Relative Failures The Lives of Willie Wilde, Mabel Beardsley and Howard Sturgis by Matthew Sturgis
Imagine being the sibling of the brilliant, fantastically talented and charming Oscar Wilde. How would you handle it? What would you do? Willie, Oscar’s older brother, started off well - he was also handsome, brilliant, engaging and considered likely to become a great success. There were actually more hopes for him than for Oscar! However, laziness was his downfall, and the man who used to sing at the piano with a drink nearby, holding a cigarette, descended into drunkenness and debt. He did, however, contribute greatly to his brother’s success in the early days, spruiking Oscar’s many talents and creating an aura around him. The delightfully bohemian Mabel Beardsley, who trailed around in long evening dresses with trains in the daytime, also had a tough time competing with her talented brother. However, she managed to become a minor actress, and a society hostess, listing famous people amongst her friends. I found Aubrey and Mabel’s conversion to Catholicism especially interesti...
