Review of The Weight of Angels by John Boyne – A Fascinating Alternative Life for Oscar Wilde – Wordy Witterings

Recommended for fans of: Oscar Wilde, alternative history, literary historical fiction and ambitious ‘what if?’ novels.

There is something irresistible about the premise of John Boyne’s The Weight of Angels. We know what happened when Oscar Wilde chose to pursue the Marquess of Queensberry through the courts: the decision ultimately led to Wilde’s own prosecution, imprisonment and the destruction of the life he had known. But what if he had simply walked away?

Boyne takes that single moment and spins from it an entirely different life for Wilde, and I really enjoyed watching this reimagined reality unfold. Instead of the imprisonment that permanently damaged his health and contributed to his early death, this Oscar is given decades more in which to write, love, make mistakes and watch the twentieth century develop around him.

For me, the earlier sections of the novel are by far the strongest. There is a genuine thrill in seeing history diverge from the path we know, particularly as the consequences of Wilde’s altered decision begin to emerge. Boyne also captures the wit and flamboyance we associate with Wilde extremely well. The dialogue sparkles and, at its best, it feels entirely believable that Wilde might have said some of these things himself.

It is also a clever way of exploring just how much can rest upon one decision. Wilde’s real fate hangs over the fictional one throughout the novel, and knowing what actually happened makes the alternative life Boyne creates for him particularly poignant.

My main reservation is that The Weight of Angels is simply too long. I could quite happily have lost around 100 pages and still felt that Boyne had fully explored his idea. As Wilde lives on through the first half of the twentieth century, the novel increasingly becomes a procession of encounters with famous writers, actors, politicians and royalty, alongside some of the defining events of the period.

Initially, this is great fun. Eventually, though, it began to feel as though absolutely everyone of note had to cross Wilde’s path. The later sections in particular became a little silly for me, with the sheer number of famous people and significant world events making Wilde’s alternative life feel less convincing rather than more so. I found myself becoming increasingly conscious of Boyne arranging another historical encounter rather than simply being absorbed in Wilde’s story.

That’s a shame because the central idea is so good. Had the later stages been more selective and the novel perhaps ended a little sooner, I think The Weight of Angels would have made a much greater impact on me.

Nevertheless, this remains a very enjoyable and hugely imaginative read. Boyne has taken one of literary history’s great tragedies and asked the tantalising question: what might Oscar Wilde have become if one disastrous decision had been made differently? For much of the novel, I was completely invested in discovering the answer.

An ambitious, witty and entertaining reimagining of the life Oscar Wilde might have lived. I loved the premise and particularly enjoyed the earlier sections, although at over 600 pages it overstays its welcome. By the final part, the seemingly endless appearances by famous figures and major historical events began to feel rather too contrived. Still, a fascinating alternative history and a very enjoyable read.

Thank you to John Boyne, Random House UK and NetGalley UK for a copy of this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

What do you think?

Do you enjoy novels that rewrite the lives of real historical figures? And if you could change one decision in literary history and see how events unfolded differently, whose life would you choose?