This fascinating portrait of a chameleon figure - at once radical and conservative - gives a vivid picture of life in London at the turn of the 19th century. Perhaps best known as the young man who first seduced Oscar Wilde and at the end acted as Wilde's devoted and able literary executor, Robbie Ross achieved something his lover appeared incapable of - he maintained a respected position within the establishment while living an openly homosexual life, at a time when that was all too often a recipe for disgrace or prison. Ross was a remarkable character - writer, critic, art dealer and administrator, and a pivotal figure on the London literary and artistic scene from the mid-1890s to his premature death towards the end of the First World War. A favourite of the Asquiths, Robbie was a regular guest at Downing Street; a champion of the Sitwells, he nonetheless managed to remain popular with the Bloomsbury group. A friend of Aubrey Beardsley, William Rothenstein and Max Beerbohm, he was Trustee of the Tate, Valuer of Pictures for the Inland Revenue and advisor to the National Gallery in Melbourne. Above all, he was Wilde's devoted friend, and his ashes were eventually placed in Oscar's tomb, as he had always wished. Praise for Robbie Ross: 'Written in a style that is fresh and exuberant but not sensational, Fryer's biography is particularly interesting for its in-depth look at London's late Victorian gay society' - Publishers WeeklyJonathan Fryer is a Manchester-born British writer whose career began as a freelance, reporting for the Manchester Evening News on the Vietnam War. Since then, he has travelled in or reported from more than 160 countries and written a number of social histories and literary biographies.
ThriftBooks sells millions of used books at the lowest everyday prices. We personally assess every book's quality and offer rare, out-of-print treasures. We deliver the joy of reading in recyclable packaging with free standard shipping on US orders over $15. ThriftBooks.com. Read more. Spend less.