Yep, both explainations seem very plausible. Given the kind of man Gide was, nothing he said can be taken at face value.
“Little shit’ is right, but I have some sympathy for the guy. Mental illness tends to run in families, so when you have someone genetically predisposed to something, and their home life is far from ideal, they’re doomed from the beginning.

I think Andre Gide was prone to sensationalizing, particularly where Oscar Wilde was concerned. He liked to exaggerate Oscar Wilde into this monster of evil who was ruining his life, and I’m guessing he did the same with Bosie (who was anyway a nastier person than Oscar Wilde was). I’d also add that while Bosie was a little shit in his youth and remained one throughout most if not all of his life, there’s nothing to suggest that he was interested in little boys. So I think either Gide made it all up (that seems likely), or Bosie said it to shock Gide (also possible).

*Shudder* Eh, it kinda sounds like the sort of thing Douglas would say, unfortunately. I haven’t investigated this until now. What do you think (in more detail)?

I haven’t read the McKenna and have kind of decided not to, based on stuff I read about it and reviews I read of it. It seems, anyway, tremendously reductive to frame Oscar Wilde only through the lens of his sexual life.

Do you think the Amazon reviewer who said that extremely yucky thing was thinking of that story Andre Gide tells? Andre Gide tells this story, which I sincerely doubt is true, that when he was visiting Oscar Wilde once, little Cyril was in the room playing or whatever, and after he left the room, Bosie said to Andre Gide, “He will be for me.” Rings false, doesn’t it?

But if you want some out-there opinions…

Haha, thanks! Also, Merlin Holland? What. A. Name.

The teenagers and I loved the Dorian Gray film, but maybe not for the same reasons the filmmakers might have hoped. We’ve been calling it “Dorian Gray Gets Some Tail.” I had a conversation with Trapunto about it in the comments to last week’s post on Maul.

I will look it up posthaste! In the meantime, I loathe Dornford Yates forever. :p

Hahahaha, look, I will talk Oscar Wilde to you EVERY SINGLE EVERY DAY. (I am using lots of caps in my comment replies right now but only because I have had several beers on an empty stomach.)

The thing you mention that Oscar Wilde said is one of my favorite things to tell people when they have just read Dorian Gray. 😀

What did you think about the Dorian Gray film? My sensors got thrown off because Rebecca Hall was in it, and I have the hugest girl-crush on Rebecca Hall and deeply resent that she is not a trillion times famouser than she is.

You’re welcome! If you ever, ever, ever need recommendations for books about any Oscar Wilde topic, please get in touch with me straight away and I WILL HELP YOU. FOREVER.