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Fairy Tales and Stories
This book contains all thirteen of Oscar Wilde's fairy tales and stories which were originally published in 'The Happy Prince and Other Tales'; 'A House of Pomegranates' and 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime'.
'The Happy Prince' is the gold and jewelled statue who stands high above the city looking down on the poverty and misery of his citizens. Unable to help them himself, the Prince befriends a swallow who agrees to deliver his gifts, but with the onset of winter they have little time left. When 'The Selfish Giant' forbids children to play in his garden he also banishes laughter and joy; the birds stop singing, the trees no longer blossom and winter goes on forever. Only when the giant learns how to love and give will spring return. In 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' the young aristocrat learns he will commit a terrible murder when his hand is read by Mr Podgers. Madly in love with his fiancée Sybil, he makes the momentous decision to immediately carry out his dreadful deed so that he will have a clear conscious on his wedding day, but who will be his victim?
'The Happy Prince' is the gold and jewelled statue who stands high above the city looking down on the poverty and misery of his citizens. Unable to help them himself, the Prince befriends a swallow who agrees to deliver his gifts, but with the onset of winter they have little time left. When 'The Selfish Giant' forbids children to play in his garden he also banishes laughter and joy; the birds stop singing, the trees no longer blossom and winter goes on forever. Only when the giant learns how to love and give will spring return. In 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime' the young aristocrat learns he will commit a terrible murder when his hand is read by Mr Podgers. Madly in love with his fiancée Sybil, he makes the momentous decision to immediately carry out his dreadful deed so that he will have a clear conscious on his wedding day, but who will be his victim?
336 pages, Hardcover
Published January 1, 1980
164 people are currently reading
752 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,532 books39k followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 90 reviews
November 23, 2022
A lovely collection of Oscar Wilde's eight fairy tales, of which I'd only known two previously. The tales are fantastical parables meant to get across a morale, and at the same time they deliver harsh social criticism in Wilde's trademark wit ladden with subtle mockery. I found myself laughing out loud at times and in places I was supposed not to, just because of the wordplay.
My favourites of the eight were "The Happy Prince," a bittersweet story of compassion and its cost; "The Devoted Friend," maybe the most tragic of all the stories for how the protagonist's loyalty is abused unto death; "The Remarkable Rocket," the most hilarious of them all and also the one that makes fun of Wilde's Victorian society in the most clear way; and "The Fisherman and His Soul," the most surprising to me personally, which I'd describe as the anti-Hans Christian Andersen retelling of The Little Mermaid. And though I loved these best, there wasn't any story I didn't like and enjoy. I don't know how he managed it, but Wilde is able to deliver punches to the gut whilst making you laugh at the same time.
My favourites of the eight were "The Happy Prince," a bittersweet story of compassion and its cost; "The Devoted Friend," maybe the most tragic of all the stories for how the protagonist's loyalty is abused unto death; "The Remarkable Rocket," the most hilarious of them all and also the one that makes fun of Wilde's Victorian society in the most clear way; and "The Fisherman and His Soul," the most surprising to me personally, which I'd describe as the anti-Hans Christian Andersen retelling of The Little Mermaid. And though I loved these best, there wasn't any story I didn't like and enjoy. I don't know how he managed it, but Wilde is able to deliver punches to the gut whilst making you laugh at the same time.
October 10, 2018
Lovely tales. Read it as a little kid. Loved it beyond time and measure.
Q:
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket (c)
Q:
"She has no conversation," he said, "and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind." (c)
Q:
So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.
"I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself ... (c)
Q:
"What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said; "I must look for a good chimney-pot," ... (c)
Q:
"How wonderful the stars are," he said to her, "and how wonderful is the power of love!" (c)
Q:
"It is curious," he remarked, "but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold."
"That is because you have done a good action," said the Prince. (c)
Q:
"Alas! I have no ruby now," said the Prince; "my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish his play." (c)
Q:
Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away. The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea." (c)
Q:
Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her."
...
"I will stay with you one night longer," said the Swallow, "but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then."... (c)
Q:
Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. "You are blind now," he said, "so I will stay with you always."
"No, little Swallow," said the poor Prince, "you must go away to Egypt."
"I will stay with you always," said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince's feet. (c)
Q:
All the next day he sat on the Prince's shoulder, and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands. He told him of the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold-fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself, and lives in the desert, and knows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed it with honey-cakes; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves, and are always at war with the butterflies.
"Dear little Swallow," said the Prince, "you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. (c)
Q:
"It is not to Egypt that I am going," said the Swallow. "I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?"
And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet. (c)
Q:
"We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here." (c)
Q:
"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.
"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me." (c)
Q:
Death is a great price to pay for a red rose (c)
Q:
"Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful," said the Student angrily; and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it. (c)
Q:
"What I a silly thing Love is," said the Student as he walked away. "It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything... In fact,
it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, 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. (c)
Q:
"You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them how it was done. (c)
Q:
"What disobedient children!" cried the old Water-rat; "they really deserve to be drowned."
"Nothing of the kind," answered the Duck, "every one must make a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient." (c)
Q:
Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.' (c)
Q:
'Lots of people act well,' answered the Miller; 'but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also... (c)
Q:
"Is that the end of the story?" asked the Water-rat.
"Certainly not," answered the Linnet, "that is the beginning."
"Then you are quite behind the age," said the Water-rat. "Every good story-teller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle. That is the new
method. (c) Oh, the wonders of modern storytelling...
Q:
"It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in your nature," said the Water-rat.
"I am afraid you don't quite see the moral of the story," remarked the Linnet.
"The what?" screamed the Water-rat.
"The moral."
"Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?"
"Certainly," said the Linnet.
"Well, really," said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner, "I think you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said 'Pooh,' like the critic. However, I can say it now"; so he shouted out "Pooh" at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole. (c)
Q:
"I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him... The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral."
"Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do," (c)
Q:
"Somebody must listen," answered the Frog, "and I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments."
"But I like arguments," said the Rocket.
