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The Happy Prince and Other Stories
In these delightful tales, Oscar Wilde employs all his grace, artistry and wit. The Happy Prince tells of the statue of a once pleasure-loving Prince which, with the help of a selfless Swallow helps people in distress.
As well as The Nightingale and the Rose, The Devoted Friend and The Remarkable Rocket, this collection contains The Selfish Giant, a remarkable story of the redemptive power of love.
As well as The Nightingale and the Rose, The Devoted Friend and The Remarkable Rocket, this collection contains The Selfish Giant, a remarkable story of the redemptive power of love.
121 pages, Paperback
First published May 1, 1888
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About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,530 books38.9k 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 2,119 reviews
June 7, 2017
“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 people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do. ”
“He must have a truly romantic nature, for he weeps when there is nothing at all to weep about.”
“I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself,”
“What is a sensitive person?” said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. “A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,” answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter.”
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 people who talk about themselves, as you do, when one wants to talk about oneself, as I do. ”
“He must have a truly romantic nature, for he weeps when there is nothing at all to weep about.”
“I like hearing myself talk. It is one of my greatest pleasures. I often have long conversations all by myself,”
“What is a sensitive person?” said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. “A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,” answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper; and the Cracker nearly exploded with laughter.”
August 24, 2025
These stories are very … well … Oscar Wilde-ish. They're well-written and sometimes humorous and also more than just a little preachy.
Every reviewer for this book seems to have read a different set of stories depending on their edition, but my audiobook contained the following: “The Happy Prince,” “The Remarkable Rocket,” “The Nightingale and the Rose,” “The Selfish Giant,” “The Devoted Friend,” “The Young King,” and “The Star Child.”
My favorite of the bunch was perhaps “The Remarkable Rocket,” a story about a rocket (of the fireworks variety) who thinks very highly of himself. It's very heavy-handed in it's moralizing, but it's also humorous and lighthearted and you maybe can't help but feel a little bad for the obnoxious rocket.
My least favorite story was without a doubt “The Nightingale and the Rose” because WTF, Oscar Wilde? That story is soul-crushing and I hate that it's forever in my head now.
My overall rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up. I love Oscar Wilde and these tales are some of his best, although it'd be nice if every story didn't wind up as a surprise Christian parable at the end.
Every reviewer for this book seems to have read a different set of stories depending on their edition, but my audiobook contained the following: “The Happy Prince,” “The Remarkable Rocket,” “The Nightingale and the Rose,” “The Selfish Giant,” “The Devoted Friend,” “The Young King,” and “The Star Child.”
My favorite of the bunch was perhaps “The Remarkable Rocket,” a story about a rocket (of the fireworks variety) who thinks very highly of himself. It's very heavy-handed in it's moralizing, but it's also humorous and lighthearted and you maybe can't help but feel a little bad for the obnoxious rocket.
My least favorite story was without a doubt “The Nightingale and the Rose” because WTF, Oscar Wilde? That story is soul-crushing and I hate that it's forever in my head now.
My overall rating: 3.85 stars, rounded up. I love Oscar Wilde and these tales are some of his best, although it'd be nice if every story didn't wind up as a surprise Christian parable at the end.
May 8, 2011
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 town people look up at him and marvel at his beauty. One day, a swallow gets separated from his fellow birds going to Egypt since winter is forthcoming. While the swallow is about to sleep at the foot of the statue, a tear falls from the weeping statue and a series of "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow" follows.
Heartbreakingly nice. Good deeds get their paybacks in the end.
The Selfish Giant : 3 stars (I liked it!)
A Giant is so selfish that he does not want children to play in his yard with a beautiful garden so Nature (the Wind, Hail, Snow) work against him. Winter stays forever in his yard even if, outside its wall, is already at the height of summer. The Giant becomes lonely (I know, winter could be depressing) so he breaks down the wall and let the children play again in his garden. What happens towards the end is a fitting story for the Holy Week as a character reveals His true identity.
The Devoted Friend : 1 star (I did not like it!)
I almost really liked this except that there is no redeeming value in the end. The good Little Hans seemed to have died in vain. He was fooled by Miller into believing that the latter was his friend and he would get his damaged wheelbarrow. I am okay with being friendly but not to the extent of sacrificing myself or going hungry just to make my friend happy. That's balderdash!
The Remarkable Rocket : 2 stars (It's okay)
The naive self-centered rocket thinks highly of himself. He is the drama king so he wets himself crying of joy thinking that he is being reserved by the palace for special occasion. So, he just stays there unlighted and eventually left and thrown out in the gutter.
We all know about these people. Sad but true. There are rockets around us.
The Nightingale and the Rose : 4 stars (I really liked it!)
I agree with Zusak: this is so sad, so brave of a nightingale to give her own life so that the daughter of the Professor would dance with the young student. But the nightingale is just too naive with the ways of the heart for the girl does not reciprocate the student's love. The nightingale ends up on the gutter: unappreciated and dead. Sad, Zusak but no redeeming value. Wasted heroism.
The Young King : 3 stars (I liked it!)
An illegitimate shepherd's son ends up as the only heir of a dead king. Not used to riches, he is very excited about living in the palace and wearing his robe. One night, he dreams of the poor people who work hard to come up with the gems that are to be put on his robe as decors. On the coronation day, he refuses to wear the robe so he is disowned by the nobilities. The Christlike coronation and references to Jesus should rank this tale higher than the rest of fairy tales.
The Birthday of the Infanta : 2 stars (It's okay.)
A hunchback dwarf is given as a gift to princess Infanta only to end up neglected in the end. Reminded me of The Velveteen Rabbit who thought that his master loved him. Sad but just like the Devoted Friend story there is no redeeming value. The princess says in the end "For the future, let those who come to play with me have no hearts."
The Star-Child : 4 stars (I really liked it!)
Reminds us, once again, that what goes around, comes around. That beauty is just skin-deep. What is more important is what's in our hearts. The star-child is found in the forest by two woodcutters. The first one says that they leave the poor child on the snow because, poor as they are, they don't enough food for their families to survive the winter. The other one says no and takes pity to the child. The child grows up to be a handsome man but heartless to the extent of disowning his own mother who disguises as a beggar.
The Fisherman and his Soul : 5 stars (It's amazing!)
A young man is in love with a mermaid who says that they cannot live together under the sea if the young man will not leave his soul. So, the young man asks the witch to separate himself from his soul. The soul is afraid and asks for the fisherman's heart. The fisherman cannot give his heart away since he needs it to love the mermaid.
I don't know what happened to me. This is my first time to read this story so probably that made a greater impact to me than the Happy Prince (first story). This story reminds me of Murakami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World where the man and his shadow are separated. Like the other stories, this is still a sad one. But Wilde's storytelling is truly remarkable that you feel with the characters even how implausible, this being a fairy tale, the plot is.
This is my second book (first was De Profundis) by Oscar Wilde and I have only one word for him: genius.
The Happy Prince : 5 stars (Amazing!)
A formerly rich and only child prince is now a regal statue. The town people look up at him and marvel at his beauty. One day, a swallow gets separated from his fellow birds going to Egypt since winter is forthcoming. While the swallow is about to sleep at the foot of the statue, a tear falls from the weeping statue and a series of "Swallow, Swallow, little Swallow" follows.
Heartbreakingly nice. Good deeds get their paybacks in the end.
The Selfish Giant : 3 stars (I liked it!)
A Giant is so selfish that he does not want children to play in his yard with a beautiful garden so Nature (the Wind, Hail, Snow) work against him. Winter stays forever in his yard even if, outside its wall, is already at the height of summer. The Giant becomes lonely (I know, winter could be depressing) so he breaks down the wall and let the children play again in his garden. What happens towards the end is a fitting story for the Holy Week as a character reveals His true identity.
The Devoted Friend : 1 star (I did not like it!)
I almost really liked this except that there is no redeeming value in the end. The good Little Hans seemed to have died in vain. He was fooled by Miller into believing that the latter was his friend and he would get his damaged wheelbarrow. I am okay with being friendly but not to the extent of sacrificing myself or going hungry just to make my friend happy. That's balderdash!
The Remarkable Rocket : 2 stars (It's okay)
The naive self-centered rocket thinks highly of himself. He is the drama king so he wets himself crying of joy thinking that he is being reserved by the palace for special occasion. So, he just stays there unlighted and eventually left and thrown out in the gutter.
We all know about these people. Sad but true. There are rockets around us.
The Nightingale and the Rose : 4 stars (I really liked it!)
I agree with Zusak: this is so sad, so brave of a nightingale to give her own life so that the daughter of the Professor would dance with the young student. But the nightingale is just too naive with the ways of the heart for the girl does not reciprocate the student's love. The nightingale ends up on the gutter: unappreciated and dead. Sad, Zusak but no redeeming value. Wasted heroism.
The Young King : 3 stars (I liked it!)
An illegitimate shepherd's son ends up as the only heir of a dead king. Not used to riches, he is very excited about living in the palace and wearing his robe. One night, he dreams of the poor people who work hard to come up with the gems that are to be put on his robe as decors. On the coronation day, he refuses to wear the robe so he is disowned by the nobilities. The Christlike coronation and references to Jesus should rank this tale higher than the rest of fairy tales.
The Birthday of the Infanta : 2 stars (It's okay.)
A hunchback dwarf is given as a gift to princess Infanta only to end up neglected in the end. Reminded me of The Velveteen Rabbit who thought that his master loved him. Sad but just like the Devoted Friend story there is no redeeming value. The princess says in the end "For the future, let those who come to play with me have no hearts."
The Star-Child : 4 stars (I really liked it!)
Reminds us, once again, that what goes around, comes around. That beauty is just skin-deep. What is more important is what's in our hearts. The star-child is found in the forest by two woodcutters. The first one says that they leave the poor child on the snow because, poor as they are, they don't enough food for their families to survive the winter. The other one says no and takes pity to the child. The child grows up to be a handsome man but heartless to the extent of disowning his own mother who disguises as a beggar.
The Fisherman and his Soul : 5 stars (It's amazing!)
A young man is in love with a mermaid who says that they cannot live together under the sea if the young man will not leave his soul. So, the young man asks the witch to separate himself from his soul. The soul is afraid and asks for the fisherman's heart. The fisherman cannot give his heart away since he needs it to love the mermaid.
I don't know what happened to me. This is my first time to read this story so probably that made a greater impact to me than the Happy Prince (first story). This story reminds me of Murakami's Hardboiled Wonderland and the End of the World where the man and his shadow are separated. Like the other stories, this is still a sad one. But Wilde's storytelling is truly remarkable that you feel with the characters even how implausible, this being a fairy tale, the plot is.
This is my second book (first was De Profundis) by Oscar Wilde and I have only one word for him: genius.
May 10, 2025
I wish I had read this collection of fairy tales before I started writing reviews.
I decided to read one story every night before bed. After all, these are fairy tales—that’s what you do with them. Big mistake. Instead of putting me to sleep, they kept me awake, making me think for at least an hour. (Some people manifest before bed; I meditate on fairy tales.) Not that the stories were difficult to grasp—there were a few that were more layered, but overall, they were straightforward. Each had that fable-like essence, similar to Aesop and La Fontaine, along with a strong resemblance to Hans Christian Andersen’s works, which only made me love them more.
The characters didn’t receive the usual rewards we’re accustomed to in fairy tales—there were no marriages to princesses, no kingdoms inherited, no chests of gold. There was no happily ever after—quite the opposite, in fact. Wilde, as expected, was cynical at times and delved into various social issues.
I’ve read The Happy Prince several times, but this time, I noticed something I hadn’t before: Wilde does what every child who ever read The Little Match Girl wished for—he saves her. But to do so, he sacrifices both the Swallow and the Happy Prince.
The first time I encountered The Little Match Girl, I was very young—maybe three or four years old. Naturally, someone read it to me, as I couldn’t read yet. I don’t remember where I had heard about time machines, but I wanted to build one—to go back and save the little girl. The irony? A time machine wouldn’t help—she’s fictional. The real irony? I grew up and realized that the little match girl exists. Not just one of her, but many. And I don’t need a time machine to help them. Yet to this day, I haven’t helped a single one the way I once dreamed of helping Andersen’s character.
This is getting too heartbreaking, but I can’t not say it: next time we decide to sit in an expensive restaurant—whether for a special occasion or just because—or buy unnecessarily expensive clothes, maybe we should take a moment to remember that somewhere out there, someone is selling matches in the cold. Is it really worth it, just so we can show off our status or seek attention? I’m not judging anyone—just saying that sometimes, it’s worth reflecting on whether that $10 Starbucks cup is truly necessary when we could just as easily drink coffee for $1 at a simpler place.
Back to the review. You might think, "But you barely talked about Wilde’s stories!" Actually, I did. I just did it in the way that would resonate most—by using someone else’s fairy tale, one that is deeply familiar to all of us. Wilde borrows from these ideas and presents them in his own, more cynical way.
At this point, I might as well go and revisit all of Andersen’s works—since, let’s be honest, I mostly talked about him.
I love fairy tales, I love Oscar Wilde, I love The Happy Prince ?= 5stars ⭐
I decided to read one story every night before bed. After all, these are fairy tales—that’s what you do with them. Big mistake. Instead of putting me to sleep, they kept me awake, making me think for at least an hour. (Some people manifest before bed; I meditate on fairy tales.) Not that the stories were difficult to grasp—there were a few that were more layered, but overall, they were straightforward. Each had that fable-like essence, similar to Aesop and La Fontaine, along with a strong resemblance to Hans Christian Andersen’s works, which only made me love them more.
The characters didn’t receive the usual rewards we’re accustomed to in fairy tales—there were no marriages to princesses, no kingdoms inherited, no chests of gold. There was no happily ever after—quite the opposite, in fact. Wilde, as expected, was cynical at times and delved into various social issues.
I’ve read The Happy Prince several times, but this time, I noticed something I hadn’t before: Wilde does what every child who ever read The Little Match Girl wished for—he saves her. But to do so, he sacrifices both the Swallow and the Happy Prince.
The first time I encountered The Little Match Girl, I was very young—maybe three or four years old. Naturally, someone read it to me, as I couldn’t read yet. I don’t remember where I had heard about time machines, but I wanted to build one—to go back and save the little girl. The irony? A time machine wouldn’t help—she’s fictional. The real irony? I grew up and realized that the little match girl exists. Not just one of her, but many. And I don’t need a time machine to help them. Yet to this day, I haven’t helped a single one the way I once dreamed of helping Andersen’s character.
This is getting too heartbreaking, but I can’t not say it: next time we decide to sit in an expensive restaurant—whether for a special occasion or just because—or buy unnecessarily expensive clothes, maybe we should take a moment to remember that somewhere out there, someone is selling matches in the cold. Is it really worth it, just so we can show off our status or seek attention? I’m not judging anyone—just saying that sometimes, it’s worth reflecting on whether that $10 Starbucks cup is truly necessary when we could just as easily drink coffee for $1 at a simpler place.
