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The Happy Prince and Other Stories
by
Oscar Wilde,
Markus Zusak (Goodreads Author)
A haunting, magical fairy-tale collection, in which Oscar Wilde beautifully evokes (among others) The Happy Prince who was not so happy after all, The Selfish Giant who learned to love little children and The Star Child who did not love his parents as much as he should. Each of the stories shines with poetry and magic and will be enjoyed by children of every age. A perfect
...more
Paperback, 224 pages
Published
November 12th 2009
by Puffin Books
(first published 1888)
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Community Reviews
(showing 1-30)
“I like to do all the talking myself. It saves time, and prevents arguments.”
These are a lot like Andersen's tales - fairy-tale kind of prose, talking objects, often with sad elements and sad endings. Add to it, Wilde's popular witticisms. The Rose and Nightingale is one of the most beautiful stories I have read.
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”
“I hate peo ...more
These are a lot like Andersen's tales - fairy-tale kind of prose, talking objects, often with sad elements and sad endings. Add to it, Wilde's popular witticisms. The Rose and Nightingale is one of the most beautiful stories I have read.
“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”
“I hate peo ...more
The popular author of The Book Thief, Markus Zusak aptly says in his introduction of this book: "There's something in these fairy tales that reminds me why any of us would want to be readers and writers in the first place, and that is that, the more amazing the stories become, the more I believe them, and the more I realize that I won't forget them." For me, these stories are truly unforgettable!
The Happy Prince : 5 stars (Amazing!)
A formerly rich and only child prince is now a regal statue. The ...more
The Happy Prince : 5 stars (Amazing!)
A formerly rich and only child prince is now a regal statue. The ...more
A Beautiful Collection for All Ages
Each little story is a beautifully told allegory touching to the heart. You will never be too old or too young to appreciate the marvellous moral in each story.
The stories in this collection are: The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, and The Remarkable Rocket.
Many of my favourite epigrams come from this collection. Here are a few gems (of many):
"Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeral ...more
Each little story is a beautifully told allegory touching to the heart. You will never be too old or too young to appreciate the marvellous moral in each story.
The stories in this collection are: The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and the Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, and The Remarkable Rocket.
Many of my favourite epigrams come from this collection. Here are a few gems (of many):
"Surely Love is a wonderful thing. It is more precious than emeral ...more
Oct 16, 2016
Maggie
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Maggie by:
Lu Morales
The Happy Prince : ★★★★
The Nightingale and the Rose : ★★★
The Selfish Giant : ★★★
The Devoted Friend : ★★
The Remarkable Rocket : ★★
Overall rating: 3
The Nightingale and the Rose : ★★★
The Selfish Giant : ★★★
The Devoted Friend : ★★
The Remarkable Rocket : ★★
Overall rating: 3
Jan 16, 2016
Srividya
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommended to Srividya by:
Fatty Bolger
When you truly live your life, you have to learn to accept and maybe expect the rare and unexpected surprises that might be in store for you. These unanticipated wonders often bring about a lot of joy in our lives and sometimes also have the capacity of teaching us a gentle yet important lesson. My surprise for the day was this small little book, a set of short stories written by Oscar Wilde and believe me I was simply floored by the simplicity as well as the complexity there was in these tales.
...more
Feb 08, 2017
Kübra Yağmur
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
ilknur a.k.a. iko ◬
Sonra Kırlangıç yeniden uçup Mutlu Prens’in yanına döndü ve ona yaptığını anlattı. “Garip şey,” dedi, “içim sımsıcak, oysa hava ne kadar soğuk.”
Ne kadar güzel öykü ve masallardı onlar öyle...
Bak bu böyle böyle yapmış, sen sakın yapma, hııı! gibi bir his uyandırmadan farkındalık yaratabilen bir özelliğe sahip.
“Nereyi seversen orası senin dünyandır,” diye atıldı, hüzünlü bir çarkıfelek; gençliğinde eski bir köknar kutuya bağlanmıştı; kalbi kırıktı ve bununla gurur duyardı. “Ama aşkın modası geç...more
I have found that any author I was forced to read in my ancient school days tends to be ignored these days when I can choose my own reading. Oscar Wilde certainly fits that statement. I remember having to dissect The Picture Of Dorian Gray for some class or other, and the only other work of his I have read since then was The Importance Of Being Earnest. I enjoyed that, but it did not inspire me to discover any more about or by Wilde.
