I’ve just finished Built of Books by Thomas Wright, which examines the life of Oscar Wilde through the books he loved and owned.
Gathering up such a list seems a daunting task at first but an avalanche of records exist to guide the author in his quest. For example, Trinity College has the record of books that Wilde checked out during his studies. Many booksellers have their bill of sales to Wilde over the years. Since his library was auctioned off to pay his debts before entering prison, there is a record of its entire contents. While Oscar was in prison, he requested numerous books and gaols (let my spelling be – I’ve soaked up the spirit of the times and culture of the author) kept these records as well. It’s a pretty incredible example of a digital footprint before the concept of digital even existed. (One that obviously occurred due to Wilde’s early fame and notoriety. Not all records were created equal, natch.)
But all these breadcrumbs have me thinking, what will future scholarship of the heavyweights of today look like? How much mind-numbing data will have to be slagged through in order to investigate a thinker’s or an idea’s genesis? Will the preponderance of data about everything (and thus, nothing) obscure that small nugget that is truly extraordinary and worthy of further study? I don’t think I want or need to know Richard Powers’ weekly grocery delivery from Peapod.
If you are an Oscar fan, a lover of Classics studies, and/or fascinated by personal pedagogies, RUN don’t walk to your favorite bookseller and get this book. I laughed out loud numerous times and scribbled down many items for my “to read” list. One cannot help but be dazzled and inspired by the depth and breadth of Wilde’s intellect and wit.
My fantasy life involves me lounging about a library in a fabulous estate somewhere, scaling ladders to reach volumes that contain unknown secrets. I don’t envision this in the Nicolas Cage “National Treasure” variety of adventure, more in the Merchant Ivory production vein. My fantasy estate library also is completely tech-tricked out and my trusty laptop is at my side, ready to access databases and chat groups alike.
For fun, check out the Oscholars and the Oscar Wilde Society. The man’s been dead for more than a century and ‘gossip’ still abounds.
Happy Reading!
Born Curious 
Thanks for your kind words about my book. Writing it nearly killed me, but kind criticisms such as yours are slowly bringing me back to life.
If you love books so much, I’d recommend Jonathan Livingstone Lowes’s ‘The Road to Xanadu’ – a classic from which I took much inspiration. Happy reading to you.