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mixed bag, oscar wilde is great but some of these stories were hit and miss
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I saw a reviewer on Goodreads who wrote how he was unsure about whether Wilde's writing was just a way for him to show off his personality. Beyond the wit, the humour, the wry-edged intellect, is there plot, structure and form? Is there essence? The reviewer was unsure he'd ever find an answer. I think I'm agnostic on this front, maybe the 'essence' is there, maybe it isn't. But maybe I don't really care because I love that decadent voice that seeps through his writing. I haven't come across anyone being funny the way he is. Managing to write stories that are deeply serious, but equally ridiculous at the same time is a talent few possess. And I may disagree with him on many fronts, such as judgements on human character, but that doesn't mean his opinions do not entertain me all the same.
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I love n The Picture of Dorian Grayn and I wanted to try other works in prose that weren't plays by the author. After a little reading hollow, I thought Oscar Wilde was the one to get me back on track; and I was right!
I loved this collection, savoring it bit by bit! My favorite were the longer ones, but I'll still put a word for each here. I had never read any of them before.
It opens with "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime": I didn't expect the ending at all! I loved the irony of it! It's just a self-fulfilling prophecy. Arthur needn't kill to be happy: it is because he is so gullible, so naive that he tries to do it, and he doesn't even succeed! The apogee of it all is that he, indeed, kills a man: the one who set it all in motion! Of course, it is written with wit and intelligence, criticising society while writing an entertaining piece.
"The Sphinx Without a Secret" is a strange little story, quite ironic and cynical. It's very short, but also very mysterious; it could probably be deemed disappointing, in the end, for some readers awaiting an answer. I thought it clever: the reader will never know if there was a secret or not!
"The Canterville Ghost" was probably my favorite with the first one and another coming later in the collection. It is quite original and funny and not at all what I expected from a story about a ghost. The reader ends up feeling pity for the ghost and siding with him even though he is a criminal and frightened people to death! It's both light and heavy, funny and serious, which is quite rare to achieve! It can also be seen as a satire of American culture or the vision English people had of it at the time: vulgarity, materialism, absence of spirituality and, in a way, disrespect. The ending is quite sweet but a question remains: what did they do?!
"The Model Millionaire" is also sweet! Hughie has a heart of gold and, this time, he gets what he deserves! I loved it: it was hopeful and beautiful to read while still funny to imagine!
Not at all like "The Happy Prince", a sad and beautiful story about a prince and a bird. Here, the criticism focuses on mankind: they're selfish, grandiose and unconscious of misery or charity. It takes the statue of a man and a bird helping him for Christian virtues to spread. I loved the parallel between the marvelous appearance of the statue in the beginning and its shabby one in the end: it is no use to the city this way, so it is broken down. My heart broke when the bird decides to help him one last time, knowing it will die. I loved the ending.
"The Nightingale and the Rose" was, again, a very cruel tale. Both of these stories emphasise the goodness of nature versus the fickleness of humanity, unable to embody real virtues and harming nature and its inhabitants in the process.
"The Selfish Giant", while still quite sad, was sweeter than the other two. It felt a bit like a fairytale while still being marked by religion as the boy bears stigmata, linking him to Christ. I loved the depiction of Spring here, with nature refusing to change if the children aren't allowed in the garden. The metaphor is charming too!
We're back to awful with "The Devoted Friend". The anger rose little by little inside of me at the "sight" of Little Hans complying to everything the Miller asks of him. It clearly depicts a toxic friendship and, in fact, no friendship at all. The ending is clever with the morale and the dangerosity of a story without one.
We get to the funny side of the collection with "The Remarkable Rocket". It can be read as a little funny tale or read metaphorically. Again, even though it is funny, it's also quite cruel! The author, here, mocks overly dignified people, people full of themselves who are nothing but selfish and love nothing more than to talk about themselves but are incapable of action when the time comes. It could have been sad if the rocket finally understood, but it is funny because she never does and she has absolutely no importance for anyone. The more I read the author, the more clever and witty he appears to me.
"The Portrait of Mr. W. H." is part of my top three stories in this collection. I loved it! I was completely swept into it and the writing flowed so effortlessly! The more I read, the more I was convinced by the theory exposed, being completely drawn into the book! It felt like a spell or like a curse, for the characters. It made me think of the portrait of Dorian Gray: was it written before and the idea for the novel came from it? I'll look into it.
After this piece, it was impossible for me to find a new favorite.
I had a hard time with the beginning of "The Young King", but I loved it when the dreams occur. I also love the morale of the story: Christianity is a religion not based on riches, gold and money, but on charity, simplicity and generosity. It's a beautiful way to remind its virtues, its basis, forgotten by many.