But a few days ago I noticed a review by fellow GR group member ...more
But a few days ago I noticed a review by fellow GR group member ...more
This is a collection of five short stories, that are fairy-tale-like moral fables, not only for children, but drenched in subtle hints aimed at the older readers.
When questioned about the maturity of the language in his stories, Wilde ridiculed the idea that "extremely limited vocabulary at the disposal of the British child" should be "the standard by which the prose of an artist is to be judged".
These tales are dark and colorful at the same time, and deal mostly with selfishness, compassion, eg ...more
When questioned about the maturity of the language in his stories, Wilde ridiculed the idea that "extremely limited vocabulary at the disposal of the British child" should be "the standard by which the prose of an artist is to be judged".
These tales are dark and colorful at the same time, and deal mostly with selfishness, compassion, eg ...more
Dec 28, 2016
M.
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
kutuphanemdekiler,
hasan-ali-yücel
"Ruh, ıssız kumsalda durup onları seyretti." (s.108)
Son derece sıcak, bilgelikle yüklü, keyifli öyküler ve masallar bunlar. Çocukluğumda okuduğum rengarenk dünyalara kapımı açan masal kitaplarını hatırlattı bana. Bu vesileyle tekrar çocukluğuma dönmemi sağladı.
Öykülerin kimi zaman hüznü aynı zamanda mizahi unsurlarla kaynaştırabilmesi büyük bir edebi dehayı gösteriyor. Özellikle "hortlak" temalı öyküyü (ya da masalı) okurken çok eğlendim. Bu öyküde satır aralarında aynı zamanda Amerikan dünya gö ...more
Son derece sıcak, bilgelikle yüklü, keyifli öyküler ve masallar bunlar. Çocukluğumda okuduğum rengarenk dünyalara kapımı açan masal kitaplarını hatırlattı bana. Bu vesileyle tekrar çocukluğuma dönmemi sağladı.
Öykülerin kimi zaman hüznü aynı zamanda mizahi unsurlarla kaynaştırabilmesi büyük bir edebi dehayı gösteriyor. Özellikle "hortlak" temalı öyküyü (ya da masalı) okurken çok eğlendim. Bu öyküde satır aralarında aynı zamanda Amerikan dünya gö ...more
If this book doesn't make you want to curl up with a nice hot cup of arsenic and maybe some razor blades, you read a different edition than I did. Apparently Wilde read Hans Christian Anderson and thought, "Dang nab it, I can write way way depressing fairy tales, too!"
Not saying it's not pretty. Just saying.
Not saying it's not pretty. Just saying.
Ιστορίες που όλοι λίγο-πολύ έχουμε ακούσει... μα που προσωπικά δεν είχα διαβάσει μέχρι τώρα. Όχι, η ανάρτηση αυτή δεν είναι κριτική. Δε θα τολμούσε να είναι κριτική. Ποιος άλλωστε θα μπορούσε να κάνει κριτική στο έργο του Όσκαρ Ουάιλντ;... Γράφω τη συγκεκριμένη ανάρτηση γιατί θέλω να εκφράσω τα ειλικρινή μου αισθήματα απέναντι σε αυτό το βιβλίο.
Τις τρεις από τις πέντε ιστορίες τις είχα ακούσει, όπως αναφέρω και πιο πάνω, συγκεκριμένα ήξερα τον Ευτυχισμένο Πρίγκιπα, τον Εγωιστή Γίγαντα και τον Αφ ...more
Τις τρεις από τις πέντε ιστορίες τις είχα ακούσει, όπως αναφέρω και πιο πάνω, συγκεκριμένα ήξερα τον Ευτυχισμένο Πρίγκιπα, τον Εγωιστή Γίγαντα και τον Αφ ...more
Jan 03, 2009
Nikki
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
classics,
short-stories-novellas
This is a beautiful little collection of stories. I thought I'd never read any of them, but I'd definitely read "The Selfish Giant" before, and some of the others seemed familiar. The stories are all a little like fairy tales, though, so that's probably part of it.
