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The Model Millionaire stories
First published in The World in June 1887. Hughie Erskine is in love and wants to marry, but the girl's father will not allow it, since Erskine has no money. Erskine's friend, Alan Trevor is a painter, and he visits him at his studio one day to find him with a pitiable beggar—the model for his painting. Erskine only has one coin, which he depends on for transportation, but he decides he can walk for a couple weeks and gives the beggar the coin.
The beggar is in reality an immensely wealthy baron, having a portrait of himself as a beggar done for fun. He is so impressed by Erskine's generosity that he gives him £10,000, enough for the girl's father to consent to his proposal.
The beggar is in reality an immensely wealthy baron, having a portrait of himself as a beggar done for fun. He is so impressed by Erskine's generosity that he gives him £10,000, enough for the girl's father to consent to his proposal.
224 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1887
49 people are currently reading
1022 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,610 books39.2k 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 224 reviews
August 29, 2016
So many great quips in this little number, I'm astounded.. and read the story twice to relive the laughs and the wonder. Mr. Wilde, sir, you are one of English literature's very, very best <3
Quotes :
--------
"Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed... It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life..."
"He had every accomplishment except that of making money."
"He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months; but what was a butterfly to do among bulls and bears?"
"... a retired Colonel who had lost his temper and his digestion in India, and had never found either of them again."
"There are moments when art almost attains the dignity of manual labor."
"Our business is to realise the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it."
"Millionaire models are rare enough; but model millionaires are rarer still !"
.
Quotes :
--------
"Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed... It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life..."
"He had every accomplishment except that of making money."
"He had gone on the Stock Exchange for six months; but what was a butterfly to do among bulls and bears?"
"... a retired Colonel who had lost his temper and his digestion in India, and had never found either of them again."
"There are moments when art almost attains the dignity of manual labor."
"Our business is to realise the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it."
"Millionaire models are rare enough; but model millionaires are rarer still !"
.
October 25, 2016
Do good and good you will find, this is what happened to Hugh Erskine!
"ما نقص مال من صدقة"
Hugh is a young gantleman who wants to marry the girl he loves, but her father wants 10.000 pounds. When he visited a painter friend, he decided to give what he had to a beggar posing as a model, Hugh didn't know what a huge investment he made, for that was no ordinary beggar, but a model millionaire :D
"ما نقص مال من صدقة"
Hugh is a young gantleman who wants to marry the girl he loves, but her father wants 10.000 pounds. When he visited a painter friend, he decided to give what he had to a beggar posing as a model, Hugh didn't know what a huge investment he made, for that was no ordinary beggar, but a model millionaire :D
January 8, 2013
As his forte, Oscar Wilde weaves a web of allusions. A king who does not want a golden robe or pearls of white, is accepted not even by his subjects. Have we put such a price on perfection that we see nothing but the price now? Beautifully composed and lovely descriptions.
August 13, 2016
Otra historia más que me sorprendió :).
The Model Millionare nos cuenta un poco la vida de Mr. Erskine, un hombre que está perdidamente enamorado de una chica, pero que no puede tenerla debido a su poca fortuna. Un día, este hombre va a visitar a Mr. Trevor, un pintor amigo suyo que, curiosamente, está pintando a un mendigo en su estudio. El aspecto del pordiosero es tan horrible, que a Mr. Erskine le da muchísima pena y le da el dinero que tenía para su transporte, pensando que el hombre lo puede necesitar mucho más que él. Lo que Mr. Erskine no sabe es que gracias a este acto de generosidad le esperan sorpresas increíbles para su vida.
Es un cuento sencillísimo, pero la narración y el desarrollo de los acontecimientos te enganchan hasta que, claramente, lo terminas de un tirón.
The Model Millionare nos cuenta un poco la vida de Mr. Erskine, un hombre que está perdidamente enamorado de una chica, pero que no puede tenerla debido a su poca fortuna. Un día, este hombre va a visitar a Mr. Trevor, un pintor amigo suyo que, curiosamente, está pintando a un mendigo en su estudio. El aspecto del pordiosero es tan horrible, que a Mr. Erskine le da muchísima pena y le da el dinero que tenía para su transporte, pensando que el hombre lo puede necesitar mucho más que él. Lo que Mr. Erskine no sabe es que gracias a este acto de generosidad le esperan sorpresas increíbles para su vida.
Es un cuento sencillísimo, pero la narración y el desarrollo de los acontecimientos te enganchan hasta que, claramente, lo terminas de un tirón.
July 10, 2020
Although I'm an atheist, I believe that Oscar Wilde was God's gift to man. Everything that he wrote is great. There is reason to think, however, that Wilde's best works are his short stories.
The Model Millionaire has some of the themes that pervade Wilde's oeuvre: the rich-poor binary opposition and the deification of Beauty are present in this short story. It is written, moreover, in his delightful and elegant style. The first paragraph alone shows his love of alliteration: "Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic."
