Hester Travers Smith — psychic messages from Oscar Wilde

Hardcover (imperfections on the covers), 22 x 14 cm, 179 pp., English, 1st Edition, book condition: Very Good, only spotting on the title page Hester Travers Smith (also known as Hester Dowden), a prominent Irish spiritualist medium, published Psychic Messages from Oscar Wilde in 1923 (or 1924). The work details alleged communications with the spirit of the deceased playwright Oscar Wilde, conducted through automatic writing and Ouija board sessions. Key Content and Context The ""Wilde"" Voice: The messages are noted for their attempt to mimic Wilde's signature wit and aphoristic style. In these scripts, the spirit of Wilde offers caustic literary criticisms of contemporaries, such as James Joyce's Ulysses and George Meredith. Structure: The book, sometimes titled Oscar Wilde from Purgatory, includes chapters on psychic phenomena like cryptesthesia and subconscious influence, alongside transcripts of the ""conversations"". Contributors: It features a preface by Sir William F. Barrett, a physicist and co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, who analyzed the validity of the scripts while distancing himself from the spirit's literary opinions. Reception: While spiritualists took the messages seriously, critics often viewed them as an ""uncomfortable pastiche"" of Wilde's voice or elaborate literary fan fiction. Hester Travers Smith (also known as Hester Dowden), a prominent Irish spiritualist medium, published Psychic Messages from Oscar Wilde in 1923 (or 1924). The work details alleged communications with the spirit of the deceased playwright Oscar Wilde, conducted through automatic writing and Ouija board sessions. Key Content and Context The 'Wilde' Voice: The messages are noted for their attempt to mimic Wilde's signature wit and aphoristic style. In these scripts, the spirit of Wilde offers caustic literary criticisms of contemporaries, such as James Joyce's Ulysses and George Meredith. Structure: The book, sometimes titled Oscar Wilde from Purgatory, includes chapters on psychic phenomena like cryptesthesia and subconscious influence, alongside transcripts of the 'conversations'. Contributors: It features a preface by Sir William F. Barrett, a physicist and co-founder of the Society for Psychical Research, who analyzed the validity of the scripts while distancing himself from the spirit's literary opinions. Reception: While spiritualists took the messages seriously, critics often viewed them as an 'uncomfortable pastiche' of Wilde's voice or elaborate literary fan fiction. T. Werner Laurie Ltd., London, 1924 Condition: Very Good