Read for: Challenge with Rhinoa
Sadly I was never given this delightful little book to read as a child, and it was not until Rhinoa bought me a copy that I finally had the chance to experience the fairy tales of the infamous Oscar Wilde. Tales in this collection include The Devoted Friend, The Remarkable Rocket and The Selfish Giant, but I will briefly mention my two favourite stories.
The Happy Prince is the heartbreakingly beautiful tale of a golden and jewelled statue of a prince overlooking a city, where he mourns the injustice and poverty he sees before him. He is befriended by a swallow who has delayed his migration (because he fell in love with a reed!) and persuades the bird to distribute his jewels and gold to the poor and needy. The swallow grows to love the Prince but realises that he must leave before the winter grows too cold. I cannot describe how much I loved this story. I won't reveal the ending to those who do not already know it, but needless to say, I shed more than one tear (while reading the book in the bath!).
The Nightingale and the Rose is the story of a nightingale who overhears a student saddened because he is unable to give a red rose to his beloved, to win a dance with her. The nightingale searches for such a red rose, but discovers that the only way to produce one is if she is prepared to sing the sweetest song all night and impale herself on the rose-tree's thorn staining it with her heart's blood.
Wilde's fairy tales are far darker than I imagined, but I have seldom read such beautiful writing. I highly recommend this collection for anyone who enjoys fairy tales, and will definitely be reading it to my baby cousin in a few years. Thanks Rhinoa!
10 comments:
This sounds like a good read! I need some good short stories.
I LOVE Oscar Wilde's fairy tales. They're just amazing. I read his "complete fairy tales" 2 years ago and became quickly addicted to them!
Kim - Then I highly recommend these. Very very short too!
Chris - I'll definitely be hunting more of Wilde's fairy tales down!
this does sound very good, I do like fairy tales.
great review :)
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I don't think I've ever read anything by Oscar Wilde either but I may have seen one of the films based on him.
Naida - Thanks! They are lovely little stories, I think you'll like them.
Ladytink - I've never read him before, but have seen some of his work on film. A very funny man!
I'm so glad you loved these. I always cry when reading The Happy Prince and it is about due for a re-read.
Rhinoa - Thanks for the recommendation and the book. I've told loads of friends about it already!
LOVE Oscar Wilde. I recommend The Picture of Dorian Gray by him. In my opinion, his best work.
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