"I hope not," said the Frog complacently. "Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions. (c)
Q:
"There is no good talking to him," said a Dragon-fly, who was sitting on the top of a large brown bulrush; "no good at all, for he has gone away."
"Well, that is his loss, not mine," answered the Rocket. "I am not going to stop talking to him merely because he pays no attention. I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying."
"Then you should certainly lecture on Philosophy," said the Dragonfly; (c)
Q:
"Quack, quack, quack,... What a curious shape you are! May I ask were you born like that, or is it the result of an accident?" (c)
Q:
A person of my position is never useful. We have certain accomplishments, and that is more than sufficient. I have no sympathy myself with industry of any kind, least of all with such industries as you seem to recommend. Indeed, I have always been of opinion that hard work is simply the refuge of people who have nothing whatever to do. (c)
Q:
"I had thoughts of entering public life once myself," remarked the Duck; "there are so many things that need reforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. (c)
Q:
"Delightful!" he cried, "I shall go on like this for ever. What a success I am!" But nobody saw him. ... "I knew I should create a great sensation," (c)
Q:
The Happy Prince
The Nightingale and the Rose
The Selfish Giant
The Devoted Friend
The Remarkable Rocket (c)
Q:
"She has no conversation," he said, "and I am afraid that she is a coquette, for she is always flirting with the wind." (c)
Q:
So he alighted just between the feet of the Happy Prince.
"I have a golden bedroom," he said softly to himself ... (c)
Q:
"What is the use of a statue if it cannot keep the rain off?" he said; "I must look for a good chimney-pot," ... (c)
Q:
"How wonderful the stars are," he said to her, "and how wonderful is the power of love!" (c)
Q:
"It is curious," he remarked, "but I feel quite warm now, although it is so cold."
"That is because you have done a good action," said the Prince. (c)
Q:
"Alas! I have no ruby now," said the Prince; "my eyes are all that I have left. They are made of rare sapphires, which were brought out of India a thousand years ago. Pluck out one of them and take it to him. He will sell it to the jeweller, and buy food and firewood, and finish his play." (c)
Q:
Dear Prince, I must leave you, but I will never forget you, and next spring I will bring you back two beautiful jewels in place of those you have given away. The ruby shall be redder than a red rose, and the sapphire shall be as blue as the great sea." (c)
Q:
Pluck out my other eye, and give it to her, and her father will not beat her."
...
"I will stay with you one night longer," said the Swallow, "but I cannot pluck out your eye. You would be quite blind then."... (c)
Q:
Then the Swallow came back to the Prince. "You are blind now," he said, "so I will stay with you always."
"No, little Swallow," said the poor Prince, "you must go away to Egypt."
"I will stay with you always," said the Swallow, and he slept at the Prince's feet. (c)
Q:
All the next day he sat on the Prince's shoulder, and told him stories of what he had seen in strange lands. He told him of the red ibises, who stand in long rows on the banks of the Nile, and catch gold-fish in their beaks; of the Sphinx, who is as old as the world itself, and lives in the desert, and knows everything; of the merchants, who walk slowly by the side of their camels, and carry amber beads in their hands; of the King of the Mountains of the Moon, who is as black as ebony, and worships a large crystal; of the great green snake that sleeps in a palm-tree, and has twenty priests to feed it with honey-cakes; and of the pygmies who sail over a big lake on large flat leaves, and are always at war with the butterflies.
"Dear little Swallow," said the Prince, "you tell me of marvellous things, but more marvellous than anything is the suffering of men and of women. There is no Mystery so great as Misery. (c)
Q:
"It is not to Egypt that I am going," said the Swallow. "I am going to the House of Death. Death is the brother of Sleep, is he not?"
And he kissed the Happy Prince on the lips, and fell down dead at his feet. (c)
Q:
"We must really issue a proclamation that birds are not to be allowed to die here." (c)
Q:
"Bring me the two most precious things in the city," said God to one of His Angels; and the Angel brought Him the leaden heart and the dead bird.
"You have rightly chosen," said God, "for in my garden of Paradise this little bird shall sing for evermore, and in my city of gold the Happy Prince shall praise me." (c)
Q:
Death is a great price to pay for a red rose (c)
Q:
"Well, upon my word, you are very ungrateful," said the Student angrily; and he threw the rose into the street, where it fell into the gutter, and a cart-wheel went over it. (c)
Q:
"What I a silly thing Love is," said the Student as he walked away. "It is not half as useful as Logic, for it does not prove anything... In fact,
it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, 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. (c)
Q:
"You will never be in the best society unless you can stand on your heads," she kept saying to them; and every now and then she showed them how it was done. (c)
Q:
"What disobedient children!" cried the old Water-rat; "they really deserve to be drowned."
"Nothing of the kind," answered the Duck, "every one must make a beginning, and parents cannot be too patient." (c)
Q:
Flour is one thing, and friendship is another, and they should not be confused. Why, the words are spelt differently, and mean quite different things. Everybody can see that.' (c)
Q:
'Lots of people act well,' answered the Miller; 'but very few people talk well, which shows that talking is much the more difficult thing of the two, and much the finer thing also... (c)
Q:
"Is that the end of the story?" asked the Water-rat.
"Certainly not," answered the Linnet, "that is the beginning."
"Then you are quite behind the age," said the Water-rat. "Every good story-teller nowadays starts with the end, and then goes on to the beginning, and concludes with the middle. That is the new
method. (c) Oh, the wonders of modern storytelling...
Q:
"It is quite evident then that you have no sympathy in your nature," said the Water-rat.
"I am afraid you don't quite see the moral of the story," remarked the Linnet.
"The what?" screamed the Water-rat.
"The moral."
"Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?"
"Certainly," said the Linnet.
"Well, really," said the Water-rat, in a very angry manner, "I think you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you; in fact, I should have said 'Pooh,' like the critic. However, I can say it now"; so he shouted out "Pooh" at the top of his voice, gave a whisk with his tail, and went back into his hole. (c)
Q:
"I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him... The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral."
"Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do," (c)
Q:
"Somebody must listen," answered the Frog, "and I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments."
