Oscar Wilde, the Story of an Unhappy Friendship

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This historic book may contain numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can often download a free scanned copy of the original book from the publisher. Not indexed or illustrated, this is the 1902 edition. An excerpt describes an evening spent with Oscar Wilde and the poet Rollinat at Hotel Voltaire. After dinner, Rollinat recited his haunting Ballad of Troppmann, a poem that captivated and terrified the audience, enhanced by his wild gestures. Wilde expressed satisfaction, while the experience left the narrator feeling deep melancholy. The narrator pondered whether Wilde felt compelled to intervene, given his influence and reputation. The silence and approval Wilde displayed in the face of Rollinat's self-destructive performance troubled the narrator, who questioned Wilde's stance on intervention. When asked if he would save a man jumping into the river, Wilde replied that it would be an impertinence to interfere, viewing suicide as a calculated act beyond his right to disrupt. This perspective revealed Wilde's complex nature—both a supreme egotist and deeply altruistic, embodying individualism alongside a generous spirit, rejecting the selfishness often masked by self-sacrifice.