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El crimen de Lord Arthur Saville (Colección Biblioteca Oscar Wilde)
Lord Arthur Saville, un joven acaudalado y de brillante porvenir; durante una fiesta un adivino le lee el futuro en las lineas de la mano y le pronostica un vuelco inesperado: el destino le conducira a cometer un asesinato. La vida del protagonista se trastoca por completo despues de semejante revelacion, pero su caracter decidido y tenaz pronto le lleva a buscar una solucion: decide posponer su inminente compromiso matrimonial para no perjudicar a su prometida y, tras cavilar detenidamente, llevar a cabo el crimen lo antes posible para "pasar pagina" y dejar atras cuanto antes ese penoso deber. Por supuesto, sus planes no resultaran tan faciles de acometer como el cree y los designios del destino pondran mas de una traba en el ca-mino del noble.
62 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1887
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,976 books40.2k followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,038 reviews
March 19, 2016
I almost always hate parodies of the gothic genre. I love the gothic, so when someone slates it, I slate them. It’s just how these things work. But, this, this was good. Rather than completely pissing on the genre, Wilde pokes fun at it; he teases it and makes it humorous. He doesn’t make it seem absurd or ridiculous, but a little silly in places. And it’s all it good humour rather than a tasteless satire. This is a great piece of writing.
Moreover, the parody was also directed at London’s higher society perhaps even more so than the gothic suggestions. It’s all to do with self-fulfilling prophecy, and how easy the upper echelon could be lead. Fashion changes with the wind, as does opinion and personality. Well, at least if you exist under the scrutiny of your peers. The current phase is palm reading (cheiromantology) and Lord Arthur embraces it with an open bosom. When he hears his fortune, one which tells of evil deeds in the future, he simply accepts it. He shrugs his shoulders and gets on with the destiny he only just realised he had:
“Murder! That is what the cheiromantist had seen there. Murder! The very night seemed to know it, and the desolate wind to howl it in his ear. The dark corners of the streets were full of it. It grinned at him from the roofs of the house.”
This raises questions of Sir Arthur’s intellect, his sanity and his obedience, obedience to what he perceives as fate. He doesn’t ever question the situation; he takes it as an actuality: a simple task that he must perform. So he sets out to murder a few of his friends, then when that doesn’t work, he plans to take down a few of his relatives. But he isn’t a very lucky individual. All his plans don’t work, the situations become increasingly comic as the victims manage to escape. Sir Arthur becomes frustrated; the palm reader said to him that he couldn’t marry his fiancé until he’d committed the murder. So he gets desperate.
And the ending, the ending is hilarious. It’s so appropriate and so well-timed. The desperate outburst was just awesome. The story is so fun to read. Arthur’s choices make no sense for society doesn’t make sense either. He just does what he is told and doesn’t really think outside of the box. The wittiness delivered at the end really brought the nature of this story to my attention. It’s such a wonderful spuming of dark humour and perceptive wit. This is my favourite quote:
“Fortunately also, for him, he was no mere dreamer, or idle dilettante. Had he been so, he would have hesitated, like Hamlet, and let irresolution mar his purpose. Life to him meant action, rather than thought. He had the rarest of things, common sense.”
Yes. Oh so clearly, such perfect common sense. What a brilliant man you are Oscar Wilde. I’m going to be reading The Importance of Being Earnest very soon. I’m looking forward to that; it’s on my university module so there’s no escaping it either. Not that I need to escape it. And I think a re-read of The Picture of Dorian Gray is very much overdue.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 59
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
Moreover, the parody was also directed at London’s higher society perhaps even more so than the gothic suggestions. It’s all to do with self-fulfilling prophecy, and how easy the upper echelon could be lead. Fashion changes with the wind, as does opinion and personality. Well, at least if you exist under the scrutiny of your peers. The current phase is palm reading (cheiromantology) and Lord Arthur embraces it with an open bosom. When he hears his fortune, one which tells of evil deeds in the future, he simply accepts it. He shrugs his shoulders and gets on with the destiny he only just realised he had:
“Murder! That is what the cheiromantist had seen there. Murder! The very night seemed to know it, and the desolate wind to howl it in his ear. The dark corners of the streets were full of it. It grinned at him from the roofs of the house.”
This raises questions of Sir Arthur’s intellect, his sanity and his obedience, obedience to what he perceives as fate. He doesn’t ever question the situation; he takes it as an actuality: a simple task that he must perform. So he sets out to murder a few of his friends, then when that doesn’t work, he plans to take down a few of his relatives. But he isn’t a very lucky individual. All his plans don’t work, the situations become increasingly comic as the victims manage to escape. Sir Arthur becomes frustrated; the palm reader said to him that he couldn’t marry his fiancé until he’d committed the murder. So he gets desperate.
And the ending, the ending is hilarious. It’s so appropriate and so well-timed. The desperate outburst was just awesome. The story is so fun to read. Arthur’s choices make no sense for society doesn’t make sense either. He just does what he is told and doesn’t really think outside of the box. The wittiness delivered at the end really brought the nature of this story to my attention. It’s such a wonderful spuming of dark humour and perceptive wit. This is my favourite quote:
“Fortunately also, for him, he was no mere dreamer, or idle dilettante. Had he been so, he would have hesitated, like Hamlet, and let irresolution mar his purpose. Life to him meant action, rather than thought. He had the rarest of things, common sense.”
