Sign in with Facebook
Loading...
158th out of 921 books
—
5,231 voters
The Complete Fairy Tales
by
Oscar Wilde
The Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde includes the two definitive story collections The Happy Prince and Other Tales (1888) and A House of Pomegranates (1891).This volume collects exquisite and poignant tales of true beauty, selfless love, generosity, loyalty, brilliant wit, and moral aestheticism, such as "The Birthday of the Infanta," "The Selfish Giant," The Nightinga...more
Paperback, 144 pages
Published
February 13th 2007
by Norilana Books
(first published May 1st 1888)
Friend Reviews
To see what your friends thought of this book,
please sign up.
Community Reviews
(showing
1-30
of
3,000)
I came upon it in my grandmother's library when I was a kid. Read it furtively, convinced it was dangerous stuff. Read it compulsively, swept away.
7 likes · like · see review
view all 4 comments
I read this book because it was recommended by a friend with wonderful taste. I definitely loved the stories, somehow Wilde's style lends itself to this type of story where the symbolism and descriptions have to carry the meaning behind the tales. They were definitely interesting stories that sometimes made me wonder if I was taking them too seriously (I can imagine Wilde sitting back and smirking to himself as he wrote them. . . )
Anyway, one story about an obnoxious rocket bragging to all the o...more
Anyway, one story about an obnoxious rocket bragging to all the o...more
from "The Fisherman and His Soul"
"And one evening [the Fisherman] called to her, and said,'Little Mermaid, little Mermaid, I love thee. Take me for thy bridegroom, for I love thee.'
"But the Mermaid shook her head. 'Thou hast a human soul,' she answered. 'If only thou would'st send away thy soul, then could I love thee.'
"And the young Fisherman said to himself, 'Of what use is my soul to me? I cannot see it. I may not touch it. I do not know it. Surely I will send it away from me, and much gladne...more
"And one evening [the Fisherman] called to her, and said,'Little Mermaid, little Mermaid, I love thee. Take me for thy bridegroom, for I love thee.'
"But the Mermaid shook her head. 'Thou hast a human soul,' she answered. 'If only thou would'st send away thy soul, then could I love thee.'
"And the young Fisherman said to himself, 'Of what use is my soul to me? I cannot see it. I may not touch it. I do not know it. Surely I will send it away from me, and much gladne...more
I enjoyed these fairy tales by Oscar Wilde, who was well-known for his "acerbic and urbane nonfiction." His fairy tales definitely retain some of that irony, and they seldom end happily. It's hard to describe; sort of like how one character spends the whole story believing in true love and another character sacrifices for him, and then the object of that love doesn't really care about him in the end. I liked them though because it was kind of refreshing to read one of those fairy tales that don'...more
Buku pertama Oscar Wilde yang kubaca..kisah-kisah yang secara khusus ditujukan oleh sang penulis untuk putrinya tercinta..Vyvyan dan Cecil..adalah sudah sewajarnya orangtua..seorang ayah dalam hal ini.. menceritakan kisah dongeng yang tujuannya memberikan pesan moral tentang apa yang baik dan apa yang buruk mengenai perilaku manusia..tentang sikap kasih mengasihi, tolong menolong antar sesama manusia, tentang manusia terhadap alam dan tentang manusia terhadap Sang Penciptanya..semua pesan moraln...more
What I learned:
I have been in a fit of deliberation as to how I would rate these tales. I am ashamed to say that I first wanted to give this five stars for the mere magnificence of the author. I say ashamed because ever since the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I have shared a belief that, although an artist cannot ever create a piece of art without putting his or her self into it, each piece of art can and should only ever be criticized for the ideas it has been loaned. I have thankfully...more
I have been in a fit of deliberation as to how I would rate these tales. I am ashamed to say that I first wanted to give this five stars for the mere magnificence of the author. I say ashamed because ever since the preface of The Picture of Dorian Gray, I have shared a belief that, although an artist cannot ever create a piece of art without putting his or her self into it, each piece of art can and should only ever be criticized for the ideas it has been loaned. I have thankfully...more
I'll admit up front that I've never read anything by Oscar Wilde before now, and I think that I'm sorry that I've waited this long. I thoroughly enjoyed his fairy tales, and even found myself underlining multiple passages in the book for future reference. I felt that his insight into life and love and all the joy and troubles that come with both was quite remarkable and still very relevant for our time, even though these stories were written over 100 years ago. I'm sure that if I were more verse...more
Short stories for children - though I would recommend for older children. May have to borrow someone's children to try one or two out on...would be interesting to see how today's children interpret these stories (I myself am still struggling with "The Nightingale and the Rose").
