The Canterville Ghost The Happy Prince: And Other Stories

by Oscar Wilde

A collection of stories, including two of Wilde's most famous: 'The Canterville Ghost', in which a young American girl helps to free the tormented spirit that haunts an old English castle and 'The Happy Prince', who was not as happy as he seemed. Often whimsical and sometimes sad, they all shine with poetry and magic.

Genres: Classics, Short Stories, Fiction, Fantasy, Horror, Irish Literature, Fairy Tales

230 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1891

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

[Dannii Elle · Rating 3 out of 5]

Actual rating 3.5/5 stars.

This anthology of Wilde's stories all vary in theme, length, and design. I remember a handful from my childhood but mot remained new for me to discover and I had a lot of fun with them. As is the nature with most collections, some appealed more than other but I still found much to appreciate throughout the course of this.

[mora · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Happy Prince & Other Stories

- The Happy Prince
4/5⭐️
i love oscar wilde's writing. i read only the first short-story and i confirmed it once again. i love the mocking tone he sometimes uses, the irony and the social critic, none of this erasing the beauty in his descriptions.
i felt like i had read or heard this story before, but i loved it anyways. the ending made me a little bit emotional to be honest...

“‘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.’”

- The Selfish Giant
4,5/5⭐️
a very beautiful story!! i love the way wilde personifies the seasons and the animals and the wind, the rain, the snow... so beautiful. i loved the giant so much :(((

- The Nightingale and the Rose
3/5⭐️
i found interesting the reflections about love and how love drives people to do indescribable things, and also i found it a little bit sad, but i don't feel that has any other special topics to remark.

- The Devoted Friend
3,5/5⭐️
this types of stories usually make me nervous to read because despite having the propose that you learn something by reading it (the moral of the story lol), i always end up kinda sad with the ending; and the devoted friend wasn't an exception...
however the story was so beautiful and the setting and the descriptions were amazing!!

- The Remarkable Rocket
2,5/5⭐️
meh. i feel like this short-story was my least favorite of the collection. the part that was the most interesting to me was when the different types of rockets were talking before the spectacle! it was kind of funny!
(something i would like to remark is that, in general reading these stories, i feel like i learned a lot of new words in english!! flowers names, types of rockets, bird species, new animal names... i really appreciate that!)

---------------

A House of Pomegranates

- The Young King
4/5⭐️
i really loved this one!! specially the ending!

“but more often he would be alone, feeling through a certain quick instinct, which was almost a divination, that the secrets of art are best learned in secret, and that Beauty, like Wisdom, loves the lonely worshiper.”

- The Birthday of the Infanta
4/5⭐️
i was about to rate this a little lower, but i ended up liking the final part a lot more! the beginning was a little slow and kind of unnecessary??? but at the end the whole thing made more sense.

- The Fisherman and His Soul
3/5⭐️
i liked it, but it was unnecessarily long... the part i enjoyed the most was the beginning when the fisherman was trying to get rid of his soul, specially the part when he goes to the forest to meet a witch (😍 )!!

- The Star-Child
4,5/5⭐️
i liked every part of it!! a beautiful story!!!
i love how nothing is really perfect in these stories, even when they have a happy ending. the last phrase in this proves exactly that !!

---------------

Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime & Other Stories

- Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime
5/5⭐️
really good!!! so entretaining!
the truth is that i expected to end badly for lord arthur, that somehow someone had seen him or that he ends up having a lot of remorse for the crime he commited, but no! i didn't particularly like this, but i guess it made sense who he killed at the end.
either way, i really enjoyed it!! i felt like it had more of the aesthetic/vibe of The Picture of Dorian Gray rather than the fairytale-esque mood of the previous stories, and i LOVED that.

- The Sphinx Without a Secret
4,5/5⭐️
short and entertaining! this story confirmed what i said before about The Picture of Dorian Gray vibes in this particular collection!

- The Canterville Ghost
5/5⭐️
amazing.
obviously, because i'm a basic bitch, this was the story that i was most anticipating on reading when i bought this book and it didn't disappoint!!! the gothic mood and the irony of it all was amazing. i'm sure i read this in primary school but i didn't recall any of it, specially the ending which surprised me!

- The Model Millionaire
3/5⭐️
as i kept reading i realized that i read this short-story for an english class in high school and i have to say it was a pretty underwhelming feeling...
however, the story on itself was good; short and concise!


