The History of Literature 370 Oscar Wilde - A Life (with Matthew Sturgis) | PLUS A Glimpse of Literary Hell (with Scott G. Bruce)
Dec 30, 2021
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Hell As Social Metaphor
- Literature repeatedly makes hell a metaphor for social injustice and the powerless's fury at the ruling class.
- Editors like Scott G. Bruce show this continuity from biblical texts to modern accounts like Treblinka.
Tundall's Vivid Vision Of Torment
- Scott G. Bruce reads the twelfth-century Vision of Tundall describing grotesque punishments for sexual misconduct.
- The vision includes frozen swamps, breeding serpents, and beasts that regurgitate and re-devour souls.
New Sources Necessitated A Fresh Biography
- Matthew Sturgis felt Richard Ellman's Wilde biography became outdated as new letters and materials surfaced.
- He wrote a new comprehensive biography to incorporate recent discoveries and changed perspectives.