Back to the review. You might think, "But you barely talked about Wilde’s stories!" Actually, I did. I just did it in the way that would resonate most—by using someone else’s fairy tale, one that is deeply familiar to all of us. Wilde borrows from these ideas and presents them in his own, more cynical way.
At this point, I might as well go and revisit all of Andersen’s works—since, let’s be honest, I mostly talked about him.
I love fairy tales, I love Oscar Wilde, I love The Happy Prince ?= 5stars ⭐
May 24, 2019
Note to self: never ever try to read/finish this book on a train or anywhere in public!
To think that the author who kept the stiff Victorians in stitches with his plays could write such heart-wrenching stuff....
Ahhhh, don't talk to me today, I am totally undone.
To think that the author who kept the stiff Victorians in stitches with his plays could write such heart-wrenching stuff....
Ahhhh, don't talk to me today, I am totally undone.
July 24, 2008
I came upon it in my grandmother's library when I was a kid. Read it furtively, convinced it was dangerous stuff. Read it compulsively, swept away.
July 5, 2013
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 emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold."
"Everyone quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand."
"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 I sometimes don't understand a single word of what I am saying."
Wilde shows his softer side, yet retaining his ironic humour, exploring themes such as compassion, friendship, altruism, selfishness, love, self-awareness, and kindness. The fairy tales are simple yet engaging, with some very likeable characters, and also some very detestable characters we can all relate to.
The characters, often animals or inanimate objects feel so real and natural with clear personalities exactly like people in society. We have probably met a real-life version of the boastful, pretentious, and arrogant Remarkable Rocket (the type of person I want to punch in the face!); and of the very kind and innocent little Hans. This is true for the minor characters as well as the major ones: such as the yes-men Town Councillors, the ignorant Water-rat, and the extremely materialistic girl.
It is this realness of the characters which really captivated me. Wilde's subtle yet cynical satire of society is still perfectly relevant today. With such short stories, it is a wonder how Wilde managed to integrate such accurate and distinguished characters.
The short stories evoke great emotion too. I felt happy, sad, annoyed and disappointed at times, sharing the characters' experiences. The stories may not leave you with a happy feeling, but that is precisely why they make such good reading: a story that can make you feel very sad or very annoyed is a good story, since it evokes a strong emotional response. These tales certainly do that.
Precious few writers can do this, let alone in simple fairy tales. For me, no one writes as charismatically as Oscar Wilde. He makes great writing look so simple and easy. This work is elegantly written with fine little details and plenty to be admired again and again. My personal favourite in this collection is The Happy Prince, although it was extremely difficult to choose amongst these lovely little stories.
If you do yourself one favour today, have a read of one these fairy tales. They are such a joy to read.If you love these stories as much as I do we can be best friends. I cannot recommend this book highly enough!
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 emeralds, and dearer than fine opals. Pearls and pomegranates cannot buy it, nor is it set forth in the marketplace. It may not be purchased of the merchants, nor can it be weighed out in the balance for gold."
"Everyone quoted it, it was full of so many words that they could not understand."
"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 I sometimes don't understand a single word of what I am saying."
Wilde shows his softer side, yet retaining his ironic humour, exploring themes such as compassion, friendship, altruism, selfishness, love, self-awareness, and kindness. The fairy tales are simple yet engaging, with some very likeable characters, and also some very detestable characters we can all relate to.
The characters, often animals or inanimate objects feel so real and natural with clear personalities exactly like people in society. We have probably met a real-life version of the boastful, pretentious, and arrogant Remarkable Rocket (the type of person I want to punch in the face!); and of the very kind and innocent little Hans. This is true for the minor characters as well as the major ones: such as the yes-men Town Councillors, the ignorant Water-rat, and the extremely materialistic girl.
It is this realness of the characters which really captivated me. Wilde's subtle yet cynical satire of society is still perfectly relevant today. With such short stories, it is a wonder how Wilde managed to integrate such accurate and distinguished characters.
The short stories evoke great emotion too. I felt happy, sad, annoyed and disappointed at times, sharing the characters' experiences. The stories may not leave you with a happy feeling, but that is precisely why they make such good reading: a story that can make you feel very sad or very annoyed is a good story, since it evokes a strong emotional response. These tales certainly do that.
Precious few writers can do this, let alone in simple fairy tales. For me, no one writes as charismatically as Oscar Wilde. He makes great writing look so simple and easy. This work is elegantly written with fine little details and plenty to be admired again and again. My personal favourite in this collection is The Happy Prince, although it was extremely difficult to choose amongst these lovely little stories.
If you do yourself one favour today, have a read of one these fairy tales. They are such a joy to read.
June 16, 2021
Sad stories, beautifully written.
January 16, 2016
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.
Being bored with all my current reads and totally tired after a hard morning at house cleaning, I decided to simply peruse my Kindle for some nice book or story to read. Mind you, I wasn’t in the mood for anything serious. Having just reviewed Wilde’s Dorian Gray, I decided to check his complete collection for some more such interesting tales and stumbled upon this book of short stories, which captivated me like no other book or tale and I was smiling and back into reading again. A little later when I saw that my enthusiasm to share my updates in GR was strong (and they usually are when I read something nice), I found that a dear friend of mine, someone who has become quite close to me in a very short time, had recommended this book, albeit indirectly. So I was doubly excited and resumed my reading.
That Wilde is a fantastic writer is a well known fact but that he could write something for children, a tale which would be suited for all ages, is something that surprised me and obviously delighted me. This short collection has about 5 tales in it and each of them were delightful and with a moral to boot. What makes this anthology special is the fact that it is not in a preaching format but there is a slight tongue in cheek manner, which brought a delectable flavor; something that most moralistic tales don’t have these days, especially the adult ones.
Each tale in this compilation was different but there was a strong lesson that could be seen in all. This was the lesson of love and friendship, how it differs in every scenario and what exactly is true love or devoted friendship. The lessons taught in these stories were of good and bad, bad might not be necessarily evil but more of the selfish kind, it talked of selflessness and how true love redeems everything in the end. All the stories were well written and I loved them all but if I had to pinpoint a single story that moved me the most, it was The Nightingale and the Rose, a truly remarkable tale, something that gives you the sky in terms of learning without taking away a bit of your enjoyment.
This book is highly recommended for everyone.
PS - Fatty, you are the best! :D
Being bored with all my current reads and totally tired after a hard morning at house cleaning, I decided to simply peruse my Kindle for some nice book or story to read. Mind you, I wasn’t in the mood for anything serious. Having just reviewed Wilde’s Dorian Gray, I decided to check his complete collection for some more such interesting tales and stumbled upon this book of short stories, which captivated me like no other book or tale and I was smiling and back into reading again. A little later when I saw that my enthusiasm to share my updates in GR was strong (and they usually are when I read something nice), I found that a dear friend of mine, someone who has become quite close to me in a very short time, had recommended this book, albeit indirectly. So I was doubly excited and resumed my reading.
That Wilde is a fantastic writer is a well known fact but that he could write something for children, a tale which would be suited for all ages, is something that surprised me and obviously delighted me. This short collection has about 5 tales in it and each of them were delightful and with a moral to boot. What makes this anthology special is the fact that it is not in a preaching format but there is a slight tongue in cheek manner, which brought a delectable flavor; something that most moralistic tales don’t have these days, especially the adult ones.