"But I like arguments," said the Rocket.
"I hope not," said the Frog complacently. "Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions. (c)
Q:
"There is no good talking to him," said a Dragon-fly, who was sitting on the top of a large brown bulrush; "no good at all, for he has gone away."
"Well, that is his loss, not mine," answered the Rocket. "I am not going to stop talking to him merely because he pays no attention. I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself, and I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying."
"Then you should certainly lecture on Philosophy," said the Dragonfly; (c)
Q:
"Quack, quack, quack,... What a curious shape you are! May I ask were you born like that, or is it the result of an accident?" (c)
Q:
A person of my position is never useful. We have certain accomplishments, and that is more than sufficient. I have no sympathy myself with industry of any kind, least of all with such industries as you seem to recommend. Indeed, I have always been of opinion that hard work is simply the refuge of people who have nothing whatever to do. (c)
Q:
"I had thoughts of entering public life once myself," remarked the Duck; "there are so many things that need reforming. Indeed, I took the chair at a meeting some time ago, and we passed resolutions condemning everything that we did not like. However, they did not seem to have much effect. (c)
Q:
"Delightful!" he cried, "I shall go on like this for ever. What a success I am!" But nobody saw him. ... "I knew I should create a great sensation," (c)
September 28, 2018
This collection is an absolute treasure trove! Each story is a bright and shining gem of To Die For prose. I just can’t believe it’s over already!
This is a book I must own on my own bookshelf; I’ve always been obsessed with fairy tales and these are truly some of the best I’ve ever read. I recommend this stunning work of art to all book lovers.
It’s the perfect collection of bedtime stories.
Thank you Oscar Wilde for sharing your genius with the world!!
This is a book I must own on my own bookshelf; I’ve always been obsessed with fairy tales and these are truly some of the best I’ve ever read. I recommend this stunning work of art to all book lovers.
It’s the perfect collection of bedtime stories.
Thank you Oscar Wilde for sharing your genius with the world!!
July 12, 2012
This is a precious collection of some of OW's best stories. I certainly could not call myself a fan of Wilde's political views, but the man sure could write!! I only knew two of these stories before reading the book. "The Happy Prince" is a tender story of love, devotion and loyalty. I remember reading it, or having it read to me, when I was very young. And one of my all time favorites stories, "The Selfish Giant" just doesn't get old. I get the chills every time I read it. Now I have several other stories that I can learn to love as well.
This is a great book. If you have never read anything by OW, this is the place to start. And of course, it is great to share with your children. Not only is it good literature, but it will open up a myriad of discussions if you will let lt. There is so much symbolism here that it is a great place to make children aware that often there are stories within stories.
This is a great book. If you have never read anything by OW, this is the place to start. And of course, it is great to share with your children. Not only is it good literature, but it will open up a myriad of discussions if you will let lt. There is so much symbolism here that it is a great place to make children aware that often there are stories within stories.
June 5, 2013
I love Oscar Wilde. I love the stories he tells and the way he tells them. This version of his fairy tales in particular I am completely in love with because the illustrations are so beautiful. And I am pretty much 100% comfortable saying that Wilde would love them, too.
Read
October 23, 2023I don't care that I'm dnfing I suffered enough to claim it as read after all I don't enjoy Oscar Wilde and I don't think I'll be picking him up ever again
ALSO RENEE IF YOU SEE THIS I don't understand how this goddamn site works so I couldn't reply or like your reply😭😭
ALSO RENEE IF YOU SEE THIS I don't understand how this goddamn site works so I couldn't reply or like your reply😭😭
February 1, 2024
ich wusste nicht dass der so religiös war omg aber es war trotzdem iconic und schön mal was ganz anderes zu lesen als sonst
editor’s note am ende hatte für mich 5 Sterne aber mochte manche Geschichten nicht soo sehr deshalb nur 4
editor’s note am ende hatte für mich 5 Sterne aber mochte manche Geschichten nicht soo sehr deshalb nur 4
March 9, 2021
These literary fairy tales were beautiful but very sad. I don’t intend to read them with my kids, at least not yet.
Read
June 26, 2020Combining the words 'fairy tale' (and our modern day concept of the word, rather that their gruesome early forms such as the original tales of the Brother's Grimm) and the lighthearted wit of Wilde's 'The Importance of Being Earnest' I thought that this would be a light hearted romp through some sweet funny stories.
Of course, the sad content and ending of 'The Happy Prince' which I already knew, should have given me pause for thought. However, I was still completely blindsided by the tragic endings of most of these tales, especially 'The Nightingale and the Rose.' I was also surprised by just how religious they were in content, I was reminded of C.S Lewis at many points, though often Wilde is more overt in his religious message.
Some were also quite gruesome, I couldn't quite imagine reading about the blood gushing from the pearl divers nostrils and ears to small children, but I suppose that is to be expected looking at fairy stories of a similar time.
However, what surprised me most was that although I fully expected to enjoy them immensely, I actually found myself enjoying them even MORE than I anticipated. The storylines themselves tugged at my heartstrings far more than I expected, and depicted through Oscar Wilde's vividly poetic descriptions (I love that he does not scrimp on words to describe clothes, rooms, smells, places, etc just because he is writing for children) that engage all of one's senses, it was an absolute joy to read. I shall definitely be returning to these again.
Of course, the sad content and ending of 'The Happy Prince' which I already knew, should have given me pause for thought. However, I was still completely blindsided by the tragic endings of most of these tales, especially 'The Nightingale and the Rose.' I was also surprised by just how religious they were in content, I was reminded of C.S Lewis at many points, though often Wilde is more overt in his religious message.
Some were also quite gruesome, I couldn't quite imagine reading about the blood gushing from the pearl divers nostrils and ears to small children, but I suppose that is to be expected looking at fairy stories of a similar time.
However, what surprised me most was that although I fully expected to enjoy them immensely, I actually found myself enjoying them even MORE than I anticipated. The storylines themselves tugged at my heartstrings far more than I expected, and depicted through Oscar Wilde's vividly poetic descriptions (I love that he does not scrimp on words to describe clothes, rooms, smells, places, etc just because he is writing for children) that engage all of one's senses, it was an absolute joy to read. I shall definitely be returning to these again.