My favourites were "The Nightingale and the Rose" and "The Fisherman and His Soul", I think. All of them are lovely, though. I especially like the beginning of Star-Child. Some of the lines in it are gorgeous, like: "And when they came ...more
My favourites were "The Nightingale and the Rose" and "The Fisherman and His Soul", I think. All of them are lovely, though. I especially like the beginning of Star-Child. Some of the lines in it are gorgeous, like: "And when they came ...more
Mar 02, 2017
Faizah Aulia R
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
ebook,
children-pov,
fantasy,
english,
filsafat,
favorit-pake-banget,
klasik-dunia,
klasik,
education,
middle-grade,
scoop,
2017
ini bagus bangeeett.
Suka banget sama cerita-cerita di dalamnya yang meskipun disampaikan dengan bahasa dan kalimat sederhana tapi pesan moralnya banyak banget. Ini sebenernya masuk kategori children, tapi entah kenapa kalo dibaca sama orang dewasa kayaknya bakal bikin berpikir banyak dan ngehubungin dengan keadaan ketika udah dewasa, karena pesan moralnya timeless banget yah.
Oscar Wilde juara bikin cerita sederhana tapi emosinya teraduk-aduk dan banyak pesan moralnya. Bagian cerita bunga mawar i ...more
Suka banget sama cerita-cerita di dalamnya yang meskipun disampaikan dengan bahasa dan kalimat sederhana tapi pesan moralnya banyak banget. Ini sebenernya masuk kategori children, tapi entah kenapa kalo dibaca sama orang dewasa kayaknya bakal bikin berpikir banyak dan ngehubungin dengan keadaan ketika udah dewasa, karena pesan moralnya timeless banget yah.
Oscar Wilde juara bikin cerita sederhana tapi emosinya teraduk-aduk dan banyak pesan moralnya. Bagian cerita bunga mawar i ...more
Feb 08, 2016
Amina
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone
Recommended to Amina by:
Hitessh Panchal
Short stories with morals, I love that!
As always, many thanks Hitessh for the great recommendation!
As always, many thanks Hitessh for the great recommendation!
Wilde is a fantastic prose stylist, if you can tolerate his style, and this is one of his most accessible works, as well as a surprising one in many ways for those with certain preconceived notions of the author: Wilde here often puts his aesthetic pose second to his political and moral views - two things that 'Oscar Wilde' wasn't meant to have at all.
On the other hand, this probably isn't the best demonstration of Wilde's skills. The idea of the arch-sophisticate taking on the genre of simple, ...more
On the other hand, this probably isn't the best demonstration of Wilde's skills. The idea of the arch-sophisticate taking on the genre of simple, ...more
Nov 01, 2011
Alice
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Fans of Wilde and short stories. Literature/Creative writing students.
I do really like Oscar Wilde, so giving this collectiont three stars pains me somewhat. It's not that they aren't well written, they're just incredibly sad and frustrating. "The Devoted Friend", for example, just annoyed me. There are no happy endings and, call me old fashioned, but I think happy endings in children's stories are a necessity. That being said I read "The Selfish Giant" many times as a child. Whether it did me any good or not remains to be seen!
From an analytical point of view I c ...more
From an analytical point of view I c ...more
Mar 07, 2016
HebatAllah Hassan
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
favorite
I fell in love with Oscar Wilde's writings ever since I read his "The Nightengale and the Rose" when one of my friends gave it to me saying: "Oh, Heba, read it; it's truly touching." And I was not disappointed; the first time I read it I wept of frustration, I was deeply deeply touched. So, knowing that this story is part of Wilde's "The Happy Prince and Other Tales", I decided to read it as a whole hoping to find stories better, if there can be anything better, or at least at the same level as
...more
Jan 05, 2013
Eman
rated it
liked it
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
Everyone.
Shelves:
19th-century-literature,
forever-young
The Happy Prince and Other Tales is my first read for Oscar Wilde, and it won't be the last. It's combined of 5 short stories, each story carries a moral at the end of it. I'm not sure if this book is appropriate to be narrated for kids at bedtime, because... (view spoiler).
How did I like each story?
The Happy Prince:
3 stars, liked it.
The Nightin ...more
How did I like each story?
The Happy Prince:
3 stars, liked it.