"The Birthday of the Infanta" got back to the cruel tales. It was so awful for the dwarf to discover his appearance in a mirror and to die of a broken heart while the spoilt infanta decides that, from now on, people who serve her shan't have hearts. The dichotomy beauty-goodness/ugliness-cruelty doesn't hold here, making the tale even more "realistic" and sad as, in the beginning, the narrator specified that the infanta was so beautiful she couldn't but be good.
Still cruel, "The Fisherman and his Soul" was also beautiful and had a morale too, as much of the others. I was swept away into the story when the soul talks to the fisherman. It was beautifully written and a real hommage to love!
I don't have much to say about "The Star-Child": it's about virtue and morale too!
There was also, in the collection, prose poems which I quite liked, but not as much as the stories.
So, I'm glad I read it and I think of Oscar Wilde as a safe author, in case of reading emergency!
I loved this collection, savoring it bit by bit! My favorite were the longer ones, but I'll still put a word for each here. I had never read any of them before.
It opens with "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime": I didn't expect the ending at all! I loved the irony of it! It's just a self-fulfilling prophecy. Arthur needn't kill to be happy: it is because he is so gullible, so naive that he tries to do it, and he doesn't even succeed! The apogee of it all is that he, indeed, kills a man: the one who set it all in motion! Of course, it is written with wit and intelligence, criticising society while writing an entertaining piece.
"The Sphinx Without a Secret" is a strange little story, quite ironic and cynical. It's very short, but also very mysterious; it could probably be deemed disappointing, in the end, for some readers awaiting an answer. I thought it clever: the reader will never know if there was a secret or not!
"The Canterville Ghost" was probably my favorite with the first one and another coming later in the collection. It is quite original and funny and not at all what I expected from a story about a ghost. The reader ends up feeling pity for the ghost and siding with him even though he is a criminal and frightened people to death! It's both light and heavy, funny and serious, which is quite rare to achieve! It can also be seen as a satire of American culture or the vision English people had of it at the time: vulgarity, materialism, absence of spirituality and, in a way, disrespect. The ending is quite sweet but a question remains: what did they do?!
"The Model Millionaire" is also sweet! Hughie has a heart of gold and, this time, he gets what he deserves! I loved it: it was hopeful and beautiful to read while still funny to imagine!
Not at all like "The Happy Prince", a sad and beautiful story about a prince and a bird. Here, the criticism focuses on mankind: they're selfish, grandiose and unconscious of misery or charity. It takes the statue of a man and a bird helping him for Christian virtues to spread. I loved the parallel between the marvelous appearance of the statue in the beginning and its shabby one in the end: it is no use to the city this way, so it is broken down. My heart broke when the bird decides to help him one last time, knowing it will die. I loved the ending.
"The Nightingale and the Rose" was, again, a very cruel tale. Both of these stories emphasise the goodness of nature versus the fickleness of humanity, unable to embody real virtues and harming nature and its inhabitants in the process.
"The Selfish Giant", while still quite sad, was sweeter than the other two. It felt a bit like a fairytale while still being marked by religion as the boy bears stigmata, linking him to Christ. I loved the depiction of Spring here, with nature refusing to change if the children aren't allowed in the garden. The metaphor is charming too!
We're back to awful with "The Devoted Friend". The anger rose little by little inside of me at the "sight" of Little Hans complying to everything the Miller asks of him. It clearly depicts a toxic friendship and, in fact, no friendship at all. The ending is clever with the morale and the dangerosity of a story without one.
We get to the funny side of the collection with "The Remarkable Rocket". It can be read as a little funny tale or read metaphorically. Again, even though it is funny, it's also quite cruel! The author, here, mocks overly dignified people, people full of themselves who are nothing but selfish and love nothing more than to talk about themselves but are incapable of action when the time comes. It could have been sad if the rocket finally understood, but it is funny because she never does and she has absolutely no importance for anyone. The more I read the author, the more clever and witty he appears to me.
"The Portrait of Mr. W. H." is part of my top three stories in this collection. I loved it! I was completely swept into it and the writing flowed so effortlessly! The more I read, the more I was convinced by the theory exposed, being completely drawn into the book! It felt like a spell or like a curse, for the characters. It made me think of the portrait of Dorian Gray: was it written before and the idea for the novel came from it? I'll look into it.
After this piece, it was impossible for me to find a new favorite.
I had a hard time with the beginning of "The Young King", but I loved it when the dreams occur. I also love the morale of the story: Christianity is a religion not based on riches, gold and money, but on charity, simplicity and generosity. It's a beautiful way to remind its virtues, its basis, forgotten by many.