September 15, 2023
I don’t know how much people know about Oscar Wilde but he led such an interesting life. Most notably he wrote The picture of Dorian Grey and was a poet.
He was known as lovely, impeccably dressed and charming. He was also arrested for sodomy and died destitute in Paris which is heartbreaking.
Knowing all that but also loving Dorian grey, I jumped at the chance to experience his fairytales. These were written earlier than his poems and novels and have the same dark tendencies and moral messaging in the original Grimm tales.
I loved them.
The writing is of it’s time, with slang or words used that aren’t utilised today. This includes a few slurs especially in regards to the slaves and cultures that you see a lot in earlier novels. As a modern woman; I was hyper aware of them but note they were readily used at that time so in a historical sense it’s accurate for the language. In saying that, know this is in the stories and be wary going in.
These tales were creative to say the least.
I read about a bird who gave up Egypt to help the poor and die with a prince. There was a sailor who gave up his soul for the love of a mermaid. A king who dreamt of the wrongs in the world and was blessed.
All these stories talk about kindness, wealth, friendship, love, but they also address slavery, poverty, hunger, selfishness and a lot of other topics.
This particular edition also had some stunning illustrations.
If you’re interested in Wilde’s works and old dark fairytales then this a great book for you to read.
He was known as lovely, impeccably dressed and charming. He was also arrested for sodomy and died destitute in Paris which is heartbreaking.
Knowing all that but also loving Dorian grey, I jumped at the chance to experience his fairytales. These were written earlier than his poems and novels and have the same dark tendencies and moral messaging in the original Grimm tales.
I loved them.
The writing is of it’s time, with slang or words used that aren’t utilised today. This includes a few slurs especially in regards to the slaves and cultures that you see a lot in earlier novels. As a modern woman; I was hyper aware of them but note they were readily used at that time so in a historical sense it’s accurate for the language. In saying that, know this is in the stories and be wary going in.
These tales were creative to say the least.
I read about a bird who gave up Egypt to help the poor and die with a prince. There was a sailor who gave up his soul for the love of a mermaid. A king who dreamt of the wrongs in the world and was blessed.
All these stories talk about kindness, wealth, friendship, love, but they also address slavery, poverty, hunger, selfishness and a lot of other topics.
This particular edition also had some stunning illustrations.
If you’re interested in Wilde’s works and old dark fairytales then this a great book for you to read.
March 21, 2012
I suppose that Wilde's tales are "fairy" tales. Animals talk, there are mermaids and princesses, and magical things happen. In Wilde's tales, however, the animals are often sarcastically silly (in a way that doesn't easily translate to disney-fication, I hope), and they mock the behaviors of humans. The mermaids cause men to give up their souls, the princesses break the hearts of those who love them and the magical is really more miraculous. The themes are more clearly religious - or perhaps I mean morale - and the commentary on society is not particularly flattering.
That being said, I love these tales and the pictures in this edition are stunning. Wilde's language is lovely and his descriptions are well-represented in the illustrations. This is one of those books people should just have and read periodically.
That being said, I love these tales and the pictures in this edition are stunning. Wilde's language is lovely and his descriptions are well-represented in the illustrations. This is one of those books people should just have and read periodically.
January 11, 2025
Oscar Wilde’s flamboyant and beautiful prose is such a good fit for fairytales. The selection of short stories are also very strong. I wasn’t the biggest Wilde fan but this collection has changed my mind, he’s excellent.
Also this specific edition is so nice. The illustrations fit the tone (something illustrations can sometimes miss) and added a lil extra to the experience.
The Happy Prince 4/5
The Nightingale & the Rose 4/5
The Selfish Giant 3/5
The Devoted Friend 3/5
The Remarkable Rocket 3/5
The Young King 4.5/5
The Birthday of the Infanta 3.5/5
The Fisherman and his Soul 4.5/5
The Star Child 3/5
The Model Millionaire 3.5/5
The Canterville Ghost 4/5
The Sphinx without a Secret 3/5
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime 4/5
Also this specific edition is so nice. The illustrations fit the tone (something illustrations can sometimes miss) and added a lil extra to the experience.
The Happy Prince 4/5
The Nightingale & the Rose 4/5
The Selfish Giant 3/5
The Devoted Friend 3/5
The Remarkable Rocket 3/5
The Young King 4.5/5
The Birthday of the Infanta 3.5/5
The Fisherman and his Soul 4.5/5
The Star Child 3/5
The Model Millionaire 3.5/5
The Canterville Ghost 4/5
The Sphinx without a Secret 3/5
Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime 4/5
April 18, 2021
It’s a short read, full of Oscar Wilde’s signature brilliance and word-smithery. This illuminated edition is a beautiful object to have in your hands while reading. And yet, I feel these fairy tales don’t get close to The Picture of Dorian Gray.
Some are beautiful, others are a little too strange and drawn out. The endings are often excellent, bittersweet and/or twisted. But still... there’s a bit of depth missing for my taste, maybe their short length doesn’t allow for more, maybe I’m not in the right mindset, but it just wasn’t up to the standard of what I had expected from the genius of Oscar Wilde.
Some are beautiful, others are a little too strange and drawn out. The endings are often excellent, bittersweet and/or twisted. But still... there’s a bit of depth missing for my taste, maybe their short length doesn’t allow for more, maybe I’m not in the right mindset, but it just wasn’t up to the standard of what I had expected from the genius of Oscar Wilde.
December 31, 2021
The most beautiful book I’ve ever read.
My first encounter of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tale stories was as a child, in a series of books compiled by Jose Vasconcelos called “Lecturas clásicas para niños”. The illustrations in those books were mostly black and white prints, and they felt, for a young child, very “grown up”. Those stories were my refuge from
the world.
Curled up in a couch with a cup of tea and this beautiful book I felt like a little girl again. Love it!