Yes. Oh so clearly, such perfect common sense. What a brilliant man you are Oscar Wilde. I’m going to be reading The Importance of Being Earnest very soon. I’m looking forward to that; it’s on my university module so there’s no escaping it either. Not that I need to escape it. And I think a re-read of The Picture of Dorian Gray is very much overdue.
Penguin Little Black Classic- 59
The Little Black Classic Collection by penguin looks like it contains lots of hidden gems. I couldn’t help it; they looked so good that I went and bought them all. I shall post a short review after reading each one. No doubt it will take me several months to get through all of them! Hopefully I will find some classic authors, from across the ages, that I may not have come across had I not bought this collection.
October 21, 2020
¡Qué bien la he pasado!
Al elegir nuestras próximas lecturas muchas veces ignoramos los relatos o libros pequeños, y lo hacemos porque preferimos abordar esos mastodontes de papel con cientos y miles de páginas, en donde seguramente, encontraremos historias increíbles con un argumento excelente y con personajes tan bien desarrollados que parecerán reales y se convertirán en nuestros amigos. Pero, no hay que engañarnos: También lo hacemos por ese orgullo que sentimos al cumplir un objetivo que creíamos difícil o imposible. Y si bien, hay muchísimos libros extensos que son espectaculares, los relatos también cumplen roles muy importantes: Con los relatos podemos enamorarnos de la lectura; con los relatos podemos cambiar una tarde aburrida por una para recordar por siempre; con los relatos podemos compartir en familia e influenciar a los más pequeños a participar en esta preciosa actividad; con los relatos podemos conocer la prosa de un autor y decidir si leer sus obras más extensas: Precisamente esa es la razón por la que he leído este libro. Mi padre siempre ha insistido en que lea El retrato de Dorian Gray y aunque desde hace mucho lo tengo en mi estantería, hasta hoy ni una página había leído de Oscar Wilde. Pero como este relato me ha encantado seguiré la recomendación de mi padre más adelante.
Me ha encantado porque encontré una historia sencilla, con pocos personajes y descripciones, pero que he disfrutado muchísimo por la sátira inmersa en la narración. Fue muy gracioso ver la aventura de Lord Arthur Saville y ver sus intentos desesperados por cumplir con su “destino”, cuando realmente todo le salía al revés. Por esa particularidad de estar riéndome quedé atrapado hasta el final y conocer lo próximo que le ocurriría a Arthur fue mi ansiedad. Aunque tengo que reconocer que al inicio no fue así porque sentí pereza por las conversaciones tan educadas y sofisticadas que se muestran en esa parte, que me llevaron a pensar, que todo el libro sería así. Afortunadamente eso no sucedió.
Para mayor claridad, este es un pequeño fragmento que representa la sátira que fue usada por Wilde en esta historia, que por cierto, tiene cierta similitud con la de Mark Twain:
Si les gusta este tipo de humor y quieren leer algo corto y divertido, les recomiendo esta pequeña historia que seguramente les encantará. Pero no solo nos reiremos, sino también encontraremos una crítica muy interesante que nos hará pensar en las personas supersticiosas y sus falsas creencias: Bañarse con una planta para tener pareja, guardar una botella con hilos y sangre para evitar embrujos o que creen que el destino puede averiguarse por medio de las cartas o de la quiromancia. El único destino en el que tienen que creer es en el que construyen con sus propias acciones. Finalizo muy satisfecho.
Al elegir nuestras próximas lecturas muchas veces ignoramos los relatos o libros pequeños, y lo hacemos porque preferimos abordar esos mastodontes de papel con cientos y miles de páginas, en donde seguramente, encontraremos historias increíbles con un argumento excelente y con personajes tan bien desarrollados que parecerán reales y se convertirán en nuestros amigos. Pero, no hay que engañarnos: También lo hacemos por ese orgullo que sentimos al cumplir un objetivo que creíamos difícil o imposible. Y si bien, hay muchísimos libros extensos que son espectaculares, los relatos también cumplen roles muy importantes: Con los relatos podemos enamorarnos de la lectura; con los relatos podemos cambiar una tarde aburrida por una para recordar por siempre; con los relatos podemos compartir en familia e influenciar a los más pequeños a participar en esta preciosa actividad; con los relatos podemos conocer la prosa de un autor y decidir si leer sus obras más extensas: Precisamente esa es la razón por la que he leído este libro. Mi padre siempre ha insistido en que lea El retrato de Dorian Gray y aunque desde hace mucho lo tengo en mi estantería, hasta hoy ni una página había leído de Oscar Wilde. Pero como este relato me ha encantado seguiré la recomendación de mi padre más adelante.
Me ha encantado porque encontré una historia sencilla, con pocos personajes y descripciones, pero que he disfrutado muchísimo por la sátira inmersa en la narración. Fue muy gracioso ver la aventura de Lord Arthur Saville y ver sus intentos desesperados por cumplir con su “destino”, cuando realmente todo le salía al revés. Por esa particularidad de estar riéndome quedé atrapado hasta el final y conocer lo próximo que le ocurriría a Arthur fue mi ansiedad. Aunque tengo que reconocer que al inicio no fue así porque sentí pereza por las conversaciones tan educadas y sofisticadas que se muestran en esa parte, que me llevaron a pensar, que todo el libro sería así. Afortunadamente eso no sucedió.