Each tale in this compilation was different but there was a strong lesson that could be seen in all. This was the lesson of love and friendship, how it differs in every scenario and what exactly is true love or devoted friendship. The lessons taught in these stories were of good and bad, bad might not be necessarily evil but more of the selfish kind, it talked of selflessness and how true love redeems everything in the end. All the stories were well written and I loved them all but if I had to pinpoint a single story that moved me the most, it was The Nightingale and the Rose, a truly remarkable tale, something that gives you the sky in terms of learning without taking away a bit of your enjoyment.
This book is highly recommended for everyone.
PS - Fatty, you are the best! :D
November 5, 2024
Niestety nie widzę wydania, w którym czytałam tylko opowiadanie „Szczęśliwy książę”, więc zaznaczam tu, że oceniam tylko i wyłącznie je.
August 24, 2025
I am very fond of Oscar Wildes story"The Happy Prince." From where he started as a brilliant author and playwright to how he ended, Oscar Wildes life ended in illness and grief.
We make choices, and Oscar's love of "Bosie" Lord Alfred Douglas was his downfall.
A bad choice.
Bosie was a spoiled punk, not deserving of Oscar's love and affection.
It was at Bosies urging that Oscar take his father the Marquess of Queensbury to court for defamation. Queensbury counter sued and Oscar's personal indiscretions were revealed in court. Oscar lost his case and spent two years at hard labor in Reading gaol.
Oscar's health was permanently damaged. His reputation was in ruins, and if not for a few loyal friends, he would have died penniless in a gutter.
He spent the remainder of his life in France. He died in a run down hotel room in Paris of meningitis due to an abcessed ear infection. He was only 46 years old.
Bosie abandoned Oscar in the end.
We make choices, and Oscar's love of "Bosie" Lord Alfred Douglas was his downfall.
A bad choice.
Bosie was a spoiled punk, not deserving of Oscar's love and affection.
It was at Bosies urging that Oscar take his father the Marquess of Queensbury to court for defamation. Queensbury counter sued and Oscar's personal indiscretions were revealed in court. Oscar lost his case and spent two years at hard labor in Reading gaol.
Oscar's health was permanently damaged. His reputation was in ruins, and if not for a few loyal friends, he would have died penniless in a gutter.
He spent the remainder of his life in France. He died in a run down hotel room in Paris of meningitis due to an abcessed ear infection. He was only 46 years old.
Bosie abandoned Oscar in the end.
December 6, 2022
After having read Oscar Wilde's "The Portrait of Dorian Gray" (1890) and I was looking forward to reading his children stories in "The Happy Prince and Other Tales" (1888). So I then put them on my list to read this year and having just finished these stories, I wanted to comment on both these books before I talk of the short stories.
If you heard or read "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", you would know how dark a book it is and seeing the movie long before reading the book which is a picnic compared to the book's darkness, IMO; I was quite impressed by reading these children stories which are on the opposite side of the spectrum, quite bright. You say, well they are children's stories written in the late 1800's, so it would be that way. Well what impressed me was that even many of these stories are quite sad, the moral is there in all its glory. I knew Oscar Wilde was a great writer having read his novel but having not read anything else yet, though on my "to read" list, but I see his wide range of ability as a writer is quite wonderful. I had no idea about his religious convictions but they shine through in these stories, two of them bring heaven and the Christ child into the story. One of my most favorite subject to come across in a story is the morality and religious precepts, that make the reader feel an uplifting feeling, even when things don't always work out. Wilde's stories had this all down with the sadness and showing us humans to live our lives in a positive light. If you have no religious beliefs, these stories are still wonderfully wholesome to read. Sometimes after reading a book, your whole feeling towards an author changes and Wilde made me love his works even more than before.
One more thing I will touch on because it was brought up in the Delphi collection of his works which seeing it I had to comment here.
"Later critics have identified an underlying homosexual relationship between the two protagonists, while others argue that these are simply tales told by Wilde for his own children."
I saw nothing of this in the least and what I saw was friendship. I noticed before in reading some commentaries of classic works were the "modern view" is projected to mean something, that the author did not intend. Unless, evidence in memoirs tell of certain ideas, I don't look for what is not there. Is modern society, so bitter to think that true friendship, wanting to die for another, has to have a romantic element. Can't people love people for friendship sake alone? IMO, so I leave it there for you to read and decide yourself.
The stories;
1) The Happy Prince- a sparrow helps his friend who sees misery from where he stands help alleviate some grief, he witnesses.
2) The Nightingale and the Rose- the nightingale gives everything for love. (My favorite)
3) The Selfish Giant- a giant comes back home to see his garden invaded.
4) The Devoted Friend- a Miller thinks his friendship is just wonderful. (This and the next story deal with self centeredness)
5) The Remarkable Rocket- the rocket thinks he is just wonderful and looks down on everything else.
These stories are great for children and adults too, we all need a refresher course on being good human beings. 💕💕🌼💖😊
Adding September 11, 2018 -The radio version from Columbia workshop of The Happy Prince - 12/26/1936
https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...
Some changes but basically Oscar Wilde's story.😊
If you heard or read "The Portrait of Dorian Gray", you would know how dark a book it is and seeing the movie long before reading the book which is a picnic compared to the book's darkness, IMO; I was quite impressed by reading these children stories which are on the opposite side of the spectrum, quite bright. You say, well they are children's stories written in the late 1800's, so it would be that way. Well what impressed me was that even many of these stories are quite sad, the moral is there in all its glory. I knew Oscar Wilde was a great writer having read his novel but having not read anything else yet, though on my "to read" list, but I see his wide range of ability as a writer is quite wonderful. I had no idea about his religious convictions but they shine through in these stories, two of them bring heaven and the Christ child into the story. One of my most favorite subject to come across in a story is the morality and religious precepts, that make the reader feel an uplifting feeling, even when things don't always work out. Wilde's stories had this all down with the sadness and showing us humans to live our lives in a positive light. If you have no religious beliefs, these stories are still wonderfully wholesome to read. Sometimes after reading a book, your whole feeling towards an author changes and Wilde made me love his works even more than before.
One more thing I will touch on because it was brought up in the Delphi collection of his works which seeing it I had to comment here.
"Later critics have identified an underlying homosexual relationship between the two protagonists, while others argue that these are simply tales told by Wilde for his own children."
I saw nothing of this in the least and what I saw was friendship. I noticed before in reading some commentaries of classic works were the "modern view" is projected to mean something, that the author did not intend. Unless, evidence in memoirs tell of certain ideas, I don't look for what is not there. Is modern society, so bitter to think that true friendship, wanting to die for another, has to have a romantic element. Can't people love people for friendship sake alone? IMO, so I leave it there for you to read and decide yourself.
The stories;
1) The Happy Prince- a sparrow helps his friend who sees misery from where he stands help alleviate some grief, he witnesses.
2) The Nightingale and the Rose- the nightingale gives everything for love. (My favorite)
3) The Selfish Giant- a giant comes back home to see his garden invaded.
4) The Devoted Friend- a Miller thinks his friendship is just wonderful. (This and the next story deal with self centeredness)
5) The Remarkable Rocket- the rocket thinks he is just wonderful and looks down on everything else.
These stories are great for children and adults too, we all need a refresher course on being good human beings. 💕💕🌼💖😊
Adding September 11, 2018 -The radio version from Columbia workshop of The Happy Prince - 12/26/1936
https://www.oldtimeradiodownloads.com...