My first encounter of Oscar Wilde’s fairy tale stories was as a child, in a series of books compiled by Jose Vasconcelos called “Lecturas clásicas para niños”. The illustrations in those books were mostly black and white prints, and they felt, for a young child, very “grown up”. Those stories were my refuge from
the world.
Curled up in a couch with a cup of tea and this beautiful book I felt like a little girl again. Love it!
November 25, 2019
I enjoyed all of the stories though I found the rocket character in The Memorable Rocket to be annoying and the Birthday of the Infanta. My top three of the nine tales are the The Happy Prince, The Young King, and The Fisherman and his Soul. I liked how the Fisherman and his Soul was not predictable and how the soul becomes a character midway through the story.
October 23, 2019
These are beautifully told tales, though admittedly with a bit more enthesis on religeon than I generally like. I advise anyone planning to enjoy them with their children to have a read/listen yourself first though, since they aren't your unicorns and rainbows Disney-like fairy tales.
January 10, 2022
Barely 3. The Fisherman and His Soul was my favorite, even though Wilde and I fundamentally disagree mostly on morality, philosophy, and the nature of mankind.
September 11, 2023
curé mi niña interior con estos cuentos 🫂
Read
December 30, 2025wtf?
March 30, 2025
Let me be as they are, I beseech thee, for their days are as the days of flowers.
I was on an Oscar Wilde kick after having read the lovely Picture of Dorian Gray. I enjoyed this at first then it just got a little boring and moralistic. Perhaps that is the point of fairy tales, but to me, it just kind of boring and predictable. I read this also after some book I can no longer remember mentioning the mermaid's death in the Fisherman and the Soul. Wilde's prose is lovely as always though. He does decadent prose so well, which I enjoyed here. Most of the stories did not stick out to me, but there are a few I like: The Birthday of the Infanta, The Happy Prince, and The Nightingale and the Rose.
I do appreciate that Wilde's overly moralizing tone is perhaps satirical, as he writes about casual cruelty with such a deadpan and hyperfocused approach, lending it a comical tone. This, plus the plush prose, makes for an interesting precedent to the subverted fairy tale genre. Commendably witty especially considering he did this in the 19th century. I am surprised at the cruelty he writes about (such as the dwarf's ugliness in the birthday of the infanta, and the evilness of the friend in The Devoted Friend). It's so witty of him to execute in this format. Unfortunately I am no longer capable of full recaps of each short story as this review has been so delayed............ The Happy Prince was about generosity to the point of self-sacrifice, The Nightingale and The Rose's self-sacrificial bird struck me, The Selfish Giant is about Jesus, The Devoted Friend is about selfishness, The Remarkable Rocket is about vanity, A House of Pomegranates and The Young King I no longer remember, The Birthday of the Infanta about human cruelty towards ugliness (how Shelley), the fisherman and his soul about love and not-love between a mermaid and fisherman, and The Star-child about generosity, but don't trust me on that. Just know that this was an average read for me. Trust. This genre just isn't that compelling to me, but I appreciate having read it nonetheless.
Quotes:
9
“Beauty is the symbol of symbols,” he declared. “Beauty reveals everything because it expresses nothing. When it shows us itself it shows us the whole fiery-colored world.”
29
“No red rose in all my garden!” he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. “Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.”
32
All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty.
34
Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.
34
“Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!” he cried; “here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name”;
55
“Any place you love is the world to you,”
55
“but love is not fashionable any more, the poets have killed it.
58
when I soar up into the air I intend to tell the stars all about it.
80
“Are not the rich and the poor brothers?” asked the young King.
“Aye,” answered the man, “and the name of the rich brother is Cain.”
80
“Shall Joy wear what Grief has fashioned?”
83
The purple butterflies fluttered about with gold dust on their wings, visiting each flower in turn;
83
the pomegranates split and cracked with the heat, and showed their bleeding red hearts.
94
that Nature, in some humorous mood, had fashioned for others to mock at.
Dude!
106
dainty rose-leaf lips
106
dainty rose-leaf lips curled in pretty disdain.
107
lines of blue enamel round a vase of bronze,
110
the wandering moon stained his brown limbs with silver.
111
Let me be as they are, I beseech thee, for their days are as the days of flowers.
115
“I can turn the autumn leaves into gold,” she answered, “and I can weave the pale moonbeams into silver if I will it.
118
a little smile touched his proud lips, as a bird’s wing touches the water and makes it laugh.
129
melons, smelling of musk and yellow as topazes, citrons and rose-apples and clusters of white grapes, round red-gold oranges, and oval lemons of green gold.
133
There were opals and sapphires, the former in cups of crystal, and the latter in cups of jade. Round green emeralds were ranged in order upon thin plates of ivory, and in one corner were silk bags filled, some with turquoise-stones, and others with beryls. The ivory horns were heaped with purple amethysts, and the horns of brass with chalcedonies and sards.
I was on an Oscar Wilde kick after having read the lovely Picture of Dorian Gray. I enjoyed this at first then it just got a little boring and moralistic. Perhaps that is the point of fairy tales, but to me, it just kind of boring and predictable. I read this also after some book I can no longer remember mentioning the mermaid's death in the Fisherman and the Soul. Wilde's prose is lovely as always though. He does decadent prose so well, which I enjoyed here. Most of the stories did not stick out to me, but there are a few I like: The Birthday of the Infanta, The Happy Prince, and The Nightingale and the Rose.
I do appreciate that Wilde's overly moralizing tone is perhaps satirical, as he writes about casual cruelty with such a deadpan and hyperfocused approach, lending it a comical tone. This, plus the plush prose, makes for an interesting precedent to the subverted fairy tale genre. Commendably witty especially considering he did this in the 19th century. I am surprised at the cruelty he writes about (such as the dwarf's ugliness in the birthday of the infanta, and the evilness of the friend in The Devoted Friend). It's so witty of him to execute in this format. Unfortunately I am no longer capable of full recaps of each short story as this review has been so delayed............ The Happy Prince was about generosity to the point of self-sacrifice, The Nightingale and The Rose's self-sacrificial bird struck me, The Selfish Giant is about Jesus, The Devoted Friend is about selfishness, The Remarkable Rocket is about vanity, A House of Pomegranates and The Young King I no longer remember, The Birthday of the Infanta about human cruelty towards ugliness (how Shelley), the fisherman and his soul about love and not-love between a mermaid and fisherman, and The Star-child about generosity, but don't trust me on that. Just know that this was an average read for me. Trust. This genre just isn't that compelling to me, but I appreciate having read it nonetheless.