1 like · like · see review
This was an interesting take on fairy tales, with Wilde's slightly jaded, but incisive and clever perspective on things being a unique voice and approach to the fairy tale genre.
Many of the tales deal with the "life's not fair" topic, but he does introduce some clever and creative characters through whom he explores the realities of the world. Both the situations and the perspectives the tales look at are quite different from fairy tales I've read before, but I enjoyed most of them, even if the...more
Many of the tales deal with the "life's not fair" topic, but he does introduce some clever and creative characters through whom he explores the realities of the world. Both the situations and the perspectives the tales look at are quite different from fairy tales I've read before, but I enjoyed most of them, even if the...more
It's sometimes hard to read--you can almost see Oscar Wilde mentally beating himself up while he's writing some of these stories, particularly when he writes about beauty. He wrote some of these while in prison, after all. But they're beautiful stories, and my favorite has always been The Happy Prince. Never fails to make me cry.
This collection contains the two collections of fairy tales that Wilde published in his lifetime: the Happy Prince and Other Stories, and A House of Pomegranates.
It seems to me so far that the first collection is clearly superior to the second, the luminous truth and sharp observation draws tears to the eyes of the reader of the first collection, whilst the second seems to wander vaguely towards meaning which is often curtailed in its relevance by the extremity of the characters depicted.
I thin...more
It seems to me so far that the first collection is clearly superior to the second, the luminous truth and sharp observation draws tears to the eyes of the reader of the first collection, whilst the second seems to wander vaguely towards meaning which is often curtailed in its relevance by the extremity of the characters depicted.
I thin...more
In 4,500 reviews there's an average rating of 4.25.... I have no idea how this is. These fairy tales lack any signs of creativity. They're written with a fleeting sense of commitment. Like he had an idea for a morality play turned it a fantastical fairy tale and just hoped for the best. I have little ground to stand on here since I've never read the complete fairy tales of any writer and have never read anything from Oscar Wilde, but it was a painful 225 pages. Each adventure I'd start saying to...more
Love love love! Very, very depressing though. It you want a cute story, don't turn to this. The cutest sounding one in the book is "The Nightingale and the Rose", and guess what: The Nightingale ends up dieing in the end. Such good stories, but be prepared.
1 like · like · see review
I might be very boring and predictable, but hey, it's obvious: I mainly remember "The Happy Prince" and "The Selfish Giant" among all the stories. Which is why I didn't click all the 5 stars, I guess (shame on me). I must be honest and say that even nowadays - and long gone are the childhood days - I end up crying whenever I read these two stories. Wilde was a great character as well as a writer, so modern they couldn't understand him at his times, but here he seems to be sitting back, relax, ta...more
I think Oscar Wilde is a fantastic writer, and it shows brilliantly through everything he writes, though I must admit I'm not much the fairy tale type. There were some of his tales that literally had me in tears, such as The Selfish Giant, and others that were truly beautiful and I could reread a thousand times, like The Star-Child. I could go on forever on how unique some of his work is, but the fact that tales aren't much of my thing makes it hard for me to enjoy it. Don't get me wrong - I did...more
I never knew Oscar Wilde wrote fairy tales until it was recommended by Goodreads based on my recent fairy tales reading. So it sparked my curiosity and I decided to check them out.
In my opinion these tales seem intended more for adults, but there is no reason that an older child couldn't enjoy reading them.
