The Selfish Giant

by Oscar Wilde, S. Saelig Gallagher

This magnificent new edition of Oscar Wilde's beloved tale tells the story of the selfish giant who built a wall around his beautiful garden to keep children out. It was always winter in the garden, for no other season would venture there. Then one morning, a special child brought Spring back, and the giant's heart melted along with the snow.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Childrens, Picture Books, Fairy Tales

32 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1888

About the author

Oscar 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.

Reviews

[Federico DN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Children will be prosecuted.

A very selfish Giant returns home only to find a multitude of children happily playing in his lovely beautiful garden. The nerve of those snotty brats! Swiftly he repairs the borders and raises high walls to stop any children from entering his beautiful garden ever again. But without the candor of the children the garden quickly loses its warmth, and an everlasting winter sets in…

Another brilliant masterpiece by Wilde. Along with "The Nightingale and the Rose.", one of the best works of the author I’ve read. And one of the best short stories I’ve ever read period. Five pages of pure perfection you can finish in a heartbeat. You would think this is a simple tale, and in a way it is… but that ending! Holy Jebus!

It’s public domain. You can find it HERE.



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PERSONAL NOTE :
[1888] [5p] [Fiction] [Highly Recommendable]
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★★★★★ The Nightingale and the Rose
★★★★★ The Selfish Giant
★★★☆☆ The Importance of Being Earnest [2.5]

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Niños serán procesados.

Un Gigante muy egoísta regresa a su casa sólo para hallar una multitud de niños felizmente jugando en su hermoso y adorado jardín. ¡El descaro de esos pendejos mocosos! Rápidamente repara las fronteras y levanta altas murallas para evitar que ningún niño pueda volver a entrar a su adorable jardín nunca jamás. Pero sin el candor de los niños el jardín rápidamente pierde toda su calidez, y llega un invierno sin fin…

Otra brillante obra maestra de Wilde. Junto con "El Ruiseñor y la Rosa.", una de las mejores obras del autor que leí. Y una de los mejores cuentos cortos que alguna vez leí jamás punto. Cinco páginas de pura perfección que se pueden acabar en un suspiro. Uno pensaría que es un cuento simple, y en cierta forma lo es.. ¡pero ese final! ¡Santo Jebús!

Es dominio público, lo pueden encontrar ACA.



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NOTA PERSONAL :
[1888] [5p] [Ficción] [Altamente Recomendable]
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[Maureen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Published in 1888 by Oscar Wilde, this is timeless classic, and such a sweet little tale.
https://americanliterature.com/author...

[Rosh ~catching up slowly~ · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of my all-time favourite short stories! You can't go wrong with Oscar Wilde; he's the master of short fiction for a reason. :)

A review by my GR friend Federico prompted me to go down memory lane. He called this work 'Pure Perfection', and I heartily agree.

I had first come across this story when I was in school. It was one of the "chapters" in my English textbook, maybe in grade 3 or 4. I never knew then who Oscar Wilde was, but I remember the sheer impact this little story had on me. Haven't forgotten it since, and have read it multiple times over. It is right up there, along with 'The Nightingale And The Rose' as my favourite Wilde work.

Pick it up when you want something beautifully serene. Wilde wrote this story for children, but its impact transcends the target age group. Do read.

5 selfless stars.

This story is in the public domain, so you can read it from any online site for free. Here's one link:
https://www.eastoftheweb.com/short-st...




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[Thibault Busschots · Rating 4 out of 5]

After staying at a friend’s house for a while, a giant comes home and finds children playing in his garden. The giant gets mad. It’s his garden and no one else gets to use it! So he builds a fence around his garden, to keep the children out.


Happiness is the only thing that multiplies when you share it. It’s a delightful little tale that reminds us to open our heart to others if we want to find happiness in this world. Thanks to my friend Rosh for pointing me to this short story.

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I have read enough of Oscar Wilde to have come to believe he was not a religious man, but this short story, this fable, makes me think otherwise. It has a powerful message and at the end there is a distinct reference to Jesus Christ and Heaven.

[Archit · Rating 5 out of 5]

Don't you tell me that you have not read this one!



The sign that got trapped in the labyrinth of my 3rd grade mind reading his English Gulmohar was this :



Got burnt into my memory. And that is how I dug this books out of my pensive to add it here on Goodreads - by searching for this sign.

Oscar Wilde knows how to tickle the juvenile readers.