"The Birthday of the Infanta" got back to the cruel tales. It was so awful for the dwarf to discover his appearance in a mirror and to die of a broken heart while the spoilt infanta decides that, from now on, people who serve her shan't have hearts. The dichotomy beauty-goodness/ugliness-cruelty doesn't hold here, making the tale even more "realistic" and sad as, in the beginning, the narrator specified that the infanta was so beautiful she couldn't but be good.
Still cruel, "The Fisherman and his Soul" was also beautiful and had a morale too, as much of the others. I was swept away into the story when the soul talks to the fisherman. It was beautifully written and a real hommage to love!
I don't have much to say about "The Star-Child": it's about virtue and morale too!
There was also, in the collection, prose poems which I quite liked, but not as much as the stories.
So, I'm glad I read it and I think of Oscar Wilde as a safe author, in case of reading emergency!
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Avete mai voglia di leggere tutto di un autore? Io finalmente sono riuscita a recuperare una buona parte della produzione di Wilde che mi mancava comprando questa raccolta che contiene diverse sue produzioni: poesia in prosa (che è stata la mia parte preferita), fiabe e storie invece ambientata nella società suo contemporanea, tra le quali il famosissimo fantasma di canterville, ma il resto non ha nulla da invidiare a questo pezzo. Non ci risparmia la sua solita ironia, quel suo inglese pulito, approcciabole ma estremamente curato ed elegante, morali e riflessioni pungenti.
Imperdibile, nonostante alti e bassi come in ogni raccolta, per chi si è innamorato del teatro e di Dorian Gray: si ritrovano i temi lì trattati in breve, guardati da un unico dettaglio magari ma si spazia anche al di fuori.
Un testo completo che permette di farsi un'idea sulla sua intera produzione, e le varie sfaccettature della sua scrittura, ad esclusione dell'autobiografico che si trova nel de profundis: trovo infatti che le profondità intime che raggiunga lì non le abbia riprodotte in null'altro, seppure non rimane mai in superfice lo sguardo estreno e il non coinvolgimento personale anche nei temi più a lui cari fanno notare la differenza con il testo sopramenzionato
Imperdibile, nonostante alti e bassi come in ogni raccolta, per chi si è innamorato del teatro e di Dorian Gray: si ritrovano i temi lì trattati in breve, guardati da un unico dettaglio magari ma si spazia anche al di fuori.
Un testo completo che permette di farsi un'idea sulla sua intera produzione, e le varie sfaccettature della sua scrittura, ad esclusione dell'autobiografico che si trova nel de profundis: trovo infatti che le profondità intime che raggiunga lì non le abbia riprodotte in null'altro, seppure non rimane mai in superfice lo sguardo estreno e il non coinvolgimento personale anche nei temi più a lui cari fanno notare la differenza con il testo sopramenzionato
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Wilde’s writing is beautiful, the collection threads between stories for younger and adult audiences but throughout there was lovely simplicity that a lot of Victorian era writing I’ve read lacks.
Some of the stories feel slightly worn out, like I’ve read or been told them a few times before but that probably says more for the writing than against it.
I struggled with a lot of the more overt religious analogy in these stories particularly the ones for younger audiences. The analogies didn’t feel subtle or nuanced and took away from some lovely tales that stood in their own without being parables for Christianity.
The poems at the end were also very good but suffered from the same religious focus.
Some of the stories feel slightly worn out, like I’ve read or been told them a few times before but that probably says more for the writing than against it.
I struggled with a lot of the more overt religious analogy in these stories particularly the ones for younger audiences. The analogies didn’t feel subtle or nuanced and took away from some lovely tales that stood in their own without being parables for Christianity.
The poems at the end were also very good but suffered from the same religious focus.
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Awesome! I don't think I could ask for more from a short story collection. These stories were thought-provoking, original, beautiful, inspiring... it was brilliant. Yes, some stories were better than others but that's an occupational hazard with short story collections, and I didn't mind a bit of light and shade. Oscar Wilde's writing is just amazing - the descriptions, the characterisation (particularly the way the characters react to things) - I love it.
My favourite stories were Lord Arthur Saville's Crime (anyone who read and loved The Picture of Dorian Gray would love this story), The Happy Prince and The Portrait of Mr. W. H. The latter I would definitely recommend to any Shakespeare fan - the new perspective it brings to his sonnets and really just his life are so thought-provoking and creative and just wow. I also enjoyed all the references to Greek mythology, which, like Shakespeare, is another subject I'm obsessed with. Oscar Wilde never fails to blow my mind with his beautiful writing, creative stories and emotive visions. I am extremely glad I read this book!