Like most of his tales, The Model Millionaire comes with moral teachings. In particular, Wilde seems to be telling us that looks are deceiving, and that we shouldn't stereotype everyone we meet.
Read Oscar Wilde! Enjoy him! Cherish him!
The Model Millionaire has some of the themes that pervade Wilde's oeuvre: the rich-poor binary opposition and the deification of Beauty are present in this short story. It is written, moreover, in his delightful and elegant style. The first paragraph alone shows his love of alliteration: "Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic."
Like most of his tales, The Model Millionaire comes with moral teachings. In particular, Wilde seems to be telling us that looks are deceiving, and that we shouldn't stereotype everyone we meet.
Read Oscar Wilde! Enjoy him! Cherish him!
February 7, 2015
So well written and bursting with detail and imagery of distant lands and cultures, this story is, unfortunately, marred by its blindness to the faults in Christianity. Having castigated the material wealth of the secular and told a parable of the rich and the poor in society, Wilde then goes on to finish the story with an account of a form of miracle, but fails to recognise that the same materialistic values rule in the church. Although the young King of the title has learned his lesson from his dreams, the church is left inviolate in spite of its own reliance on material wealth gained at the expense of the poor and the enslaved.
This is one of a series of 'fairy tales' Wilde wrote, apparently for children, but his faith unfortunately gets in the way of the message, so that the strength of the parable is lost in his insistence on the goodness of his god. It's a shame, because the story is otherwise so well told, so well written. I enjoyed it until I reached the last few paragraphs.
This is one of a series of 'fairy tales' Wilde wrote, apparently for children, but his faith unfortunately gets in the way of the message, so that the strength of the parable is lost in his insistence on the goodness of his god. It's a shame, because the story is otherwise so well told, so well written. I enjoyed it until I reached the last few paragraphs.
March 27, 2023
The Model Millionaire was in my edition of Lord Arthur Savile's Crime so of course I'm counting it as a separate "book" here!
This was a quick short story full of Wilde's signature quip.
"Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed... It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realised."
This was a quick short story full of Wilde's signature quip.
"Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed... It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realised."
July 18, 2020
The Young King seems to be a justification of the author’s bourgeoisie lifestyle; the poor-rich dichotomy pervades his short stories. There is, on the other hand, plenty of Christian-Catholic imagery in the tale as well (Oscar Wilde became a Roman Catholic on his deathbed). All in all, highly readable and a must for fans of Wilde. The last paragraph is so beautifully written that I feel compelled to transcribe it here:
He stood there in the raiment of a king, and the gates of the jewelled shrine flew open and from the crystal of the many-rayed monstrance shone a marvelous and mystical light. He stood there in a king’s raiment, and the Glory of God filled the place, and the saints in their carven niches seemed to move. In the fair raiment of a king he stood before them, and the organ pealed out its music, and the trumpeters blew upon their trumpets, and the singing boys sang
He stood there in the raiment of a king, and the gates of the jewelled shrine flew open and from the crystal of the many-rayed monstrance shone a marvelous and mystical light. He stood there in a king’s raiment, and the Glory of God filled the place, and the saints in their carven niches seemed to move. In the fair raiment of a king he stood before them, and the organ pealed out its music, and the trumpeters blew upon their trumpets, and the singing boys sang
September 21, 2009
I love Wilde!!! These stories were almost magical! I can read them to my kids if I wanted to. They were full of important concepts for the young and old. He has an incredible imagination! LOVED IT!!!!!
June 10, 2016
I arranged my thoughts on this short story into a haiku:
"Despite social rules,
A princely anomaly
Will always draw friends."
"Despite social rules,
A princely anomaly
Will always draw friends."
March 28, 2017
Always a delight to know that kindness get rewarded!
March 20, 2018
Personal Recommendation-I really enjoyed this short story because I felt it had a good message. I also liked the way that the audience didn't understand until the end, so it gave you the perspective of the narrator. The only part I don't like was how some words were not very current era.
Plot Summary- In this story, the narrator explains how it is important to be good looking when you are wealthy and that those who are wealthy are rarely ugly. He wants to get married to a girl named Laura, but he did not have any money. He was very good looking so the father permitted him to marry his daughter, but first he needed to get 10,000 pounds. He goes to his friends house who is a painter. While the artist is in the middle of painting a portrait of a beggar, he strikes up a conversation. When the artist steps out, he gives some money to the beggar even though he is very poor as well. At the bar later the artist is telling the man about how intrigued the artist was in him, and how he continued to talk about him after he left. It is then revealed that the beggar was actually a wealthy man dressed in a beggar's clothing. The wealthy man ended up giving him 10,000 pounds so that he could get married to Laura.