Para mayor claridad, este es un pequeño fragmento que representa la sátira que fue usada por Wilde en esta historia, que por cierto, tiene cierta similitud con la de Mark Twain:
“Con todo, Lord Arthur no era feliz. Todos los días leía minuciosamente la lista de defunciones del Times, esperando la noticia del fallecimiento de Lady Clementina; y todos los días sufría la misma decepción.”
Si les gusta este tipo de humor y quieren leer algo corto y divertido, les recomiendo esta pequeña historia que seguramente les encantará. Pero no solo nos reiremos, sino también encontraremos una crítica muy interesante que nos hará pensar en las personas supersticiosas y sus falsas creencias: Bañarse con una planta para tener pareja, guardar una botella con hilos y sangre para evitar embrujos o que creen que el destino puede averiguarse por medio de las cartas o de la quiromancia. El único destino en el que tienen que creer es en el que construyen con sus propias acciones. Finalizo muy satisfecho.
July 26, 2023
Gran relato de Oscar Wilde.
Esta es la historia de un joven noble que, durante una fiesta, conoce a un quiromántico (una especie de futurólogo) que le lee la palma de la mano y se queda trastornado por lo que le transmiten.
A partir de aquí, en vez de intentar que su destino no se cumpla, hace todo lo contrario: buscar encarecidamente cumplir con su destino para así poder casarse cuanto antes.
El texto, que tiene tintes surrealistas, le sirve de excusa a Wilde para atacar a las clases pudientes y sus manías de ricachones.
-----------------------------
Great story by Oscar Wilde.
This is the story of a young nobleman who, during a party, meets a cheiromantist (a kind of futurologist) who reads the palm of his hand and is disturbed by what he is told.
From this point on, instead of trying to prevent his destiny from being fulfilled, he does the opposite: he earnestly seeks to fulfil his destiny so that he can get married as soon as possible.
The text, which has surrealist overtones, serves as an excuse for Wilde to attack the wealthy classes and their rich mania.
Esta es la historia de un joven noble que, durante una fiesta, conoce a un quiromántico (una especie de futurólogo) que le lee la palma de la mano y se queda trastornado por lo que le transmiten.
A partir de aquí, en vez de intentar que su destino no se cumpla, hace todo lo contrario: buscar encarecidamente cumplir con su destino para así poder casarse cuanto antes.
El texto, que tiene tintes surrealistas, le sirve de excusa a Wilde para atacar a las clases pudientes y sus manías de ricachones.
-----------------------------
Great story by Oscar Wilde.
This is the story of a young nobleman who, during a party, meets a cheiromantist (a kind of futurologist) who reads the palm of his hand and is disturbed by what he is told.
From this point on, instead of trying to prevent his destiny from being fulfilled, he does the opposite: he earnestly seeks to fulfil his destiny so that he can get married as soon as possible.
The text, which has surrealist overtones, serves as an excuse for Wilde to attack the wealthy classes and their rich mania.
June 23, 2021
This is Oscar Wilde’s “Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime”.
The author’s razor-sharp language sparkles even in its Greek translation!
Wry humor, witty dialogues, fifty pages of pure reading pleasure. Lord Savile’s story delightfully attests to human capacity to occasionally adjust facts and principles in the way that best suits us.
Ethics sur mesure…
The author’s razor-sharp language sparkles even in its Greek translation!
Wry humor, witty dialogues, fifty pages of pure reading pleasure. Lord Savile’s story delightfully attests to human capacity to occasionally adjust facts and principles in the way that best suits us.
Ethics sur mesure…
May 17, 2017
3.5 stars for this satirical Victorian-era novella by Oscar Wilde. Young Lord Arthur, engaged to the lovely Sybil (interesting name choice, there!) goes to a posh party hosted by Lady Windermere, where one of the amusements is the eerily accurate fortune-telling by her pet palm reader, Mr. Podgers. Lord Arthur decides to take his turn:
But fate has its own plans for Lord Arthur.
I never was able to really buy into the nonsensical central premise, but I guess that's the beauty of this parody of the Gothic genre. Oscar Wilde's engaging wit and epigrams raise this story several notches, and the ending was a pleasant surprise.
Read online or download for free at Project Gutenberg.
Lord Arthur smiled, and shook his head. ‘I am not afraid,’ he answered. ‘Sybil knows me as well as I know her.’Unfortunately, Podgers (on the hush) predicts an ominous future for Lord Arthur: he's going to murder a distant relative. Arthur decides to take fate by the hands and commit the murder sooner rather than later, so he can wash his hands of it and marry his sweet, beautiful fiancee without this burden on his soul. <--- This totally didn't make sense to me but you just have to roll with it.
‘Ah! I am a little sorry to hear you say that. The proper basis for marriage is a mutual misunderstanding. No, I am not at all cynical, I have merely got experience, which, however, is very much the same thing.'
But fate has its own plans for Lord Arthur.