GENERAL THOUGHTS: i really enjoyed reading this book!!! i don't usually read short-stories.. they are not exactly my thing, but these were really good. i said it before, but i love oscar wilde's writing and the stories he creates are amazing. i find him to be a wonderful writer and i can't wait to start reading his plays!!!
4/5⭐️ in general :)

[Reem Ghabbany · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've enjoyed how well written these short stories are. some of them were great but some were meaningless.
the book was so slow. I don't know if it was me or the book but it was only 230 pages and it took me 11 days!!!!!

[Esmée Odijk · Rating 5 out of 5]

'When I was alive and had a human heart,' answeres the statue, 'I did not know what tears were, for I lived in the Palace of Sans-Souci where sorrow is not allowed to enter. ... My courtiers called me the Happy Prince, and happy so I died. And now that I am dead they have set me up here so high that I can see all the ugliness and all the misery of my city, and though my heart is made of lead yet I cannot choose but weep.' - The Happy Prince

'So the Nightingale pressed closer against the thorn, and the thorn touched her heart, and a fierce pang of pain shot through her. Bitter, bitter was the pain, and wilder and wilder grew her song, for she sang of the Love that is perfected by Death, of the Love that dies not in the tomb. ... Then she gave one last burst of music. The white Moon heard it, and she forgot the dawn, and lingered on in the sky. The red rose heard it, and it trembled all over with ecstacy, and opened its petals to the cold morning air. Echo bore it to the purple cavern in the hills, and woke the sleeping shepherds from their dreams. It floated through the reeds of the river, and they carried the message to the sea. 'Look, look!' cried the Tree, 'the rose is finished now;' but the Nightingale made no answer, for she was lying dead in the long grass, with the thorn in her heart.' - The Nightingale and the Rose

'He did not hate Winter now, for he knew that it was merely the Spring asleep, and that the flowers were resting.' - The Selfish Giant

'I am rather afraid that I have annoyed him,' answered the Linnet. 'The fact is, that I told him a story with a moral.'
'Ah! that is always a very dangerous thing to do,' said the Duck.' - The Devoted Friend

'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.' - The Remarkable Rocket

'In war,' answered the weaver, 'the strong make slaves of the weak, and in peace the rich make slaves of the poor. We must work to live, and they give us such mean wages that we die. ... We have chains, though no eye beholds them; and are slaves, though men call us free.' - The Young King

When the truth dawned upon him, he gave a wild cry of despair, and fell sobbing to the ground. So it was he who was misshapen and hunchbacked, foul to look at and grotesque. He himself was the monster, and it was at him that all the children had been laughing, and the little Princess who he had thought loved him - she too had been merely mocking at his ugliness, and making merry over his twisted limbs. Why had they not left him in the forest, where there was no mirror to tell him how loathsome he was? Why had his father not killed him, rather than sell him to his shame? The hot tears poured down his cheecks, and he tore the wite rose to pieces.' - The Birthday of the Infanta

'Into a house where a heart is hard cometh there not always a bitter wind? - The Star-Child

'Actors are so fortunate. They can choose whether they will appear in a tragedy or in a comedy, whether they will suffer or make merry, laugh or shed tears. But in real life it is different. Most men and women are forced to perform parts of which they have no qualifications. Our Guildensterns play Hamlet for us, and our Hamlets have to jest like Prince Hal. The world is a stage, but the play is badly cast.' - Lord Arthur Savile's Crime

'Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one's head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forgive life, to be at peace.' - The Canterville Ghost

'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 Model Millionaire

[Donna Stroo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Allemaal leuke short stories van Oscar Wilde. Het begon veelbelovend, maar naarmate het boek vorderde werd het toch allemaal iets minder interessant helaas. Toch waren er genoeg verhalen met een dubbele betekenis, wat dan wel erg leuk was

[Iz · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 Average

A charming collection of stories from Oscar Wilde. Although I adore Oscar's writing, it took me a long time to finish. I'm not a huge fan of reading collections, but I appreciate it for what it is.

Individual Rating:

1. The Happy Prince - 4
2. The Nightingale and The Rose - 3.75
3. The Selfish Giant - 3.5
4. The Devoted Friend - 3
5. The Remarkable Rocket - 3
6. The Young King - 3.5
7. The Birthday of the Infanta - 1.5 (I was literally so bored, I didn't pick the book for a while)
8. The Fisherman and His Soul - 3
9. The Star-Child - 4
10. Lord Arthur Savile's Crime - 4
11. The Sphinx Without a Secret - 5
12. The Canterville Ghost - 3
13. The Model Millionaire - 5

[Anna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Actual rate: 4.5 stars
Oscar Wilde is simply amazing: his tales are short but tender and intense, his stories witful and extremely funny; all are concerned with the conditions of poor people and arrogance of the rich. I just wish more of them were collected in this edition!