The Nightin ...more
Today I decided to get an old dusty favourite out to read. Why you may ask, why today of all days would you choose Wilde?
Why have you picked this book over something equally superb and known for its literary prowess...you know something that features:
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GIFSoup
That's right goblins, goblin sex and oh baby eating goblins.
I mean isn't that the kind of book you think of straight away when you think of renowned playwrights like Wilde.
[image error]
GIFSoup
Yeh, I know I was kind of speechles ...more
Why have you picked this book over something equally superb and known for its literary prowess...you know something that features:
[image error]
GIFSoup
That's right goblins, goblin sex and oh baby eating goblins.
I mean isn't that the kind of book you think of straight away when you think of renowned playwrights like Wilde.
[image error]
GIFSoup
Yeh, I know I was kind of speechles ...more
4/5
Todos son casi igual de trágicos y tristes, aunque algunos duelen mucho más que otros.
En mi edición, que es bastante vieja y estaba forrada por su anterior dueño (la abuela de mi mamá, creo), hay unas ilustraciones muy lindas, aunque no busqué cuál era acá, pero me gustaron mucho.
El príncipe feliz : 4/5; me sonaba la historia, aunque no la conocía del todo, y el cuento en sí me pareció muy hermoso.
El ruiseñor y al rosa : 5/5; me volvió a romper el corazón por 765930 vez. Creo que no import ...more
Todos son casi igual de trágicos y tristes, aunque algunos duelen mucho más que otros.
En mi edición, que es bastante vieja y estaba forrada por su anterior dueño (la abuela de mi mamá, creo), hay unas ilustraciones muy lindas, aunque no busqué cuál era acá, pero me gustaron mucho.
El príncipe feliz : 4/5; me sonaba la historia, aunque no la conocía del todo, y el cuento en sí me pareció muy hermoso.
El ruiseñor y al rosa : 5/5; me volvió a romper el corazón por 765930 vez. Creo que no import ...more
Apr 29, 2015
Rxmi
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
actually-have-them,
2015
"—Ahora temo que mi historia le haya molestado —dijo el jilguero—. Pero lo cierto es que lo que le conté tenía una moraleja.
—¡Ah! Eso siempre es muy peligroso —reflexionó la pata.
Y yo, yo estoy de acuerdo con ella."
El príncipe feliz: 3/5 ★
El ruiseñor y la rosa: 4/5 ★
El modelo: 3/5 ★
El amigo fiel: 5/5 ★
El reflejo: 4/5 ★
El imán: 5/5 ★
Si bien todas las historias tienen algo para dejar en el lector, no todas supieron encantarme. Mis favoritas terminaron siendo El ruiseñor y la rosa, el cual ya hab ...more
There are two truly beautiful stories here: "The Happy Prince" (which I've read numerous times in other collections) and "The Selfish Giant" (which I've never encountered anywhere and I think it is one of Wilde's best works.) A children's book? Yes. A book for everyone? Absolutely!
I could squirt some tears just thinking about a couple of these stories.
The Happy Prince *****
The Nightingale and the Rose ****
The Young King ****
The Selfish Giant ****
The Devoted Friend ***
The Remarkable Rocket ***
The Star Child ****
The Nightingale and the Rose ****
The Young King ****
The Selfish Giant ****
The Devoted Friend ***
The Remarkable Rocket ***
The Star Child ****
Mar 12, 2017
Sadia Mansoor
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
short-stories
This book has the following 5 short stories with my ratings..
The Happy Prince 4/5
The Nightingale and the Rose 3/5
The Selfish Giant 3/5
The Devoted Friend 4/5
The Remarkable Rocket 3/5
The Happy Prince was the best story among all of them (Y)
Here is the link of the book http://www.dominiopublico.gov.br/down...