I never was able to really buy into the nonsensical central premise, but I guess that's the beauty of this parody of the Gothic genre. Oscar Wilde's engaging wit and epigrams raise this story several notches, and the ending was a pleasant surprise.
Read online or download for free at Project Gutenberg.
March 12, 2015
I really, really enjoyed this one! This was an absolutely hilarious parody of the Gothic genre in true Oscar Wilde fashion. Highly recommend this for a short and funny introduction into Wilde's writing.
April 2, 2019
“Early in life she had discovered the important truth that nothing looks so like innocence as an indiscretion;”
― Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
(D8U getting Wide)
Vol N° 59 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains the title story, which first appeared in 1891.
I loved it. A dandy drawn by Oscar Wilde tries to keep fate from destroying his upcoming marriage. If there is a will, and a dandy, there is always a crime. The story was fun, clever, light, and makes me wonder why I do much in life beyond just reading Oscar Wilde. He thrills me.
― Oscar Wilde, Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
(D8U getting Wide)
Vol N° 59 of my Penguin Little Black Classics Box Set. This volume contains the title story, which first appeared in 1891.
I loved it. A dandy drawn by Oscar Wilde tries to keep fate from destroying his upcoming marriage. If there is a will, and a dandy, there is always a crime. The story was fun, clever, light, and makes me wonder why I do much in life beyond just reading Oscar Wilde. He thrills me.
February 11, 2019
Una raccolta di racconti spumeggiante, che ha in sé tutto il grande Wilde.
Luci e ombre, piccoli gioielli nati dalla sua penna. Mi sono divertita con Lord Arthur e i suoi tentativi di uccidere qualcuno. Mi è calata la lacrima sul Gigante egoista, dolcezze quasi rare in Oscar, come nel caso dell’usignolo e la rosa, o del principe felice. Il fantasma di Canterville, con le sue catene oliate e le sue ciabatte fa sorridere, ma il racconto presto scivola su un altro piano. Mi stupisco sempre del genio di Wilde, eppure ormai per me, che ho un debole per lui, dovrebbe essere assodato. Invece ogni volta le sue righe sono una scoperta bellissima!
Luci e ombre, piccoli gioielli nati dalla sua penna. Mi sono divertita con Lord Arthur e i suoi tentativi di uccidere qualcuno. Mi è calata la lacrima sul Gigante egoista, dolcezze quasi rare in Oscar, come nel caso dell’usignolo e la rosa, o del principe felice. Il fantasma di Canterville, con le sue catene oliate e le sue ciabatte fa sorridere, ma il racconto presto scivola su un altro piano. Mi stupisco sempre del genio di Wilde, eppure ormai per me, che ho un debole per lui, dovrebbe essere assodato. Invece ogni volta le sue righe sono una scoperta bellissima!
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June 27, 2015
Oscar Wilde is one of the few writers whose short stories I can tolerate. He had his obvious wit and his subtle humour to go along with characters that are both expressly Victorian and curiously of the new age. Intriguing tale of fortune telling that gives both pleasure and something indeed to think upon.
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April 24, 2024
3/5
🗡🗡🗡
Leído en marzo de 2024.
Tras “El fantasma de Canterville”, este es el segundo cuento que leo en poco tiempo de Oscar Wilde. La motivación vino porque, decidido a leer por recomendación “El crimen del Conde Neville”, de Amélie Nothomb, leí que se había basado precisamente en este cuento, lo que me convenció de empezar por el origen.
Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) escribió este cuento en 1891, junto a otros cuentos que incluían “El fantasma de Canterville” y “El retrato de Mister W.H.”, entre otros. Ese momento histórico, a finales del siglo XIX y en los albores del XX, es importante para comprender la trama.
Lo asombraba el desacuerdo existente entre el optimismo superficial de aquella época y los verdaderos hechos de la existencia. Era aún muy joven
Lord Arthur Savile, un joven noble de la sociedad londinense, asiste a una de las fastuosas fiestas que organiza Lady Wintermere, en el transcurso de la cual un quiromántico de fama (Mr. Podgers) le predice que en el futuro inmediato va a cometer un asesinato.
No tardó en descubrir una gran verdad: nada se parece tanto a la inocencia como la indiscreción
A partir de ese momento, Oscar Wilde teje su implacable crítica a la nobleza inglesa de finales del siglo XIX, por cuanto lord Arthur Savile convierte en un asunto de honor el cumplimiento de la profecía, hasta el punto de postergar su matrimonio con otra joven noble, hasta tanto no se cumpla. El cuento transcurre siguiendo las peripecias de lord Arthur en relación con la profecía que condiciona todo su futuro.
… Por eso no vaciló en cumplir con su deber. Por suerte para él, no era un simple soñador ni un ocioso diletante. De haberlo sido, habría vacilado como Hamlet, y permitido que su indecisión echara a perder su propósito. Pero él era, ante todo, un hombre práctico. Para él, la vida tenía más de acción que de pensamiento. Tenía la más rara de todas las cosas: sentido común.
Nos encontramos ante una obra breve en la que el talento del autor destaca en todo momento, donde encontramos un buen número de frases irónicas que ponen en evidencia las costumbres de la sociedad londinense de finales del XIX y, en particular, de la nobleza. Ciertamente, no es de esperar una obra de gran desarrollo sino que resulta en esencia bastante sencilla y simple, aunque muy entretenida y que puede leerse en poco tiempo. De ahí, mi puntuación de 3 estrellas.