Some changes but basically Oscar Wilde's story.😊
February 10, 2024
The perfect Christmas read I say!
And also get ready for some self reflection when you read each of these stories.
“So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.”
The writing is so beautiful and soothing. Every story reads like a beautiful memorable song singing everyone’s deepest thoughts and feelings.
“Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
I find this collection so good. However, I want the edition with all the short stories by the author. The writing brings some bitter truths in each story.
“BAD and GRAND sound very much the same, indeed they often are the same.”
*The Happy Prince 5 🌟
*The Nightingale and the Rose 5 🌟
*The Selfish Giant 5 🌟
*The Devoted Friend 4🌟
*The Remarkable Rocket 5 🌟
*The Star Child 4🌟
*The Canterville Ghost 5 🌟
👉More lines that got me:
“Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions.”
“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 I am saying.”
“You will see fearful shapes in darkness, and wicked voices will whisper in your ear, but they will not harm you, for against the purity of a little child the powers of Hell cannot prevail.”
And also get ready for some self reflection when you read each of these stories.
“So he returned to his room and pulled out a great dusty book, and began to read.”
The writing is so beautiful and soothing. Every story reads like a beautiful memorable song singing everyone’s deepest thoughts and feelings.
“Love is all very well in its way, but friendship is much higher. Indeed, I know of nothing in the world that is either nobler or rarer than a devoted friendship.”
I find this collection so good. However, I want the edition with all the short stories by the author. The writing brings some bitter truths in each story.
“BAD and GRAND sound very much the same, indeed they often are the same.”
*The Happy Prince 5 🌟
*The Nightingale and the Rose 5 🌟
*The Selfish Giant 5 🌟
*The Devoted Friend 4🌟
*The Remarkable Rocket 5 🌟
*The Star Child 4🌟
*The Canterville Ghost 5 🌟
👉More lines that got me:
“Arguments are extremely vulgar, for everybody in good society holds exactly the same opinions.”
“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 I am saying.”
“You will see fearful shapes in darkness, and wicked voices will whisper in your ear, but they will not harm you, for against the purity of a little child the powers of Hell cannot prevail.”
December 13, 2015
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 Rick, discussing a graphic novel edition of two of Oscar Wilde's short stories. That review sent me to Gutenberg to see what I could see. I wanted especially to read the story The Remarkable Rocket. And that is how I found this book, which has five short fables and some elegant illustrations by Charles Robinson.
The stories included here are The Happy Prince, The Nightingale And The Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, and The Remarkable Rocket. I was completely charmed by them all. Written in a deceptively simple style that begs for being read aloud, each story is a gold nugget wrapped in layers of silver-tongued wit that any thinking adult will appreciate. Life lessons are there waiting to be unwrapped: the importance of Love, the true value of being unselfish, the power of friendship.
I had no idea that Oscar Wilde wrote such stories. I want to read more of them, and get to know the man and his work better. Thank you, Rick!
Here is a link to the Gutenberg book I read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And here is Rick's review of the book he read; the review that piqued my curiosity more than any school teacher ever could. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
But a few days ago I noticed a review by fellow GR group member Rick, discussing a graphic novel edition of two of Oscar Wilde's short stories. That review sent me to Gutenberg to see what I could see. I wanted especially to read the story The Remarkable Rocket. And that is how I found this book, which has five short fables and some elegant illustrations by Charles Robinson.
The stories included here are The Happy Prince, The Nightingale And The Rose, The Selfish Giant, The Devoted Friend, and The Remarkable Rocket. I was completely charmed by them all. Written in a deceptively simple style that begs for being read aloud, each story is a gold nugget wrapped in layers of silver-tongued wit that any thinking adult will appreciate. Life lessons are there waiting to be unwrapped: the importance of Love, the true value of being unselfish, the power of friendship.
I had no idea that Oscar Wilde wrote such stories. I want to read more of them, and get to know the man and his work better. Thank you, Rick!
Here is a link to the Gutenberg book I read https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
And here is Rick's review of the book he read; the review that piqued my curiosity more than any school teacher ever could. https://www.goodreads.com/review/show...
August 28, 2018
Oscar Wilde does fairy tales--a kind of strange mixture.
The title story, The Happy Prince, and its successor, The Nightingale and the Rose, are a bit sorrowful and bleak. I dare say the main takeaway might be that love brings death and is much unappreciated. The Selfish Giant is an almost religious tale in which an act of kindness is rewarded...the sort of tale in which the main character does not realize who he is aiding but proves his worth by his unselfish act.
The fourth story was my favorite. The Devoted Friend is a story of exploitation in the name of friendship and hypocrisy. I could imagine Wilde basing it on his on personal experience.
The final story seemed to be a study in pomposity, another subject Wilde knew a bit about.
His signature wit surfaced from time to time.
After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited.
And
’What is a sensitive person?’ said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. ‘A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,’ answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper…
The stories are cynical, with Wilde poking fun at himself, society, and possibly Aesop’s Fables. I doubt he would have enjoyed his current reputation if this had been all he had written, but as an addition to his works, they are interesting enough.
The title story, The Happy Prince, and its successor, The Nightingale and the Rose, are a bit sorrowful and bleak. I dare say the main takeaway might be that love brings death and is much unappreciated. The Selfish Giant is an almost religious tale in which an act of kindness is rewarded...the sort of tale in which the main character does not realize who he is aiding but proves his worth by his unselfish act.
The fourth story was my favorite. The Devoted Friend is a story of exploitation in the name of friendship and hypocrisy. I could imagine Wilde basing it on his on personal experience.
The final story seemed to be a study in pomposity, another subject Wilde knew a bit about.
His signature wit surfaced from time to time.
After the seven years were over he had said all that he had to say, for his conversation was limited.
And
’What is a sensitive person?’ said the Cracker to the Roman Candle. ‘A person who, because he has corns himself, always treads on other people’s toes,’ answered the Roman Candle in a low whisper…
The stories are cynical, with Wilde poking fun at himself, society, and possibly Aesop’s Fables. I doubt he would have enjoyed his current reputation if this had been all he had written, but as an addition to his works, they are interesting enough.
May 1, 2015
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, egotism, Christianity, goodwill and love.
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, egotism, Christianity, goodwill and love.
March 26, 2025
সত্যি বলতে রূপকথার গল্প বলে খুব বেশি এক্সপেক্টেশন ছিল না। আর আমার ধারণা ছিল অস্কার ওয়াইল্ড শুধুমাত্র গল্পগুলোর সংগ্রাহক! যেমন ঠাকুমার ঝুলির দক্ষিণারঞ্জন মহাশয়। কিন্তু সবগুলো পড়ার পর খটকা লাগে; কেমন যেন গভীর মিল আছে গল্পগুলোতে। পরে ঘাঁটাঘাঁটি করে জানলাম রূপকথার অনুকরণে তৈরি গল্পগুলো আসলে তাঁর মৌলিক সৃষ্টি! আর গল্পগুলো শুধু ছোটরা পড়ে মজা পাবে এমন নয়, এর মোরাল দিকটা যেন বড়দের পড়ার জন্যই লেখা। শিশুসাহিত্য সুকুমার রায়ের পর আরেকজন এতটা ইম্প্রেস করল আমাকে! (তাই বলে ভাববেন না এই গল্পগুলো সুকুমার রায়ের মতো ননসেন্স লিটারেচার নয়)।
November 30, 2014
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.
February 22, 2015
El Principe Feliz, el mejor. Me encantó ese cuento: es tan desgarrador, hermoso, con una moraleja preciosa. El Ruiseñor y la Rosa y El Joven Rey son excelentes, también.
