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3.82 AVERAGE
3.82 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
Seeing as I had the last day of December off, I thought I'd use it to get round to a shorter read I've been wanting to get to for some time. My fiancé actually had to read one of the stories from this for his course a while back, and seeing as I like fairy tales so much, thought I'd enjoy this witty take on them. Oscar Wilde is certainly a character, and his personality shines through in these slightly cynical tales.
There are five short stories in my edition, and I liked all of them for varying reasons. Mostly because they made me laugh! Wilde's sense of humour is wonderful, and he particularly enjoys satire and mockery of the higher classes and the wealthy. Self-importance and selfishness are huge themes in all of the stories, and those that are selfless often end up making sacrifices for nothing (best illustrated in 'The Rose & The Nightingale'). Like I said, these are cynical tales that don't often have happy endings, and I think my least favourite was 'The Devoted Friend' because of this. There's something very Hans Christian Andersen-esque about these stories though, and it's definitely a collection worth delving into.
There are five short stories in my edition, and I liked all of them for varying reasons. Mostly because they made me laugh! Wilde's sense of humour is wonderful, and he particularly enjoys satire and mockery of the higher classes and the wealthy. Self-importance and selfishness are huge themes in all of the stories, and those that are selfless often end up making sacrifices for nothing (best illustrated in 'The Rose & The Nightingale'). Like I said, these are cynical tales that don't often have happy endings, and I think my least favourite was 'The Devoted Friend' because of this. There's something very Hans Christian Andersen-esque about these stories though, and it's definitely a collection worth delving into.
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
adventurous
inspiring
lighthearted
All these stories felt so real and authentic. They just reminded me how skillful Oscar Wilde is.
Wilde was rather an interesting writer. He wrote about society and manners, and he wrote about morality and the pitfalls relating to that. He combines all of that in these stories. Surprisingly, they're also quite religious, which I wasn't expecting.
Some really sweet morality tales here. The Selfish Giant, The Young King, and The Happy Prince stand out for me. I don't particularly care for morality to be linked with religion, though, so I think that's why my rating isn't higher.
Some very sad stories here too. The Nightingale and the Rose and The Birthday of the Infanta struck me particularly. These stories don't necessarily have happy endings, or they only come after a lot of suffering. Wilde didn't shy away from how hard the world can be. I think his stories are probably a bit like Hans Christian Andersen's in that.
Definitely an interesting collection. Wilde had a lot to say about how hard life can be, and what we can do to make it easier. His sense of morality gets overshadowed by his reputation a lot, so it's good that these stories exist to rebalance the view.
Some really sweet morality tales here. The Selfish Giant, The Young King, and The Happy Prince stand out for me. I don't particularly care for morality to be linked with religion, though, so I think that's why my rating isn't higher.
Some very sad stories here too. The Nightingale and the Rose and The Birthday of the Infanta struck me particularly. These stories don't necessarily have happy endings, or they only come after a lot of suffering. Wilde didn't shy away from how hard the world can be. I think his stories are probably a bit like Hans Christian Andersen's in that.
Definitely an interesting collection. Wilde had a lot to say about how hard life can be, and what we can do to make it easier. His sense of morality gets overshadowed by his reputation a lot, so it's good that these stories exist to rebalance the view.
Wonderful collection. My favourite stories are The Devoted Friend and the Happy Prince.
The Happy Prince - 4.5☆
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5☆
The Selfish Giant - 3☆
The Devoted Friend - 4☆
The Remarkable Rocket - 3☆
The Star-child - 4☆
The Canterville Ghost - 4☆
The Nightingale and the Rose - 5☆
The Selfish Giant - 3☆
The Devoted Friend - 4☆
The Remarkable Rocket - 3☆
The Star-child - 4☆
The Canterville Ghost - 4☆
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes