - would even a group of litterateurs laugh over a drink in a club while holding a severed head in a box? A dramatic ending, though. An engaging read, but a bit superficial, not sure if I will read the others in the series. 4/5 Show Less
LibraryThing member mschaefer
A mystery with Oscar Wilde as a rather poor imitation of Sherlock Holmes. Doesn't work very well either as a mystery or as a Oscare Wilde story though it is occasionally fun to read.
LibraryThing member ChazziFrazz
Oscar Wilde portrayed as a detective, in the style of Sherlock Holmes, involved in solving murders based on real events during the Victorian era. Among his friends are Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard, people that he did know and associate with during his life time.
Oscar finds Billy Wood
While reading, I felt that I was viewing the world and sections of society at the time. Layers that are one upon the other in an effort to hide some of the ugliness that existed below the genteel façade of Victorian life. These layers had to be gently peeled back to reveal the associations and activities that led to Billy Wood's death. Activities by well known and public people that would lose their place in Victorian society if things became known.
With a good number of twists and turns Wilde slowly puts together what has happened. The help of Doyle and Sherard and Wilde's network of spies (think Baker Street Irregulars) help with the gathering of information on the possible suspects.
This is the first in the series and I have already picked up the second book and started reading. This is a book that can be read leisurely and savoured.
Oscar finds Billy Wood
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brutally murdered. A young man that Oscar knew and liked. When the body disappears the real mystery begins. Who took the body and why? Why was Billy Wood murdered in the fashion he was? Answers to these questions are to be found in the dark areas of Victorian life. Areas that society doesn't want to acknowledge exists. Areas that Oscar is familiar of.While reading, I felt that I was viewing the world and sections of society at the time. Layers that are one upon the other in an effort to hide some of the ugliness that existed below the genteel façade of Victorian life. These layers had to be gently peeled back to reveal the associations and activities that led to Billy Wood's death. Activities by well known and public people that would lose their place in Victorian society if things became known.
With a good number of twists and turns Wilde slowly puts together what has happened. The help of Doyle and Sherard and Wilde's network of spies (think Baker Street Irregulars) help with the gathering of information on the possible suspects.
This is the first in the series and I have already picked up the second book and started reading. This is a book that can be read leisurely and savoured.
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Subjects
Language
Original publication date
2007-05-03
Physical description
352 p.; 5.67 x 1.26 inches
ISBN
0719569206 / 9780719569203
Local notes
A young artist's model has been murdered, and legendary wit Oscar Wilde enlists his friends Arthur Conan Doyle and Robert Sherard to help him investigate. But when they arrive at the scene of the crime they find no sign of the gruesome killing -- save one small spatter of blood, high on the wall.
Ex-library.
Ex-library.