Él, puesto que no era un genio, no tenía enemigos
Por ello, os recomiendo este cuento, con el convencimiento de que pasaréis un buen rato y, muy en particular, a los amantes del ingenio del autor, aunque no estemos ante una de sus obras cumbre, en mi opinión.
🗡🗡🗡
Leído en marzo de 2024.
Tras “El fantasma de Canterville”, este es el segundo cuento que leo en poco tiempo de Oscar Wilde. La motivación vino porque, decidido a leer por recomendación “El crimen del Conde Neville”, de Amélie Nothomb, leí que se había basado precisamente en este cuento, lo que me convenció de empezar por el origen.
Oscar Wilde (1854 – 1900) escribió este cuento en 1891, junto a otros cuentos que incluían “El fantasma de Canterville” y “El retrato de Mister W.H.”, entre otros. Ese momento histórico, a finales del siglo XIX y en los albores del XX, es importante para comprender la trama.
Lo asombraba el desacuerdo existente entre el optimismo superficial de aquella época y los verdaderos hechos de la existencia. Era aún muy joven
Lord Arthur Savile, un joven noble de la sociedad londinense, asiste a una de las fastuosas fiestas que organiza Lady Wintermere, en el transcurso de la cual un quiromántico de fama (Mr. Podgers) le predice que en el futuro inmediato va a cometer un asesinato.
No tardó en descubrir una gran verdad: nada se parece tanto a la inocencia como la indiscreción
A partir de ese momento, Oscar Wilde teje su implacable crítica a la nobleza inglesa de finales del siglo XIX, por cuanto lord Arthur Savile convierte en un asunto de honor el cumplimiento de la profecía, hasta el punto de postergar su matrimonio con otra joven noble, hasta tanto no se cumpla. El cuento transcurre siguiendo las peripecias de lord Arthur en relación con la profecía que condiciona todo su futuro.
… Por eso no vaciló en cumplir con su deber. Por suerte para él, no era un simple soñador ni un ocioso diletante. De haberlo sido, habría vacilado como Hamlet, y permitido que su indecisión echara a perder su propósito. Pero él era, ante todo, un hombre práctico. Para él, la vida tenía más de acción que de pensamiento. Tenía la más rara de todas las cosas: sentido común.
Nos encontramos ante una obra breve en la que el talento del autor destaca en todo momento, donde encontramos un buen número de frases irónicas que ponen en evidencia las costumbres de la sociedad londinense de finales del XIX y, en particular, de la nobleza. Ciertamente, no es de esperar una obra de gran desarrollo sino que resulta en esencia bastante sencilla y simple, aunque muy entretenida y que puede leerse en poco tiempo. De ahí, mi puntuación de 3 estrellas.
Él, puesto que no era un genio, no tenía enemigos
Por ello, os recomiendo este cuento, con el convencimiento de que pasaréis un buen rato y, muy en particular, a los amantes del ingenio del autor, aunque no estemos ante una de sus obras cumbre, en mi opinión.
August 3, 2019
Interesting. What is not said in this short novel seems to be important, as Mr. Wilde mocks Scotland Yard, Russian and German so-called revolutionaries and English nobility, all of those doing the wrong things well or the right things wrong.
Of course, he's too smart to call the real facts by name...
Of course, he's too smart to call the real facts by name...
June 10, 2026
Lord Savile is the definition of a self-fulfilling prophecy. He has weak knees and a terrible taste for homicide. If it's for love, though, I suppose it's covered by grace. For him, death will not do us part, but bring us closer together.
August 8, 2020
Oscar Wilde prin aceasta opera decide sa satirizeze romanul politist inlocuindu-i aspectele dramatice si tragice caracteristice, cu un limbaj sarcastic, umor negru si exagerand intentionat unele trasaturi ale personajelor. Mi-a placut aceasta abordare, am gasit unele intamplari amuzante, am apreciat stilul elevat al personajelor si dorinta autorului de a moraliza si a lua in deradere unele situatii.
Cu toate acestea, imi vine foarte greu sa glumesc cu fapte atat de serioase cum ar fi crimele sau cautarea unui asasin. Mecanismul psihologic care conduce pe cineva spre a comite o crima este prea grav ca sa fie tratat comic.
Consider ca punctul forte al romanului sunt descrierile si portretele minunat zugravite cu migala si maiestrie cum ar fi cel al lui Lady Windermere: "... buclele grele, aurii [...] dadeau chipului ei ceva din aureola unei sfinte dar si putin din fascinatia unei pacatoase". De asemenea cartea abunda in aforisme:
"Daca o femeie nu poate sa dea farmec greselilor ei, nu e decat o femela."
"Baza potrivita pentru o casnicie este neintelegerea reciproca."
"Privind-o acum, lordul Arthur era napadit de teribila mila care se naste din dragoste."
Morala care se poate trage din intamplarea tragi-comica a lordului Arthur este ca daca ne-am cunoaste viitorul, cu ajutorul chiromantiei, am face tot posibilul sa-l implinim sau sa fugim de el dand peste cap tot ceea ce destinul ne-a rezervat noua si celor dragi. Fugind de o tragedie dai de o alta tragedie.
