Oscar Wilde's 1893 play Salom矇, the only one of his works to be written in French, was subsequently translated into English by Wilde's friend, Lord Alfred Douglas, in a manner judged by Wilde
to be marred by "schoolboy faults" and published accompanied by illustrations that sensationalized and mischaracterized the play, yet this translation has long remained the basis for
English-language productions of the play, which perhaps not coincidentally has enjoyed far greater popularity in the non-English speaking world. Donohue (emeritus, English, U. of Massachusetts
Amherst) seeks to redress this situation by translating Salom矇 into contemporary American colloquial ("yet spare") English. The new translation is also accompanied by new engraving
illustrations by Moser (art, Smith College). Annotation 穢2011 Book News, Inc., Portland, OR (booknews.com)
