The Wildes; A Novel in Five Acts

 Louis Bayard has created an interesting novel about the life of Oscar Wilde and of course written it in five acts in The Wildes; A Novel in Five Acts.

Each act is written from a different person's point of view about the life of Oscar Wilde and his family. Starting with his wife, Constance we see how the life they lived together with their two small sons is blown open when Oscar is accused of the outrageous act of homosexuality.  It is in the fall of 1892 when Constance, Oscar and their son, Cyril are staying in a country house in the Norfolk countryside for a holiday.  Oscar invites young poets to come visit and finally when aristocratic young wannabe poet named Lord Alfred Douglas, arrives Constance begins to see what has been hiding in plain site.  Her husband's affections are revealed and their world begins to crumble.When Oscar is brought up on trial and sent to prison for homosexual relations, Constance moves her family away and changes their last name. B ut the damage is done and the two boys, Cyril and Vyvyan lives are turned upside down.  

In the next acts we learn the extent of how the adults choices have affected these tow boys lives hearing their stories and how their lives turned out.  

It is a well written account of life and the scandal of the time.  In act five the reader will see that maybe if there things were handled a little differently there could have been a different outcome. It is a fabulous story and the reader may wish that people then were as open minded as we wish to be now.