Ca un minus, as fi apreciat mai mult daca pe coperta a 4-a sau in interior, as fi gasit cateva cuvinte ale unui critic literar in ceea ce priveste operele autorului si mai putin in ceea ce priveste viata sa privata. Nu stiu daca este alegerea potrivita de a pune pe coperta citate anonime de pe internet pentru a evidentia munca unui clasic.
Cu toate acestea, imi vine foarte greu sa glumesc cu fapte atat de serioase cum ar fi crimele sau cautarea unui asasin. Mecanismul psihologic care conduce pe cineva spre a comite o crima este prea grav ca sa fie tratat comic.
Consider ca punctul forte al romanului sunt descrierile si portretele minunat zugravite cu migala si maiestrie cum ar fi cel al lui Lady Windermere: "... buclele grele, aurii [...] dadeau chipului ei ceva din aureola unei sfinte dar si putin din fascinatia unei pacatoase". De asemenea cartea abunda in aforisme:
"Daca o femeie nu poate sa dea farmec greselilor ei, nu e decat o femela."
"Baza potrivita pentru o casnicie este neintelegerea reciproca."
"Privind-o acum, lordul Arthur era napadit de teribila mila care se naste din dragoste."
Morala care se poate trage din intamplarea tragi-comica a lordului Arthur este ca daca ne-am cunoaste viitorul, cu ajutorul chiromantiei, am face tot posibilul sa-l implinim sau sa fugim de el dand peste cap tot ceea ce destinul ne-a rezervat noua si celor dragi. Fugind de o tragedie dai de o alta tragedie.
Ca un minus, as fi apreciat mai mult daca pe coperta a 4-a sau in interior, as fi gasit cateva cuvinte ale unui critic literar in ceea ce priveste operele autorului si mai putin in ceea ce priveste viata sa privata. Nu stiu daca este alegerea potrivita de a pune pe coperta citate anonime de pe internet pentru a evidentia munca unui clasic.
November 14, 2025
“Actors are so fortunate. They can choose whether they will appear in tragedy or 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 for which they have no qualifications. Our Guildensterns play Hamlet for us, and our Hamlets have to jest like Prince Hal.”
I like the reoccurring theme of like being a play or comedy, a comparison that the main character Lord Arthur Savile makes a few times.
“And yet it was not the mystery, but the comedy of suffering that struck him; its absolute uselessness, its grotesque want of meaning.”
I loved this, the writing was sooo beautiful (not that I expected anything different from Oscar Wilde) and I will definitely read it again!!!
5/5⭐️
I like the reoccurring theme of like being a play or comedy, a comparison that the main character Lord Arthur Savile makes a few times.
“And yet it was not the mystery, but the comedy of suffering that struck him; its absolute uselessness, its grotesque want of meaning.”
I loved this, the writing was sooo beautiful (not that I expected anything different from Oscar Wilde) and I will definitely read it again!!!
5/5⭐️
December 17, 2020
Amo la portada de este libro, el perfil de Wilde me encanta. Y la historia espectacular, tienen que leer algo de este autor.
Me encantaron las similitudes con el retrato de Dorian Gray, y amé el final.
Me encantaron las similitudes con el retrato de Dorian Gray, y amé el final.
December 2, 2015
I loved this so so much! I feel like I'm connecting to Wilde on a personal level. His sense of humour is just like mine, I was chuckling throughout the whole story.
August 10, 2025
كانت ف قصة لطيفة بأسلوب لا يخلو من سخرية.
-تبدأ القصة في حفلة من حفلات الليدي ونردمير (ذات طابع ڤيكتوري) ، الليدي جاءت بأحد خبراء قراءة الكف ليُسري عنها وعن ضيوفها.. ويُظهر هذا الخبير براعة في معرفة أشياء عن أكثر من ضيف حتى يستبد الفضول باللورد " أرثر سافيل "..
اللورد سافيل واقع في الحب وعلى وشك أن يتزوج من حبيبته فقال لما لا يعرف إن كان هناك ثمة عوائق يمكن أن تكون عائق بينه وبين تحقيق السعادة مع حبيبته.. ويتنبأ له قاريء الكف بأنه سوف يرتكب جريمة! (قاله كدة و جري 😂)
-القصة اعتقد تناقش فكرة أوسكار وايلد ومحاولته معرفة هل يمكن تغيير القدر أم لا؟ .. وهل علم الشخص بما سوف يحدث يساعد في تغيير هذا القدر أم يؤكد حدوثه؟
سخريته من المجمتع الانجليزي واضحة جدا ومضحكة.. سخر من البيروقراطية والتناقض الواضح بين ما يدّعوه من سمو الخلق ورهافة الحس وبين مايفعلوه حقيقة.. وأيضا هوس الطبقة الارستقراطية في تلك الفترة بأشياء غريبة كقراءة الكف وأشياء من هذا القبيل!
شخصية اللورد كانت مستميتة في البحث عن ضحية يمكن قتلها بدون أي خسائر له أو فضائح، وفي ذات الوقت يظهر بمظهر الضحية المُجهدة التي تسعى لتحقيق مصير محتوم كنوع من أنواع التطهر أو إزالة كل العوائق بينه وبين سعادته! كان يتكلم من منطلق أنا المسكين المغلوب على أمره! 😃
-راجل كان أهبل 😂 بس القصة لذيذة وفاصل بين القراءات حلو.