Con frecuencia converso conmigo mismo, y digo cosas tan inteligentes, que a veces no entiendo ni una palabra de lo que digo.
Amo los trabajos de Oscar Wilde; su prosa explota en lírica.
Con frecuencia converso conmigo mismo, y digo cosas tan inteligentes, que a veces no entiendo ni una palabra de lo que digo.
Amo los trabajos de Oscar Wilde; su prosa explota en lírica.
August 27, 2016
This book is real gem. A collection of five short stories.Each story beautifully woven around a moral. The stories are simple but evoke strong emotions. Every story may make you happy or make you sad (mostly) but each one will surely touch your heart.Oscar Wilde is a true genius. Highly Recommended !!!
August 15, 2021
nobody gives descriptions like oscar does, i am enamored
January 27, 2022
Viết truyện cổ tích mà có thể đến tầm thế này, Oscar Wilde thật đúng là "không phải dạng vừa đâu" 🙈
Bằng một lối văn chương lóng lánh đến dị kỳ mà siêu thực, chỉ vỏn vẹn với 9 câu chuyện, Oscar Wilde đã đưa mình phiêu lưu, tưởng chừng như tận cùng, miền đất kỳ ảo với biết bao ý tưởng lạ lùng, cách triển khai thần thánh và khả năng phô diễn ẩn ý đạt đến mức thượng thừa.
(Có chút mếch lòng nhẹ và mất tập trung không nhẹ với phong cách hành văn dài dòng phức tạp có phần trúc trắc đó.)
- "Hoàng tử hạnh phúc", "Tên khổng lồ ích kỷ", "Cậu bé ngôi sao" cho ta thấy được hạnh phúc đích thực của tình yêu thương và việc sống cho đi.
- "Họa mi và hồng nhung", "Người đánh cá và linh hồn" ca ngợi sự tuyệt bích của tình yêu đôi lứa, tình yêu là điều mà không thứ gì sánh được, và cái chết ẩn giấu sự tôn vinh và phụng hiến tuyệt đối cho yêu.
- "Người bạn tận tụy" đá đểu những kẻ ích kỷ, đạo đức giả, nhân danh tình bạn trục lợi.
- "Quả pháo sáng phi thường" lại có phần móc mỉa những kẻ tự hư huyễn về giá trị bản thân.
- "Giấc mơ của một nhà vua trẻ", "Sinh nhật của công chúa Tây Ban Nha" phô bày vẻ chói loá xa hoa của đời sống thượng lưu, đồng thời phản chiếu ngay mặt trái xót xa của nó (nghèo đói, bệnh tật, đau khổ...).
Hai giá trị nổi cộm nhất mình thấy trong các câu chuyện là Sự phù phiếm của Cái Đẹp và Giá trị vô biên của tình Yêu Thương và sự Cho Đi.
Tác phẩm này "sâu sắc phi thường", dù là về văn chương, tình tiết, hay ý nghĩa.
Đã từng đọc nhiều truyện cổ tích thần thoại rồi, từ Đông sang Tây, mà mình chưa thấy bộ truyện cổ tích nào hay đến thế.
5* ngay và luôn!
Bằng một lối văn chương lóng lánh đến dị kỳ mà siêu thực, chỉ vỏn vẹn với 9 câu chuyện, Oscar Wilde đã đưa mình phiêu lưu, tưởng chừng như tận cùng, miền đất kỳ ảo với biết bao ý tưởng lạ lùng, cách triển khai thần thánh và khả năng phô diễn ẩn ý đạt đến mức thượng thừa.
(Có chút mếch lòng nhẹ và mất tập trung không nhẹ với phong cách hành văn dài dòng phức tạp có phần trúc trắc đó.)
- "Hoàng tử hạnh phúc", "Tên khổng lồ ích kỷ", "Cậu bé ngôi sao" cho ta thấy được hạnh phúc đích thực của tình yêu thương và việc sống cho đi.
- "Họa mi và hồng nhung", "Người đánh cá và linh hồn" ca ngợi sự tuyệt bích của tình yêu đôi lứa, tình yêu là điều mà không thứ gì sánh được, và cái chết ẩn giấu sự tôn vinh và phụng hiến tuyệt đối cho yêu.
- "Người bạn tận tụy" đá đểu những kẻ ích kỷ, đạo đức giả, nhân danh tình bạn trục lợi.
- "Quả pháo sáng phi thường" lại có phần móc mỉa những kẻ tự hư huyễn về giá trị bản thân.
- "Giấc mơ của một nhà vua trẻ", "Sinh nhật của công chúa Tây Ban Nha" phô bày vẻ chói loá xa hoa của đời sống thượng lưu, đồng thời phản chiếu ngay mặt trái xót xa của nó (nghèo đói, bệnh tật, đau khổ...).
Hai giá trị nổi cộm nhất mình thấy trong các câu chuyện là Sự phù phiếm của Cái Đẹp và Giá trị vô biên của tình Yêu Thương và sự Cho Đi.
Tác phẩm này "sâu sắc phi thường", dù là về văn chương, tình tiết, hay ý nghĩa.
Đã từng đọc nhiều truyện cổ tích thần thoại rồi, từ Đông sang Tây, mà mình chưa thấy bộ truyện cổ tích nào hay đến thế.
5* ngay và luôn!
January 11, 2022
Takiego Oscara Wilde'a jeszcze nie znałam, a im więcej jego twarzy poznaję, tym większą obdarzam go sympatią. Tym razem autor tworzy opowiastki z morałem dla młodszego czytelnika, w których bawi się wątkami religijnymi czy motywem dobra i zła, gdzie kara i nagroda wcale nie są tak oczywiste, jak to zwykle bywa. Ktoś skarany zostaje, gdy czyni dobro, ale kieruje się naiwnością. Ktoś nagrodę otrzymuje dopiero po śmierci. A jeszcze ktoś inny za życia dostaje karę, ale jest zbyt zakochany w sobie, by to zauważyć. Granica dobra i zła widoczna jest zwykle na pierwszy rzut oka, ale to tyle z oczywistości.
Wydawnictwo Zysk i Sk-a pięknie dopieściło tytuł ten ilustracjami Charlesa Robinsona czy Barbary i Przemysława Kida, a okładka Urszuli Gireń stanowi klimatyczne wrota do opowieści Wilde'a. Wizualnie jest więc cudnie, a pod względem treści jest... Hm. Przyjemnie i ciekawie. To chyba to. Nie są to bowiem najlepsze teksty autora, ale czuć w nich jego ducha, więc mi się podobają, choć są pozornie tak proste.
przekł. Jerzy Łoziński
Wydawnictwo Zysk i Sk-a pięknie dopieściło tytuł ten ilustracjami Charlesa Robinsona czy Barbary i Przemysława Kida, a okładka Urszuli Gireń stanowi klimatyczne wrota do opowieści Wilde'a. Wizualnie jest więc cudnie, a pod względem treści jest... Hm. Przyjemnie i ciekawie. To chyba to. Nie są to bowiem najlepsze teksty autora, ale czuć w nich jego ducha, więc mi się podobają, choć są pozornie tak proste.
przekł. Jerzy Łoziński
December 24, 2021
قصص طفولية بعض الشئ، ربما ما يميزها أن لها مغزى قوى وواضح
يعاب على القصص الاستطراد والتطويل غير المحبب أحيانا، كما أن الترجمة بها تكلف لغوي كبير
يعاب على القصص الاستطراد والتطويل غير المحبب أحيانا، كما أن الترجمة بها تكلف لغوي كبير
May 25, 2024
El príncipe feliz es una metáfora de los desniveles sociales a los que llegó la sociedad inglesa en momentos de la cruel revolución industrial. Con un lenguaje basado en las parábolas, Wilde cuenta con una brillante historia moralizante de fondo místico, mientras que en los otros admirables textos se exaltan los valores humanos.