Recommendation- I recommend this story to boys or girls because even though the narrator is a male, his gender doesn't play a role in the story. If you like basic stories with a strong theme then this would be a good story for you. I believe you should be in 8th grade and up because it has some complex vocabulary.
Characterization- In the beginning of the story the main charachter is very strong in his morals and the artist is not. After he gave the beggar man some money the artist realized that he was very generous. In the end, he realized that being nice to those lower than you could benefit you because the beggar gave him 10,000 pounds.
Plot Summary- In this story, the narrator explains how it is important to be good looking when you are wealthy and that those who are wealthy are rarely ugly. He wants to get married to a girl named Laura, but he did not have any money. He was very good looking so the father permitted him to marry his daughter, but first he needed to get 10,000 pounds. He goes to his friends house who is a painter. While the artist is in the middle of painting a portrait of a beggar, he strikes up a conversation. When the artist steps out, he gives some money to the beggar even though he is very poor as well. At the bar later the artist is telling the man about how intrigued the artist was in him, and how he continued to talk about him after he left. It is then revealed that the beggar was actually a wealthy man dressed in a beggar's clothing. The wealthy man ended up giving him 10,000 pounds so that he could get married to Laura.
Recommendation- I recommend this story to boys or girls because even though the narrator is a male, his gender doesn't play a role in the story. If you like basic stories with a strong theme then this would be a good story for you. I believe you should be in 8th grade and up because it has some complex vocabulary.
Characterization- In the beginning of the story the main charachter is very strong in his morals and the artist is not. After he gave the beggar man some money the artist realized that he was very generous. In the end, he realized that being nice to those lower than you could benefit you because the beggar gave him 10,000 pounds.
March 4, 2018
The story is simple, yet hooks the reader in well (even the title itself is enough to spark interest)! I would definitely recommend this to all audiences; it is a story that will be remembered after reading once. Kids will most likely enjoy the story most because of its simplicity. Although the story is quite predictable, it is still enjoyable. In addition, there weren’t any villains included the story either, making the story feel more innocent. From the mischievious and cunning persona of Trevor, to the humble and innocent personality of Hughie, the story ties in many different types of personalities into one fun story.
However, I am slightly disappointed that Laura had little to no presence in the story, even though she was the main reason why the story even started (the reason why Hughie needed the money in the first place); even her dad had lines at one point. There were also no other women present or mentioned, with men dominating all of the roles in the story. In my opinion, if Laura had been included (with lines or dialogue), the story would have been better. It lacks a little substance without her presence, but ultimately, the story was well-written.
However, I am slightly disappointed that Laura had little to no presence in the story, even though she was the main reason why the story even started (the reason why Hughie needed the money in the first place); even her dad had lines at one point. There were also no other women present or mentioned, with men dominating all of the roles in the story. In my opinion, if Laura had been included (with lines or dialogue), the story would have been better. It lacks a little substance without her presence, but ultimately, the story was well-written.
September 21, 2019
4.1/5
Wilde’s timelessness makes even a 4 page short story enjoyable to read.
Quotes:
‘An artist’s heart is his head.’ Replied Trevor; ‘and besides, our business is to realize the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it. A chacun son metier.’ [french: every man to his own trade]
Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized.
Wilde’s timelessness makes even a 4 page short story enjoyable to read.
Quotes:
‘An artist’s heart is his head.’ Replied Trevor; ‘and besides, our business is to realize the world as we see it, not to reform it as we know it. A chacun son metier.’ [french: every man to his own trade]
Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed. The poor should be practical and prosaic. It is better to have a permanent income than to be fascinating. These are the great truths of modern life which Hughie Erskine never realized.
December 20, 2022
Wilde's depiction of society and aristocracy in his short fiction never fails to fascinate me. Imagine a king who decides to make changes to his coronation due to his dreams of how his subjects suffer for him yet he is rejected as their leader? It almost feels like a justification or excuse to continue an exploitative lifestyle as the noblemen refuse him and his subjects refuse to acknowledge him... Interesting to think of how people view and defend billionaires in conjunction with this story, but that is a greater discussion.
The Young King is an interesting work because truthfully there is no lesson, no redemption, just a twisted truth.
The Young King is an interesting work because truthfully there is no lesson, no redemption, just a twisted truth.
September 4, 2014
The Sphinx Without a Secret: **
The Model Millionaire: ****
The Young King: ***
The Birthday of the Infanta: ****
The Fisherman and His Soul: ***
The Star-Child: *****
The Happy Prince: ****
The Nightingale and the Rose: ***
The Selfish Giant: ****
The Devoted Friend: **
The Remarkable Rocket: *
The Model Millionaire: ****
The Young King: ***
The Birthday of the Infanta: ****
The Fisherman and His Soul: ***
The Star-Child: *****
The Happy Prince: ****
The Nightingale and the Rose: ***
The Selfish Giant: ****
The Devoted Friend: **
The Remarkable Rocket: *
February 18, 2018
Awesome... Wide like Wilde
This is true Wilde type story...I must say I was missing him after all the fairy tales. The style of writing is brilliant, the concept was good, the progress were just however the characters were not at all unique but this story has a good food of thought behind it.
