A review by kikiandarrowsfishshelf
Irish Peacock and Scarlet Marquess by Merlin Holland

3.0

Unless you have been living undera rock (and if you are, can I join you?) there is whole primary election thing happening here in the U.S. In short, the media tells everyone who to vote for, and every so often a group of people vote for someone different. This person is usually strange and makes the media know it alls stupids plundits scratch thier heads. This is done so the chances of electing someone who know what he/she is doing is small.

At the very least, it does lead to debates that are as amusing as they are depressing or shocking in the stupidity of talking heads. In one of the more recent debates, the moderators, in particular, and, therefore, the candiates seemed obessessed with the idea of homosexual marriage. I'm not sure why, maybe so the homophobic jerk candiate would say something insulting to remind everyone why they voted him out of office in the greatest landslide in history. (They were also focusing on birth control for some reason).

The point here is that dispite all our advances as human beings, when you read something like this book, dated from over 100 years ago (the trial not the book), you realize we haven't really come that far.

It's enough to make you take to drinking.

Wilde declared his brillance, yet like all brillant people he fell due to a huge step in stupidity (perhaps making up for something). It is hard not to read this and keep quiet. You want to shout "Objection" "Stop talking!" "Let Stephen Fry do it". "Shut up Oscar!" "I don'care if he looked like Jude Law, be quiet".

Sadly he doesn't listen.


If you like Wilde, you should read this transcript of the first trial, the starting point for his jail time and the destruction of his life.