Originally, he wrote two small collections of tales. If you have read Dorian Gray, there is at least one story that really has that cynical look at society in it, that is very Dorian Gray W...more
In my opinion these tales seem intended more for adults, but there is no reason that an older child couldn't enjoy reading them.
Originally, he wrote two small collections of tales. If you have read Dorian Gray, there is at least one story that really has that cynical look at society in it, that is very Dorian Gray W...more
Arguably, but most certainly in my opinion, Oscar Wilde's fairy tales are his best works. Each one is a beautifully crafted masterpiece. He captures all aspects of humanity and connects personally with every child, whether old or young. He portrays the beauty and sacrifice of love and friendship, while unapologetically revealing the brutality and greed that exists within the individual. His fairy tales could most definitely be seen as a reflection of the society and period inwhich he lived. My f...more
so pious, OW!! and i tell you i loooooove me some OW. the intro in my edition quoted OW as saying these fairy tales were a study in prose. i can understand that. i can respect that. they got prose in spades! but i cannot embrace these as great fairy tales. several of the stories, most notably 'the birthday of the infanta" and "the fisherman and his soul", have too much fluff that is extraneous to the story. loooong and detailed descriptions that can only be forgiven as 'prose practice". i read t...more
This volume combines Oscar Wilde's two volumes of fairy tales, "The Happy Prince" and "The House of Pomegranate." I actually read the two volumes seperately, but I couldn't find a version of "The Happy Prince" that had the stories in my Kindle version.
Knowing his reputation as a libertine, it was difficult for me to imagine Oscar Wilde writing fairytales. However, he did, and many of them are quite good.
These stories deal with ancient times, and feature fairytale elements like talking animals,...more
Knowing his reputation as a libertine, it was difficult for me to imagine Oscar Wilde writing fairytales. However, he did, and many of them are quite good.
These stories deal with ancient times, and feature fairytale elements like talking animals,...more
Sembilan cerpen dari sang maestro Oscar Wilde ditampilkan dalam buku ini. Empat di antaranya sudah saya baca sebelumnya di buku terpisah terbitan Serambi, Pangeran Bahagia.
Beda terbitan, tentu beda juga penerjemahannya. Penerjemahan di buku ini cukup oke, meskipun ada beberapa kosakata yang menurut saya khas penerjemahan lama. Tapi, semuanya masih diterjemahkan dengan indah.
Lima cerpen baru yang saya baca adalah kisah Raja Muda, Ulang Tahun Infanta, Anak Bintang, dan Nelayan dan Jiwanya.
Raja...more
Beda terbitan, tentu beda juga penerjemahannya. Penerjemahan di buku ini cukup oke, meskipun ada beberapa kosakata yang menurut saya khas penerjemahan lama. Tapi, semuanya masih diterjemahkan dengan indah.
Lima cerpen baru yang saya baca adalah kisah Raja Muda, Ulang Tahun Infanta, Anak Bintang, dan Nelayan dan Jiwanya.
Raja...more
This collection comprises both the Happy Prince compilation and the House of Pomegranates compilation of Oscar Wilde's short stories. I suppose this wonderful collection has been buried so long because of Wilde's sexual orientation. That's so sad because it means that millions of children growing up over the past several decades have missed experiencing these tales. I'm glad to see that the collection is back in print and have finally found it in my local bookstore.
The "Complete Fairy Tales of O...more
The "Complete Fairy Tales of O...more
1 like · like · see review
Free iBook edition:
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket
Classic fairy tales with an Oscar Wilde brand of wit. I was surprised I recognised two of the stories; The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant. I remember both of these from my childhood and they were both favourites, especially The Happy Prince, but I never realised who wrote them. This ended up being a nice little nostalgic Sunday read.
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket
Classic fairy tales with an Oscar Wilde brand of wit. I was surprised I recognised two of the stories; The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant. I remember both of these from my childhood and they were both favourites, especially The Happy Prince, but I never realised who wrote them. This ended up being a nice little nostalgic Sunday read.
