Ada Leverson (Twayne's English authors series, TEAS 152)

Although her six witty and romantic novels were written in the early years of the last century, Ida Leverson(1862-1933) is essentially a figure of the 1890's. She is a key figure because of her comic spirit, her fame as a hostess, and her friendship with Oscar Wilde, who encouraged her writing career. --She transformed the experiences of her own unhappy marriage into her six novels. --The present study is based on part upon access to family papers made available by her daughter Wiolet Wyndham. This book places Ada Leverson in her own world. One of the great interests of Mrs. Leverson's writing is the extraordinary vividness with which it recaptures the past. Not only in her historical and biographical interest but also in her literary appeal has Mrs. Leverson come into her own today. Her novels, which are light comedies with serieous thems, remain fresh and lively reading because of their humor, depth, and charm.