About the Book
History remembers the greats – but what about those who lived alongside them?
In the cultural ferment of late nineteenth-century London, three fascinating but often overlooked figures navigated the world in the shadow of their celebrated brothers. Willie Wilde, the hapless yet charming older sibling of Oscar, never quite matched his brother’s literary genius. Mabel Beardsley, the striking and ambitious sister of Aubrey, played a crucial role in his artistic ascent before forging her own path on the stage. And Howard Sturgis, a minor novelist with a sharp wit, watched as his brother Julian achieved the success he himself never quite grasped.
Moving through bohemian clubland, West End theatres, literary salons, and the pages of The Yellow Book, these siblings were more than just footnotes to history. Their lives – filled with ambition, scandal, devotion, and missteps – offer a fresh perspective on the glittering world of the 1890s.
Drawing on family history, sharp storytelling, and original research, Matthew Sturgis reveals the vibrant, overlooked figures who shaped their era. For lovers of literary and cultural history, it is an invitation to explore the road less travelled – a sidelight that, as Mabel Beardsley knew well, can sometimes be the most illuminating.
Format: Hardcover (320 pages) Publisher: Apollo
Publication date: 16th April 2026 Genre: Nonfiction, Biography
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My Review
The concept of exploring the lives of three siblings of more famous individuals is an interesting one. As the author argues in the Introduction, ‘There is, of course, a curious attraction about ‘minor’ figures: they offer the excitement of discovery; they are alive with possibility; they lead one down the road less travelled. The very fact that they are so little known ignites our curiosity.’
What must it be like to grow up as ‘the brother of…’ or ‘the sister of…’? Does that allow you to bask in their reflected glory or act as a constant reminder that you will always be in second place? Do you ride on their coat-tails in an attempt to make a name for yourself or devote yourself to promoting their work or preserving their legacy? The three lives the author has chosen display elements of all these but also reveal some fascinating characters who enjoyed a particular kind of lifestyle and common social connections.
Although as equally gifted as his younger brother Oscar, Willie’s is a story of someone never able to fulfil his potential, drifting from one thing to another. However, he always took pleasure in Oscar’s success, promoting his work in whatever way he could. Always the life and soul of the party, as the author notes, ‘A fatal sort of indolence was beginning to make itself apparent as perhaps Willie’s most distinctive characteristic, just ahead of his capacity for food and drink.’ He wasn’t good at managing money either, being declared bankrupt in 1881. However, he never wavered in his support for his brother, even after the disgrace of Oscar’s trial and imprisonment.
Mabel Beardsley was also a passionate advocate of her brother Aubrey’s artistic talent, including after his early death. She herself harboured ambitions as an actress but was destined never to be more than second-rate, often cast in roles that reflected her off-stage persona. Mabel’s real forte was as hostess, at first presiding over the family’s Thursday afternoon tea parties attended by musicians, artists and writers, and later her own soirees. A striking rather than beautiful woman, she had plenty of admirers and a wide circle of friends. Always beautifully attired and never one to turn down an invitation, I think Mabel would have been a lot of fun to be around. I found her courage during her final illness rather moving.
The author admits he chose to include Howard Sturgis partly because he was a distant relation – a great-great-uncle. Yet while most people will have heard of Oscar Wilde and many of Aubrey Beardsley, I doubt whether pretty much anyone today has heard of Howard’s brother Julian or read one of his novels, including me. Therefore in this final part of the book it is Julian who rather fades into the background.
I found Howard an entertaining character. Much like Mabel, he was ‘a host of genius’, albeit a rather laidback one. “No attempt was made to dragoon the houseguests into organized activities or exhausting expeditions. The ‘plans for the day were made on the spur of the moment’ and rarely extended beyond a constitutional walk.” Howard had female friends but showed no romantic interest in them. Instead he had close male friendships that were passionate but probably not sexual in nature. Later in life he formed a friendship with the author Henry James and Edith Wharton. Although he wrote one reasonably successful novel, his later years were overshadowed by money worries and ill health.
It’s clear from the copious footnotes and end notes that a huge amount of research went into the book. There were times when I thought there was a little too much extraneous detail but overall I found Relative Failures an engrossing read with many humorous moments.
I won a proof copy in a giveaway organised by the publisher.
In three words: Detailed, fascinating, lively
About the Author
Matthew Sturgis is the author of acclaimed biographies of Oscar Wilde, Aubrey Beardsley and Walter Sickert, as well as Passionate Attitudes: The English Decadence of the 1890s. He has contributed to the TLS, Harpers & Queen and the Independent.
Oscar: A Life – a Sunday Times and TLS Book of the Year – was nominated for the Wolfson History Prize. (Photo: Agent website)
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