Walls are made to keep dangers out. But if those bricks and mortars start eroding the warmth inside, they should be done away with. The giant constructs a wall, proper with a flashing sign, warning any crossing over onto his garden would be "taken care off".

There's this one line that serves as the evidence for the competence of Oscar Wilde passing off pristine literature to children with deftness.

"Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter."

Verdict : Paragon of childhood memories.

[Laysee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Selfish Giant is a beautiful story Oscar Wilde wrote for children but the child in any grown person is apt to embrace it even more dearly.

The selfish giant would not let the children play in his beautiful garden. “My garden is my own garden,” he roared and the children fled. As a consequence, a big change fell upon his garden and it was no longer beautiful. Then an encounter with one special child hidden in a far corner of the garden - diminutive, dependent, defeated - afforded the giant an opportunity to redeem himself.

The story evoked the gentle glow one finds in a fairy tale in which goodness and grace prevail. It can be read simply as an enchanting story. It can also be read as an allegorical story about love, redemption and restoration.

At the end of the story, a hush descended on the giant’s garden. I tarried there and felt a sense of awe akin to being on hallowed ground. What a wondrous story!

[Fabian {Councillor} · Rating 4 out of 5]

“My own garden is my own garden,” said the Giant; “any one can understand that, and I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.”

The Selfish Giant is a grumpy, uncooperative being who cherishes his peace and will not tolerate disruptions; when a group of children discover the garden to his castle and begin their plays in this new place, the Giant quickly puts an end to this interference to his blissful existence.

Oscar Wilde's short story paints a picturesque, fairy-tale-like image by using imaginative descriptions, allowing childlike imaginations to envision the beauty and excitement of an isolated garden full of magical secrets to uncover (sort of like the world of Frances Hodgson Burnett's secret garden if it belonged to Ebenezer Scrooge).


Source (Pinterest)

With his child-like prose, Wilde's story quickly distinguishes itself from his more prominent full-length novels that often dealt with the moral abysses of humanity, instead opting for a much more hopeful portrayal of positivity in a morality tale written for children about the magnitude of vanity and self-centeredness of humans (represented by the central character being a giant, of course).

What might come as the biggest surprise of The Selfish Giant is the ending, however. I do not want to spoil anything here, but if the almost childish writing made you doubt whether it was indeed an Oscar Wilde story you were reading, the final conclusion is what undoubtedly gives this story its memorable touch and ensures that it will continue to linger in the minds of its readers.

Then the Spring came, and all over the country there were little blossoms and little birds. Only in the garden of the Selfish Giant it was still winter.

[Olivia-Savannah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I honestly don't mind religious imagery in my fairytales. But hit me over the head with it, why don't you? It was a bit too in your face in this one.

I liked the messages of kindness and selfishness and how the former quality is one you want, and the latter not so much. It was straightforward and simple. I also like how it used playing in the garden as an example because that's what children do and hopefully it will help them learn to play nicely with each other. Sharing is an important quality for a child to learn!

However, the Christian imagery at the end was a bit too much. And it felt very rushed and suddenly tacked on at the end. I don't mind a connection being made between acting nicely and getting to heaven, but it just didn't feel... ingrained into the story.

[Shirley Revill · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this classic fairy tale when I was a child and I have had great pleasure in reading this story to my children and grandchildren. Published in 1888 by Oscar Wilde. A timeless classic children's story. Pure nostalgia.

[Jeremiah Jones · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's good that this title appears at the top of my list--"The Selfish Giant" has long been one of my favorite stories. I remember listening to my mother read it as we sat on our front porch on a lazy California afternoon. Just as she did, I also cry when I read this touching story to my children.

There are few books outside the canon of scripture that I would count as spiritually powerful and fully illustrative of the love of God as this short story. Take the time today to read it to your children.

[Exina · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Selfish Giant is a moral tale about selfishness and generosity.

“How selfish I have been!” he said; “now I know why the Spring would not come here. I will put that poor little boy on the top of the tree, and then I will knock down the wall, and my garden shall be the children’s playground for ever and ever.” He was really very sorry for what he had done.

[Theo Logos · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Selfish Giant takes me about as deep into my early childhood as I can remember. In those preschool and pre-literate days (and in our house pre TV) my mother would put on children’s story records to amuse me and keep me out of the way. I keenly remember the large, antique traveler’s trunk that housed both our record player and collection of records. I would sit beside it, taking in story after story as the records dropped.