[Anne Kamsteeg · Rating 4 out of 5]

Mijn favorietjes waren The nightingale and the rose, The fisherman and his soul, en The sphinx without a secret

[Raaf · Rating 3 out of 5]

Maybe the modern day has relieved me of my sense of wonder but I did not find most of these tales very engaging. Which is a shame as I love Wilde's novel. Some returning aspects that kept bugging me were:
a) Christian idolisation (including a bit where Abraham was referred to as 'the false prophet').
b) Blatant orientalism (couldn't go 3 short stories without some character having gone on a trip to the 'far south' where Kings Lie In Their Golden Tombes Surrounded By Paintings Of Deadly Tigers And Vases Adorned With Magnificent Lily Flowers).
c) Englishness (that one might be personal).
There was also a lot of repetition in themes, morals, and general atmosphere in the different tales. And it was so on the nose, like it could have left a Little more room for mystery or interpretation.

Some of it I liked though, in particular the Happy Prince and Lord Arthur's crime. Plus the moral of most stories showed at least some level of social awareness with attention paid to how the rich thrive on the labour of the poor. But all in all definitely skippable.

[Danielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Why, anybody can have common sense, provided they have no imagination."

Move over, Grimm Fairy Tales. Wilde's twisty modern fairytales ring more true than most of the stories I read growing up. He can do it all, from bedtime stories for younger readers to intriguing modern tales about corruption, art, love and morality. I am deeply impressed and pleasantly surprised by this collection, as it is not nearly as critically acclaimed as his other works. My favourite stories are The Fisherman and His Soul, Lord Arthur Saville's Crime and, of course, The Happy Prince.

Wilde's essentialism suits these tales wonderfully. It tricks you into accepting deceptive generalizations that ring true but often prove as different as night and day from actual reality. His criticism is subtle in its form but brutal in its essence. I wish I could write the way he could, such a talent...

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is one of those books I picked up due to a recognition of a story within - the Cantoville Ghost - now I remember it from years ago (cannot remember if it was a film or a TV series but all the same I sort of remember the storyline.

That said when I got to read it the story certainly does not go the way I remember it - but then again when do they.

The book really is 3 in 1 with two other collections included so it really is a feast of Oscar Wilde and his work - they are all short stories of varying lengths so I do wonder what other larger (and longer) works are like - maybe that is something I keep an eye out for on my travel's

[Ben Rosenthal · Rating 4 out of 5]

this book contains three different short story collections, the first two containing a variety of different fairy tales, with a lot of deeper meanings. however, something about those stories did not click well for me.
the last collection, on the other hand, was thrilling and thought-provoking and even funny.

for anyone who loves romantic (period) literature and themes, with all of the super-natural quirks (or the scary movie movies), the canterville ghost story is superbbbb

[Astrid Lim · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love this book! I like the non fairy tale stories better though, I think the fairy tale ones are too full of moral vibes :D

But the other stories are so good, it combined witticism, satire, dry humor and some of the best gothic settings I've ever read :D The Canterville Ghost is so funny and sad at the same time. I'm glad I decided to pick up this book :)

[Kitty Golden · Rating 3 out of 5]

Most of these are hilarious- one or two are just a bit odd? As in they feel different to the rest of the short stories tonally- they dont have that wildean comedic twist to the gothic genre

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐

[Ewa · Rating 4 out of 5]

took me so long because i was studying for exams but i really appreciate wildes writting style

[Camille · Rating 2 out of 5]

2,5/5

[Ysée · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very enjoyable read. Though some stories were a bit all over the place and I failed to see the moral in them (if there was even a moral, I mean it’s Wilde we’re talking about), it was overall very well written. (Although I’d like to know what Mr. Wilde had against birds??)

[Kellie · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was completely unfamiliar with Oscar Wilde's short stories before I picked up this book--only ever learned about his plays in school. Really, I was only interested in reading "The Canterville Ghost" because I'd heard it was good, but I found this collection at Half Price Books and figured I may as well read the rest while I was at it.