Quotes:
9
“Beauty is the symbol of symbols,” he declared. “Beauty reveals everything because it expresses nothing. When it shows us itself it shows us the whole fiery-colored world.”
29
“No red rose in all my garden!” he cried, and his beautiful eyes filled with tears. “Ah, on what little things does happiness depend! I have read all that the wise men have written, and all the secrets of philosophy are mine, yet for want of a red rose is my life made wretched.”
32
All that I ask of you in return is that you will be a true lover, for Love is wiser than Philosophy, though she is wise, and mightier than Power, though he is mighty.
34
Crimson was the girdle of petals, and crimson as a ruby was the heart.
34
“Why, what a wonderful piece of luck!” he cried; “here is a red rose! I have never seen any rose like it in all my life. It is so beautiful that I am sure it has a long Latin name”;
55
“Any place you love is the world to you,”
55
“but love is not fashionable any more, the poets have killed it.
58
when I soar up into the air I intend to tell the stars all about it.
80
“Are not the rich and the poor brothers?” asked the young King.
“Aye,” answered the man, “and the name of the rich brother is Cain.”
80
“Shall Joy wear what Grief has fashioned?”
83
The purple butterflies fluttered about with gold dust on their wings, visiting each flower in turn;
83
the pomegranates split and cracked with the heat, and showed their bleeding red hearts.
94
that Nature, in some humorous mood, had fashioned for others to mock at.
Dude!
106
dainty rose-leaf lips
106
dainty rose-leaf lips curled in pretty disdain.
107
lines of blue enamel round a vase of bronze,
110
the wandering moon stained his brown limbs with silver.
111
Let me be as they are, I beseech thee, for their days are as the days of flowers.
115
“I can turn the autumn leaves into gold,” she answered, “and I can weave the pale moonbeams into silver if I will it.
118
a little smile touched his proud lips, as a bird’s wing touches the water and makes it laugh.
129
melons, smelling of musk and yellow as topazes, citrons and rose-apples and clusters of white grapes, round red-gold oranges, and oval lemons of green gold.
133
There were opals and sapphires, the former in cups of crystal, and the latter in cups of jade. Round green emeralds were ranged in order upon thin plates of ivory, and in one corner were silk bags filled, some with turquoise-stones, and others with beryls. The ivory horns were heaped with purple amethysts, and the horns of brass with chalcedonies and sards.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 1, 2022
Do you mean to say that the story has a moral?’
‘Certainly,’ said the Linnet.
‘Well really, ‘ said the Water-rat..’ I think that you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you..’
One of the first ‘fairy stories’ I remember reading was The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. An old man living alone with a beautiful garden which is covered in eternal snow until he lets children into the garden.As a child I could hear this over and over again, I was spellbound by the garden, by the beauty of the story. Being a serious child I was so open to the moral at the heart and its special message about sharing. Later my parents bought me a slim paperback with a statue on the cover. This is the status of the Happy Prince and the volume was an edition of Wilde’s short stories. The Happy Prince is another story with generosity and love at its core and the kind poignancy that delves deep into your heart, painful but sublime..Last year I collected my most recent edition which was an illustrated edition..
I am so happy to be reviewing a new edition to my favourite fairy stories. This edition by duck books includes some fabulous illustrations by Philippe Julian - black and white images which capture the essence of the story. Swipe for photo.
I re read some of my favourites - the Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose and the Devoted Friend and I found things that I had not seen before….the delicious humour and irony demonstrated for example in the quote at the top and in the title ‘ Devoted Friend’ I appreciated the beauty of the writing - Wilde is supreme! - in a way that I know eluded me in childhood and I felt the power of Wilde’s messages embedded in the story. These are messages which resonate as much for me today as then..
I started puzzling about Wilde and his inspiration for writing these stories. At the back is a fascinating ‘Critical Note’ written by his son. Did you know he had a son? He had two. Vyvyan Holland’s critical note briefly explores the influences for these stories - Wilde’s Irish ancestry and his leaning towards the ‘Church of Rome, with this medievalism and mysticism.’ Holland looks at the literary influences and explores the art of telling fairy stories..
If you have never read Oscar Wilde’s fairy stories I commend them to you. Wilde was an incredible writer and these stories demonstrate his writing skills beautifully. This is a gorgeous edition which would make a very special gift for adult or child.
‘Certainly,’ said the Linnet.
‘Well really, ‘ said the Water-rat..’ I think that you should have told me that before you began. If you had done so, I certainly would not have listened to you..’
One of the first ‘fairy stories’ I remember reading was The Selfish Giant by Oscar Wilde. An old man living alone with a beautiful garden which is covered in eternal snow until he lets children into the garden.As a child I could hear this over and over again, I was spellbound by the garden, by the beauty of the story. Being a serious child I was so open to the moral at the heart and its special message about sharing. Later my parents bought me a slim paperback with a statue on the cover. This is the status of the Happy Prince and the volume was an edition of Wilde’s short stories. The Happy Prince is another story with generosity and love at its core and the kind poignancy that delves deep into your heart, painful but sublime..Last year I collected my most recent edition which was an illustrated edition..
I am so happy to be reviewing a new edition to my favourite fairy stories. This edition by duck books includes some fabulous illustrations by Philippe Julian - black and white images which capture the essence of the story. Swipe for photo.
I re read some of my favourites - the Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose and the Devoted Friend and I found things that I had not seen before….the delicious humour and irony demonstrated for example in the quote at the top and in the title ‘ Devoted Friend’ I appreciated the beauty of the writing - Wilde is supreme! - in a way that I know eluded me in childhood and I felt the power of Wilde’s messages embedded in the story. These are messages which resonate as much for me today as then..