The Happy Prince 4/5
The Nightingale and the Rose 3/5
The Selfish Giant 3/5
The Devoted Friend 4/5
The Remarkable Rocket 3/5
The Happy Prince was the best story among all of them (Y)
Here is the link of the book http://www.dominiopublico.gov.br/down...
hospitaldakı ikinci ən maraqlı kitabım
Mar 25, 2012
Anarika
rated it
it was amazing
·
review of another edition
Recommends it for:
everyone who likes tales
Recommended to Anarika by:
Nadja
Shelves:
auf-deutschen-zu-lesen,
not-only-for-kids
I enjoyed reading this today in the sun. I am reading a German version (with English text on one page, German on the other)...Wilde's style is astonishing. These tales are told in a simple way, for kids, but are definitely more than just that. They warm up your heart, even though they are a bit sad. (25th March 2012)
31st March 2012:
They are sad indeed, but they are written so beautifully and they talk about caring about others, winning over our own selfishness, believing in love and in the good ...more
31st March 2012:
They are sad indeed, but they are written so beautifully and they talk about caring about others, winning over our own selfishness, believing in love and in the good ...more
The happy prince and other tales, Oscar Wilde (1854 ـ 1900)
عنوان: شاهزاده خوشبخت و داستانهای دیگر؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: حمید حقیقت جو؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، سازمان کتابهای پرنده آبی، 1344، در 169 ص، اندازه 16 در 11/5 س.م، موضوع: افسانه های پریان از نویسندگان انگلیسی قرن 19 م
پنج داستان کوتاه و شش قطعه ادبی منثور، نوشته اسکار وایلد شاعر و نویسنده ایرلندی، که برای گروه سنی نوجوانان و جوانان ترجمه شده، زندگینامه ی وایلد نیز در ابتدای کتاب آمده است. «شاهزاده خوشبخت»، یکی از قصههای کتاب، درباره ی ...more
عنوان: شاهزاده خوشبخت و داستانهای دیگر؛ نویسنده: اسکار وایلد؛ مترجم: حمید حقیقت جو؛ مشخصات نشر: تهران، سازمان کتابهای پرنده آبی، 1344، در 169 ص، اندازه 16 در 11/5 س.م، موضوع: افسانه های پریان از نویسندگان انگلیسی قرن 19 م
پنج داستان کوتاه و شش قطعه ادبی منثور، نوشته اسکار وایلد شاعر و نویسنده ایرلندی، که برای گروه سنی نوجوانان و جوانان ترجمه شده، زندگینامه ی وایلد نیز در ابتدای کتاب آمده است. «شاهزاده خوشبخت»، یکی از قصههای کتاب، درباره ی ...more
Nov 23, 2016
Maria Bikaki
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
read_in_2016,
food-for-thought
Είμαι ο ευτυχισμένος πρίγκηπας. Και τότε γιατι κλαίς ρώτησε το χελιδόνι. Με κατάβρεξες
-Τότε που ζούσα και είχα ανθρώπινη καρδιά απάντησε το άγαλμα, δεν ήξερα τι ήταν τα δάκρυα, γιατι ζούσα στο παλάτι της ξεγνοιασιάς, όπου η θλίψη δεν επιτρέπεται να μπει. Τη μέρα έπαιζα με τους συντρόφους μου στον κήπο και τα βράδια έσερνα πρώτος το χορό. Γύρω από τον κήπο υψώνονταν ένας πανύψηλος τοίχος και όμως ποτέ δε νοιάστηκα να ρωτήσω τι υπάρχει πίσω από αυτόν, γιατί όλα για μένα ήταν τόσο όμορφα. Οι αυλικο ...more
-Τότε που ζούσα και είχα ανθρώπινη καρδιά απάντησε το άγαλμα, δεν ήξερα τι ήταν τα δάκρυα, γιατι ζούσα στο παλάτι της ξεγνοιασιάς, όπου η θλίψη δεν επιτρέπεται να μπει. Τη μέρα έπαιζα με τους συντρόφους μου στον κήπο και τα βράδια έσερνα πρώτος το χορό. Γύρω από τον κήπο υψώνονταν ένας πανύψηλος τοίχος και όμως ποτέ δε νοιάστηκα να ρωτήσω τι υπάρχει πίσω από αυτόν, γιατί όλα για μένα ήταν τόσο όμορφα. Οι αυλικο ...more
So naturally I only read this as it was written by Wilde, and that is possibly the only reason why it is still in publication because the stories are quite different to contemporary children's tales. Drowning in religion and with very heavy and obvious moral themes, I think readers today prefer a bit more subtlety.
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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
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“I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.”
—
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“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”
—
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