Trochu jako by si naše Božena (Němcová) řekla, že do svých morbidních pohádek zapojí ještě navíc nějaké hluboké zjištění o morálce a přidala popisné a krásně barevné pasáže lesů, květinových zahrad a malebných zámků.
V Pohádkách mi chyběl Wildeův (Wottonův?) břitký cynismus a sarkastické nejen genderově nekorektní hlášky. Příběhy to jsou krásné a poučné... a všechny se smutným koncem, kdy je všechna dobrosrdečnost a laskavost náležitě potrestána.
V Pohádkách mi chyběl Wildeův (Wottonův?) břitký cynismus a sarkastické nejen genderově nekorektní hlášky. Příběhy to jsou krásné a poučné... a všechny se smutným koncem, kdy je všechna dobrosrdečnost a laskavost náležitě potrestána.
I first read Oscar Wilde during an English course at Florida State, and I fell in love. I admit that I've always loved Victorian literature, so it would have been weird if I didn't love Oscar Wilde.
For anyone new to Victorian Literature, I would definitely recommend the Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde. Even within these short stories, you have a great sense of Wilde's wit and humor.
For anyone new to Victorian Literature, I would definitely recommend the Complete Fairy Tales of Oscar Wilde. Even within these short stories, you have a great sense of Wilde's wit and humor.
There's so much to love about the wit of Oscar Wilde that's already very well documented some of his most famous pieces: The Importance of Being Earnest, Lady Windmere's Fan, and others. What "I" appreciate most about Wilde is his versatility, especially as demonstrated in this compilation of his fairy tales, as told to his two sons. His gift for drawing a mental picture is amazing.
I enjoyed the fairy tales from The Happy Prince more than the ones from A House of Pomegranates. The Happy Prince is my favourite :)
Oscar Wilde is an interesting writer, no doubt...sometimes his message is clear, sometimes it isn't. This is a good good to read when you feel like having something light, or a bit of time on your hands. They are interesting, new fairy tales.
Oscar Wilde is an interesting writer, no doubt...sometimes his message is clear, sometimes it isn't. This is a good good to read when you feel like having something light, or a bit of time on your hands. They are interesting, new fairy tales.
Not all of the stories are appropriate for children. Well, someone of the lessons will fly over children’s heads, but then again, children have a way of finding their own meaningful lessons in what they read. IN general I prefer the stories that originally came from House of Pomegranates, but there are some tragically beautiful stories from the Happy Prince. Overall the stories are lyrical, but they are very sad, often sarcastic, and a touch depressing.
I won't recommend this to children until they reach the appropriate age on understanding depressing fairy tales, these are far different from Andersen's and Disney's. The endings weren't all that happy, no false hope given but morals and reality; I think that made it all interesting and brilliant. I was expecting the wit of Oscar Wilde in here (for he is known for that), but these stories are written otherwise, in which he depicts the aspects of human emotions, and of life. I like "The Happy Pri...more
Beautiful tales full of the sort of clear irony that leaves a bitter lump in your throat. These are like fanciful extensions of the author's more well-known epigrams; however, do not judge these either as characteristic Wilde plots, nor as traditional moral fables, but as a delightful plays on the fairytale genre and you will not be disappointed.
I think Wilde's fairy tales had a three-fold agenda: to revisit the beautiful, playlike, and innocent imagination of a child, to expose the redemption of the cross uniquely and sentimentally, and to slander upper-class society. He's successful on all three accounts. A book you can gather an audience by reading aloud.
There are no discussion topics on this book yet.
Be the first to start one »
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish playwright, poet and author of numerous short stories and one novel. Known for his biting wit, and a plentitude of aphorisms, he became one of the most successful playwrights of the late Victorian era in London, and one of the greatest celebrities of his day. Several of his plays continue to be widely performed, especially The Importance of Being E...more
More about Oscar Wilde...
Share This Book
No trivia or quizzes yet. Add some now »
“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”
—
97 people liked it
“Love is not fashionable anymore; the poets have killed it.”
—
35 people liked it
More quotes…