I started puzzling about Wilde and his inspiration for writing these stories. At the back is a fascinating ‘Critical Note’ written by his son. Did you know he had a son? He had two. Vyvyan Holland’s critical note briefly explores the influences for these stories - Wilde’s Irish ancestry and his leaning towards the ‘Church of Rome, with this medievalism and mysticism.’ Holland looks at the literary influences and explores the art of telling fairy stories..
If you have never read Oscar Wilde’s fairy stories I commend them to you. Wilde was an incredible writer and these stories demonstrate his writing skills beautifully. This is a gorgeous edition which would make a very special gift for adult or child.
November 28, 2022
The afterword by Wilde's son is an excellent summary of what to expect from this book, so let me start my review by quoting that here as it's far better than what I can articulate:
'To appreciate Oscar Wilde's fairy stories fully two facts must be borne in mind. First, that he was almost wholly Irish in ancestry; and, secondly, that throughout most of his life he had a strong leaning towards the Church of Rome, with its mediaevalism and mysticism. [...] So it is that we find in Oscar Wilde's stories that blend folk-lore and religious impulse that has always actuated Irish poets.
[...] The fairy story, in the form of folklore, is the earliest form of "literature," apart from religious records, which man possesses, and it dates from long before man learned to read or to write. It is the only form of story which carries its message to all ages and to all races. [...] The children's tales of Oscar Wilde are a poet's tales and are really poems in prose.'
We're not talking about Disney's romanticized fairy stories here. Sure, animals and inanimate objects are alive and can talk, but the tales you'll find in this book are more of the Grimm variety, where birds die and evil can get away. Some of the stories try to impart lessons, and a few are clearly religious in tone. But they are a wonderful collection of stories nonetheless, a classic for all ages. Wilde's son describes it best, really: poems in prose.
I wasn't able to get my hands on the hardcover though, which is described as "a stunning 70th-anniversary gift edition of Duckworth’s treasured complete fairy tales of Oscar Wilde, quarter-bound with foil cover detailing, beautifully illustrated with over twenty original line drawings by distinguished French artist Philippe Jullian." From that alone, you can be sure it's a lovely, gift-worthy book that's perfect with the holidays coming up! But the digital edition still contains the beautiful illustrations, and, well, what I love about (digital) anthologies and collections is how you can read it on a piecemeal basis, one story at a time, on the go.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "I Do Believe in Faeries" by the Northern Ballet Theater Orchestra
'To appreciate Oscar Wilde's fairy stories fully two facts must be borne in mind. First, that he was almost wholly Irish in ancestry; and, secondly, that throughout most of his life he had a strong leaning towards the Church of Rome, with its mediaevalism and mysticism. [...] So it is that we find in Oscar Wilde's stories that blend folk-lore and religious impulse that has always actuated Irish poets.
[...] The fairy story, in the form of folklore, is the earliest form of "literature," apart from religious records, which man possesses, and it dates from long before man learned to read or to write. It is the only form of story which carries its message to all ages and to all races. [...] The children's tales of Oscar Wilde are a poet's tales and are really poems in prose.'
We're not talking about Disney's romanticized fairy stories here. Sure, animals and inanimate objects are alive and can talk, but the tales you'll find in this book are more of the Grimm variety, where birds die and evil can get away. Some of the stories try to impart lessons, and a few are clearly religious in tone. But they are a wonderful collection of stories nonetheless, a classic for all ages. Wilde's son describes it best, really: poems in prose.
I wasn't able to get my hands on the hardcover though, which is described as "a stunning 70th-anniversary gift edition of Duckworth’s treasured complete fairy tales of Oscar Wilde, quarter-bound with foil cover detailing, beautifully illustrated with over twenty original line drawings by distinguished French artist Philippe Jullian." From that alone, you can be sure it's a lovely, gift-worthy book that's perfect with the holidays coming up! But the digital edition still contains the beautiful illustrations, and, well, what I love about (digital) anthologies and collections is how you can read it on a piecemeal basis, one story at a time, on the go.
RECOMMENDED LISTENING: "I Do Believe in Faeries" by the Northern Ballet Theater Orchestra
March 15, 2011
Wilde is a brilliant writer and this book is no exception. There's a bit too much Catholicism in this book for my taste, but it doesn't really distract from the stories at all. Every story is sad, and beware reading this to kids until you've read through it first. It doesn't shy away from killing off the most sympathetic character, or having them suffer trials and tribulations without any happy ending. These stories are tender and touching paeans to love and sacrifice written with such poignancy that it would be hard not to be moved. Wilde's prose is beautiful. The stories are filled with social commentary and satire and insight into human character, there's never a doubt that you're reading a master. Highly recommended. I found myself going back and re-reading passages over a few times just because they were so enjoyable to read and so beautifully written. There is a story of a dwarf in this book and when I was reading it to Laurie she mentioned that Oscar Wilde might be relating himself to the dwarf in the story, he's considered nothing more than an outcast, by those in upper society, as a clown or a source of amusement. It turns out that there's a long history of the dwarf representing the artist in art and literature; think Velasquez. Reading the story with this in mind the relationship is unmistakable.
http://www.mezzo-mondo.com/arts/mm/ve...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2...
http://www.logoi.com/pastimages/img/d...
http://www.billcasselman.com/velasque...
http://hoocher.com/Diego_Velazquez/Ve...
And John Singer Sargent's take "after Velasquez"
http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/Dwarf...
http://www.mezzo-mondo.com/arts/mm/ve...
http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3295/2...
http://www.logoi.com/pastimages/img/d...
http://www.billcasselman.com/velasque...
http://hoocher.com/Diego_Velazquez/Ve...
And John Singer Sargent's take "after Velasquez"
http://jssgallery.org/Paintings/Dwarf...
December 31, 2022
I've read Wilde's fairy stories before, quite often actually. Personally, I think they are exquisite, although Dorian Gray tends to get more attention overall, these are such memorable and often emotional stories. They are drawn from the ingrained folklore and stories Oscar grew up with. This is the 1952 edition republished, it contains beautiful illustrations by Philippe Jullian.