-تبدأ القصة في حفلة من حفلات الليدي ونردمير (ذات طابع ڤيكتوري) ، الليدي جاءت بأحد خبراء قراءة الكف ليُسري عنها وعن ضيوفها.. ويُظهر هذا الخبير براعة في معرفة أشياء عن أكثر من ضيف حتى يستبد الفضول باللورد " أرثر سافيل "..
اللورد سافيل واقع في الحب وعلى وشك أن يتزوج من حبيبته فقال لما لا يعرف إن كان هناك ثمة عوائق يمكن أن تكون عائق بينه وبين تحقيق السعادة مع حبيبته.. ويتنبأ له قاريء الكف بأنه سوف يرتكب جريمة! (قاله كدة و جري 😂)
-القصة اعتقد تناقش فكرة أوسكار وايلد ومحاولته معرفة هل يمكن تغيير القدر أم لا؟ .. وهل علم الشخص بما سوف يحدث يساعد في تغيير هذا القدر أم يؤكد حدوثه؟
سخريته من المجمتع الانجليزي واضحة جدا ومضحكة.. سخر من البيروقراطية والتناقض الواضح بين ما يدّعوه من سمو الخلق ورهافة الحس وبين مايفعلوه حقيقة.. وأيضا هوس الطبقة الارستقراطية في تلك الفترة بأشياء غريبة كقراءة الكف وأشياء من هذا القبيل!
شخصية اللورد كانت مستميتة في البحث عن ضحية يمكن قتلها بدون أي خسائر له أو فضائح، وفي ذات الوقت يظهر بمظهر الضحية المُجهدة التي تسعى لتحقيق مصير محتوم كنوع من أنواع التطهر أو إزالة كل العوائق بينه وبين سعادته! كان يتكلم من منطلق أنا المسكين المغلوب على أمره! 😃
-راجل كان أهبل 😂 بس القصة لذيذة وفاصل بين القراءات حلو.
October 8, 2016
What a lovely (and grim) parody of the gothic genre. Wilde really was the master of irony.
July 30, 2017
Just glorious fun. I love Oscar Wilde.
January 28, 2022
Is fate predetermined? Is destiny written in the stars, or displayed in the lines of your hand?
Playing on the Victorian fad for palm-reading, and drawing in elements of fate and destiny, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" is modestly funny and gently satirical. The crime in question is viewed as an unavoidable necessity, something to get out of the way so Lord Arthur can marry his betrothed in good conscience.
The character named Lady Windermere makes an appearance in this story; one cannot say if the same personage later reappears equipped with a fan in a play.
Playing on the Victorian fad for palm-reading, and drawing in elements of fate and destiny, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime" is modestly funny and gently satirical. The crime in question is viewed as an unavoidable necessity, something to get out of the way so Lord Arthur can marry his betrothed in good conscience.
The character named Lady Windermere makes an appearance in this story; one cannot say if the same personage later reappears equipped with a fan in a play.
October 1, 2022
An example of brilliant social satire.
June 28, 2023
króciutkie, ale świetne. wilde prześmiewa trochę literaturę grozy i pokazuje jak obsesja na punkcie losu doprowadza do spełnienia go, raczej niż jego samoistne faktyczne działanie.
December 6, 2017
I do truly love Oscar Wilde. This lovely little story, made me cringe and laugh, almost in the same moment. It has that Wilde wit scattered all through it, and the idea of self-fulling prophecy, which is probably the most common kind.
Were we no better than chessmen, moved by an unseen power, vessels the potter fashions at his fancy, for honour or for shame? His reason revolted against it, and yet he felt that some tragedy was hanging over him, and that he had been suddenly called upon to bear an intolerable burden. Actors are so fortunate. They can choose whether they will appear in tragedy or in 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 for 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.
Ah, but so often in life it is we, ourselves, who cast us in the wrong part.
Were we no better than chessmen, moved by an unseen power, vessels the potter fashions at his fancy, for honour or for shame? His reason revolted against it, and yet he felt that some tragedy was hanging over him, and that he had been suddenly called upon to bear an intolerable burden. Actors are so fortunate. They can choose whether they will appear in tragedy or in 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 for 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.
Ah, but so often in life it is we, ourselves, who cast us in the wrong part.
June 24, 2018
«Il mio chiromante, duchessa; in questo periodo, non posso vivere senza di lui.»
Il libro, graditissimo dono di una cara amica, fa parte della collana di letture fantastiche "La Biblioteca di Babele", curata nel 1981 da Jorge Luis Borges per l’editore Franco Maria Ricci.
Il libro contiene: Il delitto di Lord Arthur Savile; Il fantasma di Canterville; Il Principe Felice; L’usignolo e la rosa; Il Gigante Egoista.