It was split up into three sections: "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (containing his fairy tales), "A House of Pomegranates" (further fairy tales which were each dedicated to specific people), and "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and Other Stories" (short stories).
Personally, I didn't love the first section. Most of the stories are aimed towards children and the morals and lessons are really heavy-handed. In one of these stories, a giant meets Jesus in child form.

I enjoyed the second section a lot more. These stories were longer and seemed to be written to appeal to adults as well as children. These ones are also very weird. In one of these stories, a man marries a mermaid, but is later tempted to leave her for the women on shore because he remembers that they have feet.

The third section, however, is the best. These aren't fairy tales, so they don't feel bound to deliver some kind of moral. They're just strange (often morbidly funny) stories. "The Canterville Ghost" is definitely the best, seconded only by "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime."

I definitely want to read more of Oscar Wilde's work. I recently bought a collection of four of his plays ("An Ideal Husband," "The Importance of Being Earnest," "Lady Windermere's Fan" and "A Woman of No Importance") but I definitely want to look into more of his short stories and fairy tales as well.

[María · Rating 3 out of 5]

I FINALLY DID IT! I FINISHED THIS BOOK! HOORAY! I'm on vacation so that means I can finally read for enjoyment without feeling guilty for not using my reading time for college. So I can read for pleasure again, and that is why I finished this book.... months after anyone else would have. I admit I struggled a bit in the beginning because it didn't hook me as much as I thought it would. The first few short stories felt a little bit too childish for me. But I soldiered on and I read it all.

Why did I rate this 3 stars? Because whilst I really enjoyed many stories, and I absolutely loved his writing style, dear Oscar has a severe problem with endings. He is able to start a story magnificently, but then he f*cks it up in the end. It either ends disappointingly or it feels like there was no ending, like he couldn´t decide how it should end so it simply doesn't.
Also, let's talk about the main story in this collection, "The Canterville Ghost". (SPOILERISH) What the fuck? What was that ending? What am I supposed to guess happened between the ghost and Virginia? Imma check what SparkNotes says but, my guess? They f*cked. I literally cannot think of any other option that would explain the blushing.
So that was my 2 cents on this book. I hope to get my hands on Dorian Gray next.
Peace out or whatever it is you occidental northerners say

[Francien · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dit boek bestaat uit korte 'sprookjes' of verhalen met als groot verschil tussen normale sprookjes dat er hierin een fantastisch soort humor voorkomt, dat sommige verhalen relatief lang zijn en een duidelijker moraal hebben (wat is de boodschap van assepoester? Wees geen gemene stiefmoeder?). Fantastisch aan dit boek is dat de verhalen kort zijn en dus ook de spanningsbogen van die verhalen, wat erin resulteert dat je op een avond gewoon minimaal een verhaal uitgelezen wilt hebben. De humor is scherp en heerlijk sassy en dat terwijl dit boek 120 jaar geleden geschreven is! Dit brengt mij bij het volgende punt, de huidige maatschappelijke relevantie van deze verhalen. Ondanks dat de verhalen honderd jaar geleden geschreven zijn, is de moraal van de meeste verhalen nog steeds volledig relevant. Al met al een heel erg leuk boek en een grote aanrader. Echter verwacht niet bij elk verhaal een te vrolijk eind, zelfs een gelukkige prins gaat wel eens dood ......

[Alaa ϟ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Y'all already know i love anything and everything Wilde writes.

I'll be updating these as I read through the book.

- The happy prince (5/5)
- The Nightingale and the rose (5/5)
- The selfish Giant (3/5)
- The devoted friend (3/5)
- The remarkable rocket (5/5)
- The young king (3.5/5)
- The birthday of the Infanta (4/5)
- The fisherman and his soul (4.5/5)
- The star child (3/5)
- Lord arthur savile's crime (5/5)
- The Sphinx without a secret (4/5)
- The canterville ghost (5/5)
- The Model Millionaire (4/5)

[Helga Cohen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is such a collection of 6 short stories by Oscar Wilde. I read it for the Ireland challenge. I really love the writings of Oscar Wilde. They are engaging and clever. The two longer stories in this edition, “The Canterville Ghost” and “Lord Arthur Saville’s Crime”-are very funny and full of sarcasm at British antiquarianism. Such a fun book to read.

[Michiel · Rating 4 out of 5]

It's Oscar Wilde, what do you expect. I will definitely read his fairy tales to my hypothetical children.

