Record Number: 26268

---

Reading Experience:

Evidence:

'One of the "golden books" of his childhood was J.W. Meinhold's 1847 Gothic historical novel "Sidonia the Sorceress". Wilde's mother, who was an accomplished translator of European fiction, produced a celebrated English version of this German book. Wilde would remember it fondly as "my favourite romantic reading when a boy" and he returned to it at various times in his adult life.'

Century:

1850-1899

Date:

Between 16 Oct 1854 and 1 Jan 1895

Country:

England

Time

n/a

Place:

n/a

Type of Experience
(Reader):
 

silent aloud unknown
solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

Type of Experience
(Listener):
 

solitary in company unknown
single serial unknown

---

Reader / Listener / Reading Group:

Reader:

Oscar Wilde

Age:

Child (0-17)

Gender:

Male

Date of Birth:

16 Oct 1854

Socio-Economic Group:

Professional / academic / merchant / farmer

Occupation:

Writer

Religion:

n/a

Country of Origin:

Ireland

Country of Experience:

England

Listeners present if any:
e.g family, servants, friends

n/a

Additional Comments:

n/a

---

Text Being Read:

Author:

J.W. Meinhold

Title:

Sidonia the Sorceress

Genre:

Fiction

Form of Text:

Print: Book

Publication Details

read in translation by Speranza Wilde

Provenance

owned

---

Source Information:

Record ID:

26268

Source:

Print

Author:

Thomas Wright

Editor:

n/a

Title:

Oscar's Books

Place of Publication:

London

Date of Publication:

2000

Vol:

n/a

Page:

41

Additional Comments:

n/a

Citation:

Thomas Wright, Oscar's Books, (London, 2000), p. 41, http://www.open.ac.uk/Arts/reading/UK/record_details.php?id=26268, accessed: 27 March 2025

---

Additional Comments:

Quotation from "Reviews by Oscar Wilde" (London, 1908), p. 388.