Formatting: 8vo, pp. xi, 184.  

Condition Report: Very Good. The volume is tightly bound in its original cream buckram, which shows some expected, mild age-darkening to the spine and minor rubbing at the extremities. The boards themselves remain clean beneath a clear protective plastic sleeve; the light reflecting off the folds and surface of this outer plastic should not be mistaken for dampstaining or discoloration to the cloth underneath. The binding remains firm and square. Internally, the text block is pleasingly bright, with the deckled fore and bottom edges lending an unpressed, authentic character to the leaves. The top edge shows typical shelf-dusting. Pages are crisp, securely attached, and free from significant foxing or blemish, save for standard, very mild age-toning to the margins. A handsome, well-preserved copy.

Catalogue Note:This is a highly collectible First Edition, issued strictly to subscribers by Peter Davies in 1933. It is a Limited Edition, restricted to just 500 copies, with this specific volume numbered 166. Adding to its scarcity, the limitation page bears the authentic signature of the author, G. J. Renier.  

The text is prefaced by a striking photographic frontispiece portrait of Oscar Wilde. Bound in its original buckram, the volume retains its untrimmed deckle edges, preserving the publisher's original aesthetic intentions. Finding this limited release in such sturdy, clean condition on the open market is uncommon, making it a desirable acquisition for collectors of Wildeiana.  

G.J. Renier’s Oscar Wilde is a perceptive and engaging biography issued during a period of critical re-evaluation of Wilde's legacy. Renier, a Dutch-born historian and author, brings a measured and nuanced perspective to Wilde's life, tracing his triumphant highs in late-Victorian society and his subsequent, tragic downfall. Unlike sensationalist accounts of the era, this biographical portrait aims to untangle the myth from the man, providing a scholarly yet highly readable examination of one of literature’s most enduringly fascinating figures.