[Diyanah · Rating 5 out of 5]

Alluring, captivating, unsettling

[Fatma Jeragh · Rating 3 out of 5]

Some stories were actually very interesting and they have deeper meanings such as the devoted friend, the remarkable rocket, and the birthday of the infanta.
Overall it was worth reading.

[christine ♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

literally the only person who can bring me comfort and joy :')

[julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book, I teared up once or twice and eventually cried, for some of his short stories were so heartfelt and tragic. At first I had some trouble with the repetitive nature of his work in this collection of short stories, because although it proved a point and was very well executed I found myself getting bored of it fairly quickly. However, these repetitive segments grew less and less throughout this book, which helped me appreciate his way of writing even more. He used a lot of flowers to illustrate his visions of gardens, old castles,… I, for my part really enjoyed it because he was so particular about his choice of flowers, going beyond your occasional rose, while still appreciating its beauty.
I really grew to love the way Oscar Wilde writes. However, some things were definitely questionable. But I think overall I won’t remember this book for it’s questionable portrayals of beauty and more for the way he played with the readers imagination. Incorporating consistent elements such as an array of different bird species from nightingales to Swallows,… the way he talked about the moon and pearls,… He somehow created characters who made me feel. And i think that’s a very admirable talent to have. I never thought I’d find a ghost trying and failing miserably at scaring people so adorable. He made inanimate and mundane objects and even forest creatures seem so full of character. Philosophical lizards and laughing narcissus. Everything was filled with so much love, yet so much sorrow and pain.
And although it took some getting used to I really loved reading about the way Oscar Wilde saw the world.

(My favorite stories were the Canterville ghost, the sphinx without a secret, Lord Arthur Savile‘s crime and the happy prince, the only one I didn’t like that much was the fisherman and his soul I think it was honestly just unnecessarily long and could have done better with only half of its length)

[Plum-crazy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a collection of beautifully written, descriptive stories, witty, at times heartbreaking & most with a moral (some more obvious than others!). I found the first two stories, "The Happy Prince" & "The Nightingale & the Rose" quite sad & the way "The Devoted Friend" was treated had my blood boiling! While I loved parts of "The Fisherman & His Soul" - his mermaid lover & the witch - the adventures of his soul went on a bit for me!

As to "The Canterville Ghost", well it's always a joy to read & it never loses it's charm. I'd been excited to see a new adaptation of the novella on TV this Xmas but sadly overall that was rather disappointing, not enough Sir Simon & unnecessarily padded out - with a horse race & cricket match for starters! And....NO PAINT STAINS!!! Anyway I consoled myself with a re-read & all is right with the world again...

Notable Quotes (both from "The Canterville Ghost"
"Yes, death. Death must be so beautiful. To lie in the soft brown earth, with the grasses waving above one’s head, and listen to silence. To have no yesterday, and no to-morrow. To forget time, to forget life, to be at peace. You can help me. You can open for me the portals of death’s house, for love is always with you, and love is stronger than death is."

"It was his solemn duty to appear in the corridor once a week, and to gibber from the large oriel window on the first and third Wednesdays in every month, and he did not see how he could honourably escape from his obligations. It is quite true that his life had been very evil, but, upon the other hand, he was most conscientious in all things connected with the supernatural."

[˗ˏˋ kacie ˎˊ˗ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading Disfigured by Amanda Leduc, has made me more aware of the representation of disability in traditional fairytales and unsurprisingly characters with physical disabilities were portrayed either as villains or people undeserving of happiness in most of these stories. Just thought it'd be nice to point that out, anyway, of the 13 stories in this collection, I only truly enjoyed 2 of them- Lord Arthur Savile's Crime and The Canterville Ghost. The rest I found to be repetitive, both in terms of the plot structure and themes. We don't need ten very similar stories to tell the same morales...

While there're some quotable lines, I didn't find Wilde's prose to be particularly remarkable as a whole, in fact I thought it was rather monotonous especially for the "fairytales". Perhaps it's finally time for me to accept Oscar Wilde, as one of the most beloved classic authors, is just not my cup of tea and that's ok :")

Rating System
★★★★★+: to-die for, life-changing
★★★★★: brilliant, recommend wholeheartedly
★★★★✩: liked a lot with some minor issues regarding personal preferences
★★★✩✩: appreciated but struggled to finish, maybe a bit forgettable
★★✩✩✩: would not recommend
★✩✩✩✩: yikes, i warned you