The Weight of Angels
by John Boyne
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Description
Can one rash decision prove the difference between a life well lived and a life destroyed? When the Marquis of Queensbury left his calling card at the Albemarle Club in February 1895, it bore only his name and five words: 'For Oscar Wilde, posing Somdomite'. The most feted playwright of his day famously sued for libel, which led to his arrest, criminal prosecution, and ultimately prison. From then on, his gilded existence spiralled into public disgrace, humiliation, and an early death. But show more what if he had simply ignored the insult? What direction might his life have taken? This is the premise of John Boyne's extraordinary new novel, The Weight of Angels. Rather than dying in penury in Paris at the age of forty-six, what if he had lived to bear witness to the momentous events and cataclysmic changes of the first part of the twentieth century, and even influence some of them? What if the second half of his life were as celebrated, dramatic, tumultuous, and exhilarating as the first? In imagining the life that Oscar Wilde never had, John Boyne has written one of the great what-if stories of modern literature, giving the great Anglo-Irish poet and playwright a fresh new voice and the opportunity to take an entirely different path. show lessMember Reviews
Three and one-half stars
Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley
A “what if” reimagining that gives Oscar Wilde an alternative life [to the ripe old age of 98] and, thus allows for his interaction with many of historical touchstones. Strong, complex characters fill the pages, interacting with Wilde. Historical events, emotions, societal issues, humor, and sadness all play a part in this intriguing speculation that is likely to remain with the reader long after the final page has been turned.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction, who are fans of Oscar Wilde’s works, and who enjoy speculative fiction will find much to appreciate here.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Henry Holt & Company / Henry Holt and Co. and show more NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#TheWeightofAngels #NetGalley show less
Review of Uncorrected Digital Galley
A “what if” reimagining that gives Oscar Wilde an alternative life [to the ripe old age of 98] and, thus allows for his interaction with many of historical touchstones. Strong, complex characters fill the pages, interacting with Wilde. Historical events, emotions, societal issues, humor, and sadness all play a part in this intriguing speculation that is likely to remain with the reader long after the final page has been turned.
Readers who enjoy historical fiction, who are fans of Oscar Wilde’s works, and who enjoy speculative fiction will find much to appreciate here.
Recommended.
I received a free copy of this eBook from Henry Holt & Company / Henry Holt and Co. and show more NetGalley and am voluntarily leaving this review.
#TheWeightofAngels #NetGalley show less
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Author Information
43+ Works 31,614 Members
Acclaimed Irish novelist John Boyne was born in Dublin, Ireland on April 30, 1971. He studied English Literature at Trinity College, Dublin and Creative Writing at the University of East Anglia. He has written dozens of short stories and many novels, including the New York Times bestseller The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas. An award-winning film show more adaptation of this work was released in 2008. In 2015 his title, A History of Lonelines made The New Zealand Best Seller List. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
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- Canonical title
- The Weight of Angels
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