My favourite stories were Lord Arthur Saville's Crime (anyone who read and loved The Picture of Dorian Gray would love this story), The Happy Prince and The Portrait of Mr. W. H. The latter I would definitely recommend to any Shakespeare fan - the new perspective it brings to his sonnets and really just his life are so thought-provoking and creative and just wow. I also enjoyed all the references to Greek mythology, which, like Shakespeare, is another subject I'm obsessed with. Oscar Wilde never fails to blow my mind with his beautiful writing, creative stories and emotive visions. I am extremely glad I read this book!
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“I shall go back to philosophy and study metaphysics.” So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.
— The Nightingale and the Rose
This describes exactly how i feel after a heart break, there are, undoubtedly, magical things in life other than love. This story had an amazing moral as well besides it’s outstanding literary style.
On the other hand, the rest of the short stories written by Wilde are out of this world. Wilde himself, doesn’t seem like a person who actually lived in our world that we know today, I refuse to believe that he was anything other than a protagonist in the best novel ever written.
Plus, I totally understand why people were leaving kiss stamps on his grave.
— The Nightingale and the Rose
This describes exactly how i feel after a heart break, there are, undoubtedly, magical things in life other than love. This story had an amazing moral as well besides it’s outstanding literary style.
On the other hand, the rest of the short stories written by Wilde are out of this world. Wilde himself, doesn’t seem like a person who actually lived in our world that we know today, I refuse to believe that he was anything other than a protagonist in the best novel ever written.
Plus, I totally understand why people were leaving kiss stamps on his grave.
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I've been reading a story here and there for a while. My favourite stories were The Remarkable Rocket and The Portrait of Mr. W. H. I'm glad of the notes as they really helped.
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Introduction
Editor’s Introduction (varies by edition)
Notes on the Text
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories (1891)
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
The Canterville Ghost
The Sphinx Without a Secret
The Model Millionaire
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888)
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket
A House of Pomegranates (1891)
The Young King
The Birthday of the Infanta
The Fisherman and His Soul
The Star-Child
Miscellaneous Short Fiction
The Harlot’s House (prose poem)
The Priest and the Acolyte (attributed, disputed authorship)
Fragments and Unfinished Stories
Appendices & Notes
Editorial Notes
Further Reading
Chronology of Oscar Wilde’s Life
Editor’s Introduction (varies by edition)
Notes on the Text
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories (1891)
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
The Canterville Ghost
The Sphinx Without a Secret
The Model Millionaire
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888)
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket
A House of Pomegranates (1891)
The Young King
The Birthday of the Infanta
The Fisherman and His Soul
The Star-Child
Miscellaneous Short Fiction
The Harlot’s House (prose poem)
The Priest and the Acolyte (attributed, disputed authorship)
Fragments and Unfinished Stories
Appendices & Notes
Editorial Notes
Further Reading
Chronology of Oscar Wilde’s Life
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Wilde Wilde shinning bring, in the literature of every time
What mortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry
What mortal hand or eye could frame thy fearful symmetry
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3.5 probably. i just don't love short stories but the longer stories of his i rlly enjoyed
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I almost can't believe how much I didn't enjoy most of these stories. And I wasn't aware how Christian Oscar Wilde was.
The Happy Prince and Other Tales
The Happy Prince: ★★★☆☆
The Nightingale and The Rose: ★★☆☆☆
The Selfish Giant: ★★☆☆☆
The Devoted Friend: ★★☆☆☆
The Remarkable Rocket: ★☆☆☆☆
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.: ★★★☆☆
A House of Pomegranates
The Young King: ★☆☆☆☆
The Birthday of the Infanta: ★☆☆☆☆
The Fisherman and His Soul: ★☆☆☆☆
The Star Child: ★★☆☆☆
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: ★★★★☆
The Sphinx Without a Secret: ★★☆☆☆
The Canterville Ghost: ★★★☆☆
The Model Millionaire: ★★★★☆
Poems in Prose: ★☆☆☆☆
The Happy Prince and Other Tales
The Happy Prince: ★★★☆☆
The Nightingale and The Rose: ★★☆☆☆
The Selfish Giant: ★★☆☆☆
The Devoted Friend: ★★☆☆☆
The Remarkable Rocket: ★☆☆☆☆
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.
The Portrait of Mr. W. H.: ★★★☆☆
A House of Pomegranates
The Young King: ★☆☆☆☆
The Birthday of the Infanta: ★☆☆☆☆
The Fisherman and His Soul: ★☆☆☆☆
The Star Child: ★★☆☆☆
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories
Lord Arthur Savile's Crime: ★★★★☆
The Sphinx Without a Secret: ★★☆☆☆
The Canterville Ghost: ★★★☆☆
The Model Millionaire: ★★★★☆
Poems in Prose: ★☆☆☆☆
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