{"product_id":"2940016191034","title":"Oscar Wilde: Sodomy And Heresy","description":"Prisoner C.3.3.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"...I wanted to eat of the fruit of all the trees in the garden of the world. And so, indeed, I went out, and so I lived. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e\"My only mistake was that I confined myself so exclusively to the trees of what seemed to me the sun-lit side of the garden; and shunned the other side for its shadow and its gloom...\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e--Oscar Wilde\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOscar Wilde is notably celebrated as an artist persecuted for his homosexuality, a martyr for the cause of gay rights. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe was prosecuted for \"acts of gross indecency with other male persons,\" (sodomy) subsequently found guilty, and sentenced to two years hard labor at Reading Gaol prison. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHe became known as \"prisoner C.3.3.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe famed writer of Dorian Gray and The Importance of Being Earnest brought attention to his private life in a feud with Sir John Douglas, the Marquess of Queensbury, whose son, twenty two year old Lord Alfred Douglas, was intimately involved with Wilde.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt this time, homosexuality was both a crime, and a grave societal taboo in Britain. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter Douglas, an uncompromising homophobe, began widely publicizing his objections to Wilde's flagrant behavior, Wilde felt duty-bound to sue him for libel in the spring of 1895.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eIn his defense, Douglas argued that Wilde had solicited at least 12 boys to commit sodomy, between 1892 and 1894. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eOn only the third day of the proceedings, Wilde's lawyer withdrew the suit, since there was more than ample evidence of his client's guilt. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAfter that, the Crown issued a warrant for Wilde's arrest on indecency charges. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eRather than flee to France, as he had been advised to do by many of his supporters, including playwright George Bernard Shaw, Wilde decided to remain, and stand trial. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt a preliminary bail hearing, chambermaids testified that they had seen young men in Wilde's bed, and a hotel housekeeper stated that there were fecal and other stains on his bed sheets. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilde was denied bail.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt Wilde's first criminal trial, he was cross-examined extensively on the \"love that dare not speak its name.\" \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilde managed to secure a mistrial, when a single juror refused to vote to convict. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eHis fateful second trial began on May 21, 1895. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAlthough many of the potential witnesses refused to betray Wilde by testifying against him, he was subsequently found guilty of all charges.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAt his sentencing, the judge remarked: \"It is the worst case I have ever tried. I shall pass the severest sentence that the law allows. In my judgment it is totally inadequate for such a case as this. The sentence of the Court is that you be imprisoned and kept to hard labor for two years.\"\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eWilde served his two years, then spent the last three years of his life in exile. \u003cbr\u003eHe died at the age of 45 and was buried in Paris.\u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003e? Contains bonus material: The Picture Of Dorian Gray, Oscar Wilde's only novel. Translated into virtually every modern language, it has not been out of print since 1890. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eThe Picture of Dorian Gray is one of Oscar Wilde's genuine masterpieces; a fascinating work of artistry deserving of the label in a thousand different ways.  It can be found on countless lists of the finest literary works of all time, and is one of his major achievements. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eBrimming with powerful homoerotic imagery and symbolism, its intensity sustained by roguish irony and moments of exquisite beauty, Wilde's masterpiece is one of the most profoundly debauched creations in literary history. It has thrilled readers for over one hundred years. \u003cbr\u003e\u003cbr\u003eAs Publisher's Weekly noted, \"The Picture of Dorian Gray categorically changed Victorian Britain and the landscape of literature. An ostentatious, self-confessed aesthete, known for his wit and intellect, Wilde not only had to endure his prose being labeled \"poisonous\" and \"vulgar,\" but also suffer its use as evidence in his ensuing trial, resulting in his eventual imprisonment for crimes of \"gross indecency.\"","brand":"Editions Artisan Devereaux, LLC","offers":[{"title":"Default Title","offer_id":47101317972208,"sku":"2940016191034","price":3.65,"currency_code":"USD","in_stock":true}],"thumbnail_url":"\/\/cdn.shopify.com\/s\/files\/1\/0737\/7593\/9824\/files\/2940016191034_p0.jpg?v=1763630876","url":"https:\/\/shop-qa.barnesandnoble.com\/products\/2940016191034","provider":"Barnes \u0026 Noble (DEV)","version":"1.0","type":"link"}