The Selfish Giant was one of my favorites. I remember being frightened as the big, selfish giant chased the children out of his garden, and sad and outraged when he walled his garden to keep them out forever. When winter came to the garden permanently because the children had been banished, I think I first experienced the sensation of eerie uncanniness — it got me anew each time I listened. I grew excited when the children returned through a hole in the wall, bringing spring back with them, and thrilled to the giant’s turn of heart as he went to help the small boy who couldn’t reach the tree, then welcomed all the children, throwing open his garden for their play. That is where the story ended on my record.

I mostly forgot about this tale as an adult until coming across it at my local library in a children’s picture book. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that none other than Oscar Wilde had written this favorite story of my earliest childhood. I also discovered that there was more story there, taking the Giant out to the end of his days and putting a bit of a Christian twist on it. (I suppose this had been left off the record because adults were uncomfortable introducing death to tiny children.) It is such a lovely story — Wilde wrote it with such a gentle touch. I was thrilled to rediscover it and to find that I had been appreciating the genius of Oscar Wilde from my earliest memories.

[Lisa Vegan · Rating 3 out of 5]

I own many books by Oscar Wilde, including a book of stories that contains a version of this story, but I haven’t read that book since my childhood years.

So, because of the Jesus allusions, it ended up being not my cup of tea at all. I assume that as I child I didn’t get the Christian/Jesus connection and I probably was able to enjoy it more because of that.

But, up until the end I appreciated and enjoyed the story and the illustrations that are in this edition.

It’s a lovely fairy tale and if the ending had been just slightly tweaked I would have liked it much better. But, my beliefs are, as usual, in the minority, and I assume most others’ feelings wouldn’t match mine. But parents who know nothing of this tale should know that death is a part of this story.

I did like the illustrations and I did love the message about sharing and reaping the benefits of doing that, and of giving to and being caring about others.

[Bren fall in love with the sea. · Rating 4 out of 5]

“He did not hate the Winter now, for he
knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.”
― Oscar Wilde, The Selfish Giant


It's a delightful story, both bittersweet and delicious in the way The Chronicles of Narnia is.

Come on -- let your playful inner child out for this one! It's sweet and wonderfully written and teaches an important lesson.

[Γιώργος Δάμτσιος · Rating 4 out of 5]

Απογευματινή ανάγνωση για χατίρι της κόρης!!!

(Η έκδοση που έλαβε από τη δανειστική βιβλιοθήκη του σχολείου της δεν είναι η συγκεκριμένη, αλλά μια εικονογραφημένη περίπου 40 σελίδων).

Σε κάθε περίπτωση, είναι ένα πολύ ενδιαφέρον ανάγνωσμα για μικρά παιδιά, με το ηθικό δίδαγμά του να έχει να κάνει προφανώς με τον εγωισμό. Για το μόνο που έχω μερικές ενστάσεις είναι το τέλος του. (Δεν μπορώ να τις αναφέρω εδώ για προφανούς λόγους- spoiler). Απλά δεν ξέρω αν είναι για 5 χρόνων παιδάκια, όπως αναγράφει στο εξώφυλλο. Για λίγο πιο μεγάλα παιδιά θεωρώ ότι είναι μια χαρά...

[debbicat *made of stardust* · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderful!! I have recently discovered these fairytales by Oscar Wilde. This is the second one I have listened to via the audible app using their new feature, channels. I am delighted! Surprise ending that I in no way would have predicted. I'd love to see the illustrations in the book now. When I next get out to the book store I will look for it. Highly recommended.

[Katy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a visually beautiful book. The illustrations are detailed and will keep the attention of a child for a while as they look for all that is there. I knew nothing of the story and was pleasantly surprised to find a lovely Christian folk-like tale.

[George Ilsley · Rating 4 out of 5]

TRESPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED

There are 12 peach trees in the Giant's garden, and after he walls it up to keep out the annoying children, the Snow and Frost take over and do not let go. They invite the North Wind and Hail to take up residence, and Spring never came.

But trespassers might be forgiven, if their coming is heralded by birdsong and peach blossoms. But who is that special boy who befriends the Giant, but then mysteriously disappears? The other children did not know the boy—they had never seen him before.

