Lady Jane Wilde letters to Oscar

 Karen Sasha Anthony Tipper has edited  a collection of the correspondence between Lady Jane Wilde with her son, the famous Irish playwright, Oscar Wilde. The letters accumulated in this edition surround three areas upon which their relationship was founded – a mother’s love for her child, pride in Wilde’s status as a writer, and his ability to provide her with a financial safety net. Significantly, Tipper’s translation of Lady Jane’s nearly indecipherable script and the historical context in which she places Lady Jane’s letters give the reader an added depth of knowledge into the life of Lady Jane and Oscar Wilde. While the book ends before Wilde’s disgrace, the letters correct a great deal of misinformation and generalizations about Wilde by his detractor.

Reviews

“…this volume continues Professor Tipper’s career-long effort to recover for us a more just appreciation of Lady Jane Wilde … That love of things of the mind apparent throughout the other two volumes of letters, and perhaps Jane’s most important influence on her son, remains evident here as well.” – Prof. Bruce Bashford, Stony Brook University

“… a rich source of information about the life and times of Lady Jane Wilde’s family and friends. The letters rectify some of the misinformation about Lady Wilde that has been transmitted through the years.” – Dr. Sonia Burnard Forest, Independent Primary Collegiate

“Dr. Tipper has added immeasurably to our understanding of the Wilde family, and in particular, of Lady Jane Wilde. Her meticulous research and painstaking translation of Lady Wilde’s nearly indecipherable script has added a depth of knowledge.” – Prof. Mary A. Trottier, Nichols College

Lady Jane Wilde

Karen Sasha Anthony Tipper received her Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin, Madison. She is Professor Emeritus of English at Nichols College, Massachusetts.