Aparte del cuento que da origen al libro hay estos otros cuentos:
-El príncipe feliz 6.5/10.
-El ruiseñor y la rosa 6.5/10.
-El gigante egoísta 6/10.
-El amigo fiel 7.5/10.
-El cohete ilustre 6/10.
Estos son los que si incluyen dentro del libro " UNA CASA DE GRANADAS"
-El Joven Rey 6.5/10.
-El cumpleaños de la infanta 5.75/10.
-El pescador y su alma 7/10.
-El hijo de las estrellas 6.75/10.
Bastante bien en su conjunto como son sobre todos los primeros cuentos infantiles tienen una especie de moraleja cada uno de ellos.
Valoración: 6.5/10
# 2. Una corona en su portada. Reto Portadas 2024
Aparte del cuento que da origen al libro hay estos otros cuentos:
-El príncipe feliz 6.5/10.
-El ruiseñor y la rosa 6.5/10.
-El gigante egoísta 6/10.
-El amigo fiel 7.5/10.
-El cohete ilustre 6/10.
Estos son los que si incluyen dentro del libro " UNA CASA DE GRANADAS"
-El Joven Rey 6.5/10.
-El cumpleaños de la infanta 5.75/10.
-El pescador y su alma 7/10.
-El hijo de las estrellas 6.75/10.
Bastante bien en su conjunto como son sobre todos los primeros cuentos infantiles tienen una especie de moraleja cada uno de ellos.
Valoración: 6.5/10
# 2. Una corona en su portada. Reto Portadas 2024
February 24, 2021
B.R.A.CE. 2021
ΠΡΟΣΟΧΗ! Είναι επικίνδυνο να διαβάζεις παραμύθια με ηθικό δίδαγμα, υπάρχει πιθανότητα να σκεφτείς κι ακόμα χειρότερα να γίνεις έστω και λίγο καλύτερος άνθρωπος.
February 12, 2018
5 sao
Cuốn này gồm 5 câu chuyện, trong đó có 2 truyện chỉ ở mức bình thường thôi nhưng mình vẫn đánh giá 5 sao vì những truyện còn lại phải gọi là quá hay, quá xuất sắc.
Hơi khác với tập truyện cổ tích trước đó mình đọc của Oscar Wilde là Ngôi nhà thạch lựu, với không khí u tối hướng về đối tượng là người lớn, thì những truyện trong đây rõ là dành cho thiếu nhi, với nội dung chủ yếu ca ngợi tình yêu, răn dạy cách làm người. Nhưng nếu chỉ như vậy thì sẽ không có gì đặc biệt, trong lúc đọc mình mới nhận ra những thứ đẹp đẽ, trân trọng đó được Oscar Wilde đặt giữa một bụi gai nhọn, mà ta chỉ có thể cảm nhận được, thấu hiểu được sau khi đã chịu đau đớn, rướm máu ít nhiều. Vẫn gợi cho mình sự liên tưởng tới truyện cổ Andersen, những câu chuyện của Oscar Wilde sẽ khiến bạn dễ dàng rút ra cho bọn trẻ một bài học nào đấy sau khi đọc, nhưng rồi lại làm khó chính mình khi phải tìm cách trả lời những câu hỏi của chúng như: tại sao Nàng tiên cá không cưới hoàng tử, tại sao cô bé bán diêm lại chết?
Truyện đầu tiên, Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, có lẽ đã quá quen thuộc với nhiều người rồi, nhưng khi đọc câu chuyện gốc này ta sẽ nhận ra được rõ ràng hơn thông điệp Oscar Wilde gửi gắm trong đó: về tình yêu, về cái đẹp. Bên cạnh Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, mình nhận ra một nhân vật khác quan trọng không kém mà trước giờ đọc các phiên bản khác ít khai thác, đó là chú chim én. Từ sự làm quen ban đầu, cũng như bao người khác, có ấn tượng với Hoàng tử bởi vẻ ngoài, sau khi cảm nhận được tấm lòng của Hoàng tử, chim én từ từ thay đổi cách nhìn của mình với cậu và quyết định bên cạnh cậu cho đến những phút cuối cùng. Những diễn biến trong suy nghĩ và hành động của chim én khiến cho ta thật sự thấm thía được tình yêu là như thế nào, được chứng kiến đâu mới là thứ thật sự đẹp đẽ, quý giá nhất trên thế gian này.
Chim sơn ca và bông hồng đỏ cũng là một câu chuyện ca ngợi cái đẹp của tình yêu, cái đẹp rực rỡ khiến chú sơn ca tôn sùng và sẵn sàng hy sinh vì nó. Oscar Wilde có thể viết nên những điều tuyệt diệu như thế về tình yêu, nhưng cũng chính ông là người có thể nhẫn tâm vùi dập nó theo cách đau xót nhất, ê chề nhất. Đọc xong câu chuyện làm gợi lên trong mình nhiều cảm xúc, và mình nhận ra rằng tình yêu vốn dĩ luôn đẹp đẽ như thế, luôn xứng đáng được tôn sùng, được hy sinh như thế, chỉ có con người tầm thường là không xứng đáng với tình yêu đó thôi.
Truyện Người bạn tận tình là một câu chuyện ngụ ngôn hết sức thâm thúy và sâu cay, khéo léo dạy một bài học về "tình bạn" đầy thấm thía mà không cần đưa ra một lời bình luận nào cả. Không như những câu chuyện cho trẻ con cũ rích khác khi bàn đến chủ đề này, Oscar Wilde có thể đặt vấn đề ở một góc độ khác biệt, phải nói là rất khó diễn đạt mà đồng thời cũng không hề phá hỏng đi những thứ tốt đẹp được khuyên dạy trước giờ.
Đó là về mặt nội dung, còn về hình thức thì bản của Nhã Nam làm có kèm rất nhiều hình minh họa, nhiều đến mức mình cảm thấy hơi bị "thừa mứa". Thật sự minh họa của sách rất đẹp nhưng việc phóng to khung hình ra để chiếm một phần lớn trang giấy đã khiến nhiều hình bị nhòe, vỡ nét, nhìn không được chuyên nghiệp cho lắm. Một số hình lại không mấy cần thiết khi chỉ minh họa cho một ý rất nhỏ của câu chuyện. Và các trang ảnh màu được sử dụng khá hào phóng cũng có vấn đề tương tự. Đây cũng chỉ là những lỗi nhỏ, lúc đọc mình cũng không khó chịu cho lắm, nhưng nếu được chú ý một chút sẽ làm cho cuốn sách hoàn hảo hơn.
Nói chung thì đây là một cuốn truyện mang tính ngụ ngôn kể về tình bạn, tình yêu. Nhưng khi một câu chuyện được kể bởi Oscar Wilde thì bạn hãy nhớ chuẩn bị tinh thần trước khi đọc truyện.
Cuốn này gồm 5 câu chuyện, trong đó có 2 truyện chỉ ở mức bình thường thôi nhưng mình vẫn đánh giá 5 sao vì những truyện còn lại phải gọi là quá hay, quá xuất sắc.