Borges, nella sua introduzione, afferma: «A differenza di altri scrittori, che cercano di sembrare profondi, Wilde, come Heine, essenzialmente lo era, e cercava di sembrare frivolo. ». E così conclude: «Ottant’anni ci separano dalla morte di Wilde. La sua epoca, così lontana da noi, è già un pezzo da museo. Il grande irlandese dal triste destino e dall’animo avventuroso è nostro contemporaneo, e lo sarà di molte generazioni future. La sua intima, la sua invincibile felicità lo salva dal perdurare nella nostra memoria come un tragico dandy, alla maniera del principe di Danimarca.».
Frivolezza, dunque, quella di Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. Ma forse meglio “leggerezza”, di cui così bene ci racconterà Calvino quasi un secolo dopo.
Il libro, graditissimo dono di una cara amica, fa parte della collana di letture fantastiche "La Biblioteca di Babele", curata nel 1981 da Jorge Luis Borges per l’editore Franco Maria Ricci.
Il libro contiene: Il delitto di Lord Arthur Savile; Il fantasma di Canterville; Il Principe Felice; L’usignolo e la rosa; Il Gigante Egoista.
Borges, nella sua introduzione, afferma: «A differenza di altri scrittori, che cercano di sembrare profondi, Wilde, come Heine, essenzialmente lo era, e cercava di sembrare frivolo. ». E così conclude: «Ottant’anni ci separano dalla morte di Wilde. La sua epoca, così lontana da noi, è già un pezzo da museo. Il grande irlandese dal triste destino e dall’animo avventuroso è nostro contemporaneo, e lo sarà di molte generazioni future. La sua intima, la sua invincibile felicità lo salva dal perdurare nella nostra memoria come un tragico dandy, alla maniera del principe di Danimarca.».
Frivolezza, dunque, quella di Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde. Ma forse meglio “leggerezza”, di cui così bene ci racconterà Calvino quasi un secolo dopo.
June 21, 2025
20/06/2025
2025 reads book 28
“He longed for certainty, and was afraid of it.”
Very witty, the resolution to the prophecy had me cackling!
2025 reads book 28
“He longed for certainty, and was afraid of it.”
Very witty, the resolution to the prophecy had me cackling!
October 1, 2020
this is such a great little story!
i loved how this was written, and the characters and even thought the topic of someone wanting to fulfill his murderous prophecy and literary runs around london trying to do exactly that.
it’s fast paced and funny (not laugh out loud funny but witty in the way that it’s almost humorously stupid how often something. doesn’t go as planned!)
i just enjoyed this short story a lot and highly recommend it!
i loved how this was written, and the characters and even thought the topic of someone wanting to fulfill his murderous prophecy and literary runs around london trying to do exactly that.
it’s fast paced and funny (not laugh out loud funny but witty in the way that it’s almost humorously stupid how often something. doesn’t go as planned!)
i just enjoyed this short story a lot and highly recommend it!
April 15, 2018
This is a wonderful satiric gothic parody by Wilde, poking fun at the fashions and entertainment of the upper class, their inability to do anything other than what they’re told, and their complete lack of sense when faced with a predicament.
Lord Arthur has his palm read during a get-together at Lady Windemere’s. Having been told he will commit a murder, rather than passing this off as a load of hocus pocus, he instead goes off and plans the murder. He prefers this to happen as soon as possible as god forbid his wedding to Sybil Merton is affected by scandal. After all, the lines in his hand have predicted the crime - why not get it over with?
What follows is a hilarious trail of failures which contribute to Lord Arthur’s despondency and a number of postponements to the wedding. His murder attempts become more and more outlandish, and as each of them fail, the mental state of Lord Arthur is further exposed to us. His pure obedience to carry out his perceived destiny frustrates both himself, and the reader, yet the mishaps encountered make it all worthwhile, for us at least. Wilde’s finale is perfect in timing and delivery; both hilarious and bleak, it underlines the satiric commentary on high society fads.
Wilde shows us the nonsense in Lord Arthur accepting a fate foretold by a performer at a party. The pages are peppered with comical dialogue, dark humour, and Wildean wit. An absolute joy.
Lord Arthur has his palm read during a get-together at Lady Windemere’s. Having been told he will commit a murder, rather than passing this off as a load of hocus pocus, he instead goes off and plans the murder. He prefers this to happen as soon as possible as god forbid his wedding to Sybil Merton is affected by scandal. After all, the lines in his hand have predicted the crime - why not get it over with?
What follows is a hilarious trail of failures which contribute to Lord Arthur’s despondency and a number of postponements to the wedding. His murder attempts become more and more outlandish, and as each of them fail, the mental state of Lord Arthur is further exposed to us. His pure obedience to carry out his perceived destiny frustrates both himself, and the reader, yet the mishaps encountered make it all worthwhile, for us at least. Wilde’s finale is perfect in timing and delivery; both hilarious and bleak, it underlines the satiric commentary on high society fads.
Wilde shows us the nonsense in Lord Arthur accepting a fate foretold by a performer at a party. The pages are peppered with comical dialogue, dark humour, and Wildean wit. An absolute joy.
April 19, 2018
3.5
'Dünya bir sahnedir ama roller kötü dağıtılmıştır.' S:23
'Dünya bir sahnedir ama roller kötü dağıtılmıştır.' S:23
October 9, 2018
I always feel like I should really like Oscar Wilde a lot more than I do.
January 7, 2024
Another W for bestie wilde with the gothic satire!
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