There is an afterword - a critical note - written by Wilde's son Vyvyan Holland, which gives insight into the inspiration behind these fairy stories. It might have made more sense to put it in the front, however this way you experience the story and draw your own conclusions. Either way it's a fascinating insight.
It's evident in these stories how deeply Wilde experience his future was able to connect with the emotions of his fellow humans, especially with those they like to keep hidden away from the world. He lays bare the vulnerability, the harsh truth and just how disconnected we can all be from each other, ergo capable of hurting each other and creating wounds that never quite heal.
It's gorgeous edition, one I wouldn't hesitate to buy for others. Side note - I just love The Happy Prince.
There is an afterword - a critical note - written by Wilde's son Vyvyan Holland, which gives insight into the inspiration behind these fairy stories. It might have made more sense to put it in the front, however this way you experience the story and draw your own conclusions. Either way it's a fascinating insight.
It's evident in these stories how deeply Wilde experience his future was able to connect with the emotions of his fellow humans, especially with those they like to keep hidden away from the world. He lays bare the vulnerability, the harsh truth and just how disconnected we can all be from each other, ergo capable of hurting each other and creating wounds that never quite heal.
It's gorgeous edition, one I wouldn't hesitate to buy for others. Side note - I just love The Happy Prince.
September 7, 2025
Very charming and beautiful. As a fan of both fairy tales and Oscar Wilde, this was just my cup of tea!
August 1, 2024
To my surprise, I am generally positive about this book. In high school, I heard about Oscar Wilde, but I never thought I'd read a book of his of my own free will to be honest. It's very different from what I normally read, but I definitely plan to read more works by Oscar Wilde. I also think I'll read it again when I've read more of Wilde's works.
I sometimes had trouble understanding the moral of the story, especially with the longer fairy tales. I definitely enjoyed the shorter fairy tales that were pretty clear (The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Star Child). Personally, I wasn't a fan of A House Of Pomegranates (1891).I have to admit that I didn't really understand those fairy tales. Maybe I'll give those fairy tales another chance later.
Nevertheless, due to the variety of fairy tales, I assume that there will be at least one fairy tale that will appeal to you ;)
I sometimes had trouble understanding the moral of the story, especially with the longer fairy tales. I definitely enjoyed the shorter fairy tales that were pretty clear (The Happy Prince, The Selfish Giant and The Star Child). Personally, I wasn't a fan of A House Of Pomegranates (1891).I have to admit that I didn't really understand those fairy tales. Maybe I'll give those fairy tales another chance later.
Nevertheless, due to the variety of fairy tales, I assume that there will be at least one fairy tale that will appeal to you ;)
October 22, 2009
O Serendipity! How grateful I am for thee! I was at the library yesterday with a printout of my Goodreads "to read" shelf, and Milwood had not a one of them. The APL system itself was also decidedly unhelpful and my lunchtime clock was ticking, so I completed my request for an audio copy of "The Importance of Being Earnest" to be sent to Milwood and in the process, stumbled upon this gem in the catalog. Lo and behold it was actually available and on the shelf. For anyone wanting to explore Wilde's fairy takes, I recommend this gorgeously illustrated edition; it's most excellent introduction caused me to enjoy the stories much more than I would have anyway. I could go on and on, but it's enough, I think, to say I was swept away!
July 20, 2010
This is a collection of children's stories by Oscar Wilde, who would have though. I actually never thought to look to him for children’s stories, I just stumbled across it. I found them quite entertaining; you can tell they were written long ago due to some of the content in them. The nightingale pushes her chest onto a thorn to sacrifice her own life, the Selfish Giant finds god’s son in the garden and so forth. When approached with an open mind and no judgement and the understanding of the time, the tales are quite wonderful. I always love it when they use animals to get messages of sharing and other behaviours across to children. :0)
The Happy Prince ***
The Nightingale and the Rose ****
The Selfish Giant ***
The Devoted Friend ****
The Remarkable Rocket ****
The Happy Prince ***
The Nightingale and the Rose ****
The Selfish Giant ***
The Devoted Friend ****
The Remarkable Rocket ****
January 20, 2016
I feel like I should give it a lower rating but rating things muddles me up.
I did enjoy these, very much. I went down the audiobook route, but I believe I have the illustrated version at my mother's, so I'll be sure to pick it up.
There are several quotes I loved from these stories, which are very relevant today. There was often a lot of irrelevant details that cropped up, but it didn't distract too much from the real story.
If I have learnt anything from reading this, it's why Fairy Tales were modernised in a way to make them happier.....
Because there really were a load if pricks in this and a lot of deflating endings. I mean, it probably teaches kids that the world is shit, so it's kind of useful in that sense.
I did enjoy these, very much. I went down the audiobook route, but I believe I have the illustrated version at my mother's, so I'll be sure to pick it up.
There are several quotes I loved from these stories, which are very relevant today. There was often a lot of irrelevant details that cropped up, but it didn't distract too much from the real story.
If I have learnt anything from reading this, it's why Fairy Tales were modernised in a way to make them happier.....
Because there really were a load if pricks in this and a lot of deflating endings. I mean, it probably teaches kids that the world is shit, so it's kind of useful in that sense.
April 4, 2018
My favorite when I was a kid was always The Happy Prince. But tonight it's The Nightingale and The Rose:
“What a silly thing love is!' said the student as he walked away. 'It is not half as useful as logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, 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.”
Every story in this book will have its moment in a reader's life, I think. You just have to keep coming back. Isabelle Brent's illustrations are wonderful as well.
“What a silly thing love is!' said the student as he walked away. 'It is not half as useful as logic, for it does not prove anything, and it is always telling one of things that are not going to happen, and making one believe things that are not true. In fact, it is quite unpractical, and, as in this age to be practical is everything, 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.”
Every story in this book will have its moment in a reader's life, I think. You just have to keep coming back. Isabelle Brent's illustrations are wonderful as well.
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