Hơi khác với tập truyện cổ tích trước đó mình đọc của Oscar Wilde là Ngôi nhà thạch lựu, với không khí u tối hướng về đối tượng là người lớn, thì những truyện trong đây rõ là dành cho thiếu nhi, với nội dung chủ yếu ca ngợi tình yêu, răn dạy cách làm người. Nhưng nếu chỉ như vậy thì sẽ không có gì đặc biệt, trong lúc đọc mình mới nhận ra những thứ đẹp đẽ, trân trọng đó được Oscar Wilde đặt giữa một bụi gai nhọn, mà ta chỉ có thể cảm nhận được, thấu hiểu được sau khi đã chịu đau đớn, rướm máu ít nhiều. Vẫn gợi cho mình sự liên tưởng tới truyện cổ Andersen, những câu chuyện của Oscar Wilde sẽ khiến bạn dễ dàng rút ra cho bọn trẻ một bài học nào đấy sau khi đọc, nhưng rồi lại làm khó chính mình khi phải tìm cách trả lời những câu hỏi của chúng như: tại sao Nàng tiên cá không cưới hoàng tử, tại sao cô bé bán diêm lại chết?
Truyện đầu tiên, Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, có lẽ đã quá quen thuộc với nhiều người rồi, nhưng khi đọc câu chuyện gốc này ta sẽ nhận ra được rõ ràng hơn thông điệp Oscar Wilde gửi gắm trong đó: về tình yêu, về cái đẹp. Bên cạnh Hoàng tử hạnh phúc, mình nhận ra một nhân vật khác quan trọng không kém mà trước giờ đọc các phiên bản khác ít khai thác, đó là chú chim én. Từ sự làm quen ban đầu, cũng như bao người khác, có ấn tượng với Hoàng tử bởi vẻ ngoài, sau khi cảm nhận được tấm lòng của Hoàng tử, chim én từ từ thay đổi cách nhìn của mình với cậu và quyết định bên cạnh cậu cho đến những phút cuối cùng. Những diễn biến trong suy nghĩ và hành động của chim én khiến cho ta thật sự thấm thía được tình yêu là như thế nào, được chứng kiến đâu mới là thứ thật sự đẹp đẽ, quý giá nhất trên thế gian này.
Chim sơn ca và bông hồng đỏ cũng là một câu chuyện ca ngợi cái đẹp của tình yêu, cái đẹp rực rỡ khiến chú sơn ca tôn sùng và sẵn sàng hy sinh vì nó. Oscar Wilde có thể viết nên những điều tuyệt diệu như thế về tình yêu, nhưng cũng chính ông là người có thể nhẫn tâm vùi dập nó theo cách đau xót nhất, ê chề nhất. Đọc xong câu chuyện làm gợi lên trong mình nhiều cảm xúc, và mình nhận ra rằng tình yêu vốn dĩ luôn đẹp đẽ như thế, luôn xứng đáng được tôn sùng, được hy sinh như thế, chỉ có con người tầm thường là không xứng đáng với tình yêu đó thôi.
Truyện Người bạn tận tình là một câu chuyện ngụ ngôn hết sức thâm thúy và sâu cay, khéo léo dạy một bài học về "tình bạn" đầy thấm thía mà không cần đưa ra một lời bình luận nào cả. Không như những câu chuyện cho trẻ con cũ rích khác khi bàn đến chủ đề này, Oscar Wilde có thể đặt vấn đề ở một góc độ khác biệt, phải nói là rất khó diễn đạt mà đồng thời cũng không hề phá hỏng đi những thứ tốt đẹp được khuyên dạy trước giờ.
Đó là về mặt nội dung, còn về hình thức thì bản của Nhã Nam làm có kèm rất nhiều hình minh họa, nhiều đến mức mình cảm thấy hơi bị "thừa mứa". Thật sự minh họa của sách rất đẹp nhưng việc phóng to khung hình ra để chiếm một phần lớn trang giấy đã khiến nhiều hình bị nhòe, vỡ nét, nhìn không được chuyên nghiệp cho lắm. Một số hình lại không mấy cần thiết khi chỉ minh họa cho một ý rất nhỏ của câu chuyện. Và các trang ảnh màu được sử dụng khá hào phóng cũng có vấn đề tương tự. Đây cũng chỉ là những lỗi nhỏ, lúc đọc mình cũng không khó chịu cho lắm, nhưng nếu được chú ý một chút sẽ làm cho cuốn sách hoàn hảo hơn.
Nói chung thì đây là một cuốn truyện mang tính ngụ ngôn kể về tình bạn, tình yêu. Nhưng khi một câu chuyện được kể bởi Oscar Wilde thì bạn hãy nhớ chuẩn bị tinh thần trước khi đọc truyện.
August 18, 2020
"No voy a dejar de hablar sólo porque no me escuche. Me gusta oírme hablar. Es uno de mis mayores placeres. Sostengo a menudo largas conversaciones conmigo mismo, y soy tan profundo, que a veces no comprendo ni una palabra de lo que digo."
Me gusta el tono sarcástico de Wilde pero la mayoría de sus historias todavía no me llegan a atrapar del todo. Hay algo con este autor y la muerte, definitivamente parece disfrutarlo. Bueno, al fin y al cabo no hay nada más definitivo que eso para cerrar una historia.
- "El príncipe feliz": Oh, qué tierno. 3/5
- "El ruiseñor y la rosa": Muchacho ingenuo y...¡zorra superficial! 2/5
- "El gigante egoísta": Nunca es tarde. 4/5
- "El amigo fiel": Viejo hipócrita. 2/5
- "El famoso cohete": Tremendo ego, eh. Conozco algunos. 2/5
Me gusta el tono sarcástico de Wilde pero la mayoría de sus historias todavía no me llegan a atrapar del todo. Hay algo con este autor y la muerte, definitivamente parece disfrutarlo. Bueno, al fin y al cabo no hay nada más definitivo que eso para cerrar una historia.
- "El príncipe feliz": Oh, qué tierno. 3/5
- "El ruiseñor y la rosa": Muchacho ingenuo y...¡zorra superficial! 2/5
- "El gigante egoísta": Nunca es tarde. 4/5
- "El amigo fiel": Viejo hipócrita. 2/5
- "El famoso cohete": Tremendo ego, eh. Conozco algunos. 2/5
May 5, 2020
This collection was so cute! Consisting of Oscar Wilde’s five short children’s stories, aka his fairytales. Every story features anthropomorphised animals, plants and/or rockets, but more importantly every story also has a strong and clear moral (they also all have at least one character die? I guess you gotta learn at some point).
The Happy Prince - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Selfish Giant - 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (wasn’t totally onboard with that weird Jesus metaphor thing)
The Devoted Friend - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Remarkable Rocket - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Happy Prince - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Selfish Giant - 4 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (wasn’t totally onboard with that weird Jesus metaphor thing)
The Devoted Friend - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
The Remarkable Rocket - 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
January 13, 2020
“Life is one fool thing after another whereas love is two fool things after each other.”
4.5*
This was one of my favorite books that I have read as a child, and I have to say that, after re-reading it, I ended up loving it even more.
The Happy Prince - 5*
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5*
The Selfish Giant - 5*
The Devoted Friend - 4*
The Remarkable Rocket - 3*
4.5*
This was one of my favorite books that I have read as a child, and I have to say that, after re-reading it, I ended up loving it even more.
The Happy Prince - 5*
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5*
The Selfish Giant - 5*
The Devoted Friend - 4*
The Remarkable Rocket - 3*
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