This is true Wilde type story...I must say I was missing him after all the fairy tales. The style of writing is brilliant, the concept was good, the progress were just however the characters were not at all unique but this story has a good food of thought behind it.
April 16, 2014
A sweet, Dickenisan parable. Complete with classist critique and Christian redemption.
November 3, 2016
it is a nice story i liked it and i think it showed the reality of societies in an indirect way.The idea of it is really deep
September 10, 2017
Super cute short story. My first Wilde experience.
April 28, 2018
Wilde’s sincere and compassionate side.
January 30, 2022
"Unless one is wealthy there is no use in being a charming fellow. Romance is the privilege of the rich, not the profession of the unemployed."
Οι θεματικές της ιστορίας περιστρέφονται γύρω από την κοινωνική τάξη, ομορφιά, πλούτο και τη γενναιοδωρία.
Κάθε ιστορία του Wilde περιλαμβάνει ένα δίδαγμα. Στη συγκεκριμένη ιστορία ο αναγνώστης μαθαίνει ότι η ομορφιά είναι κάτι το υποκειμενικό και ότι ο πλούτος και η γενναιοδωρία δεν είναι πάντα συνδεδεμένα.
Ο πρωταγωνιστής της ιστορίας, Hughie Erskine, είναι τρελά ερωτευμένος με την Laura και θέλει να την παντρευτεί, αλλά δεν έχει τα χρήματα για την προίκα που απαιτείται για να την κάνει δική του. Έρχεται λοιπόν μια μέρα που ο Hughie συναντά έναν ρακένδυτο άνδρα και ενώ δεν του περίσσευαν χρήματα επιλέγει να του δώσει κάποια νομίσματα που είχε στην τσέπη του. Αυτή η πράξη γενναιοδωρίας θα του αλλάξει τη ζωή καθώς δεν γνώριζε ποιος ήταν αυτός ο ρακένδυτος άνδρας...
Οι ιστορίες του Wilde είναι μοναδικές διότι πάντα κρύβουν ένα ηθικό δίδαγμα πίσω από την όμορφη γραφή τους.
Οι θεματικές της ιστορίας περιστρέφονται γύρω από την κοινωνική τάξη, ομορφιά, πλούτο και τη γενναιοδωρία.
Κάθε ιστορία του Wilde περιλαμβάνει ένα δίδαγμα. Στη συγκεκριμένη ιστορία ο αναγνώστης μαθαίνει ότι η ομορφιά είναι κάτι το υποκειμενικό και ότι ο πλούτος και η γενναιοδωρία δεν είναι πάντα συνδεδεμένα.
Ο πρωταγωνιστής της ιστορίας, Hughie Erskine, είναι τρελά ερωτευμένος με την Laura και θέλει να την παντρευτεί, αλλά δεν έχει τα χρήματα για την προίκα που απαιτείται για να την κάνει δική του. Έρχεται λοιπόν μια μέρα που ο Hughie συναντά έναν ρακένδυτο άνδρα και ενώ δεν του περίσσευαν χρήματα επιλέγει να του δώσει κάποια νομίσματα που είχε στην τσέπη του. Αυτή η πράξη γενναιοδωρίας θα του αλλάξει τη ζωή καθώς δεν γνώριζε ποιος ήταν αυτός ο ρακένδυτος άνδρας...
Οι ιστορίες του Wilde είναι μοναδικές διότι πάντα κρύβουν ένα ηθικό δίδαγμα πίσω από την όμορφη γραφή τους.
January 26, 2021
quite short and yet so funny and filled with surprises. proof of Wilde's intellect.
go read it it's awesome
go read it it's awesome
September 24, 2021
★★★☆☆☆
3 stars
3 stars
January 1, 2022
Thank you @ashley for the tip
July 6, 2022
really funny and thought provoking. fast paced that I was never bored.
December 28, 2022
“There is no such thing as a moral or an immoral book.
Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” - This one is definitely well written - with some morality in there.
Books are well written, or badly written. That is all.” - This one is definitely well written - with some morality in there.
September 1, 2023
I love the quips and witty writing, but I felt the story was too short. And there was basically no plot
September 9, 2025
urocza, krótka historia na rozpogodzenie serca 💕
April 25, 2017
Sometimes when my mood is not the best, I read a story by Oscar Wilde. This is the one I read today. And by Jove, what a lovely short tale. Fabulous and rare indeed!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 224 reviews