Oscar Wilde's education was steeped in Christianity, and that foundation is evident in this story, although the allegory is thinly veiled—and transparent by the end. This story is a marvellous approach to finding the key to Paradise, and despite its apparent simplicity, also appeals to adults.

[Beccy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Utterly beautiful.

On the surface a traditional fairy tale, though Wilde wrote it as a religious parable, however as a five ar six year old it wasn't a subtext I was aware of.

The plot centres around a giant who puts a wall around his beautiful garden to stop children playing in it, and in doing so, stops Spring from entering as well as them. One day the children find a cranny though which to kreep back into the garden and duly Spring returns and the garden becomes a paradise once more. As the giant goes into his garden to see the transformation up close the children shy away from him with the exception of one boy, stranded at the bottom of a tree. The giat lifts him up into it, and the child kisses his cheek. At that moment the Giant's selfishness melts as the ice in his garden has done and he sets about knocking down the wall. Every day the children come to play and the proper order of the seasons returns, but the giant never sees he child he lifted into the tree. Until one day, as a very old giant, the child apears before him with wounds on his hands. Horrified the giant wants revenge for the hurt caused to the boy, but the boy says;

"Nay! but these are the wounds of Love....You let me play once in your garden, to-day you shall come with me to my garden, which is Paradise."

When the children return to the garden the next day the giant is found dead, under the tree with blossom on him.

This story is perfect for Foundation and Key Stage one children, and this edition in particular, as the illustrations are fantsatic. The fact that death features so obviously at the end might mean it needs be approached with a sense of caution, but the approach it takes is one of gentleness and love, so might also be a good tool to discuss issues of families and bereavement with smaller children.

[Conor · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Selfish Giant was one of my favourite books as a child, and upon reading it again there were a lot of themes and symbols that as a child i was oblivious to. The story is about a Selfish Giant who owns a home with a beautiful garden. Upon returning to his home he discovers the local children playing in his garden, the sun shining and birds chirping. The Giant was enraged that the children had been playing in his garden, so he chased them all away and built a huge wall with a sign saying 'trespassers will be prosecuted'.
Months passed with the children having nowhere to play while the giant kept the garden to himself. As spring came, flowers blossomed everywhere except the giants garden. Hail came, snow came and frost came as the birds and flowers did not want to live in a garden where children were not allowed to play.
As you can imagine what happens next is inevitable yet it is still quite endearing. The giant hears a bird singing beautifully, and as he peered out of his window he discovered the children had crept in through a gap in the wall. Frost, snow and hail had all disappeared, however when the children saw the giant coming they ran away frightened. In the corner remained one little boy who did not see the giant coming towards him due to the tears in his eyes. The giant picked the little boy up and placed him on the tree and told his friends, ‘this is your garden now’. The Giant knocked down the wall and the children continued to play in his garden even after his death.
The elements that I did not pick up on when reading this book as a child were the religious aspects. It doesn’t change my view too much on the book as I still think as a child it was a really enjoyable story with a heart warming end.

[Stephanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very cute and heartwarming story.

[Bahar meow · Rating 3 out of 5]

A lovely kids' story, though I'd prefer a different ending without the religious aspect.

[Mai · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wholesome

This was a sweet and gentle story, perfect for bedtime. It carries that cozy Christmas Eve spirit — a mix between The Grinch and A Christmas Carol — simple yet heartwarming. Nothing groundbreaking, just a short but touching tale that leaves a soft warmth behind.

[Ashley Marilynne Wong · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can't believe I have not read the original version of the short story before! I've just finished reading it and have thought it so beautiful I am now in tears!

[Gabrielė Bužinskaitė · Rating 4 out of 5]

“He did not hate the Winter now, for he
knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.”

[Anisha Inkspill · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was Another one I came across by accident, and what caught my attention was it was written by Oscar Wilde – I’ve read more of his plays so this was a completely new experience for me.

The Selfish Giant is a wonderful short read, when I finished reading this, I was glowing with warmth :)

The story is a gentle tale that understates its moral to beam out hope. Here the hope comes in second chances for a grouchy giant who learns a hard lesson of what happens when you don’t share what you have.

A really nice read to wrap up the year.

[Taylor · Rating 4 out of 5]

That was a beautiful story.

[Luciana Gomez Mauro · Rating 4 out of 5]

Maravilloso, como todo lo de este autor.

[Helga زن زندگی آزادی مرد میهن آبادی · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5
A moving and poignant short story.