BWBC 27: A Little Wisdom, A Little Too Late

“The Fisherman and His Soul” by Oscar Wilde 

This is one of Wilde’s not-for-children fairy tales that touch upon hiss interest in doppelgangers, morality, and redemption. All while never being dogmatic in the morality it presents, and allowing instead for an argument that’s a bit more nuanced. It’s the kind of story that invites you in to work over and decipher what it might mean.

Here’s how it goes.

It’s obviously about a fisherman. He falls in love with a mermaid, but can’t live w...