Scan barcode
bibliotequeish's review against another edition
5.0
The Happy Prince.
A beautiful statue and a long suffering swallow, set out to help the people of a small town.
The Nightingale and the Rose.
I mean if anything is going to make you hate humans its probably this story.
The Selfish Giant.
A giant wants to keep his beautiful garden all to himself.
The Devoted Friend.
Everyone hates Millers anyway
The Remarkable Rocket.
An egomaniac firecracker.
All these stories (save The Remarkable Rocket) have a theme of sacrifice.
And a sacrifice that goes unnoticed and unappreciated. (The Rocket itself goes unnoticed and unappreciated)
The Happy prince gives up his eyes to save the townsfolk, and when his jewels are gone and he is no longer a beautiful symbol of prosperity for the town, the mayor has him thrown out.
The Nightingale who gave her life for love.
When singing her final song we learn that the man is not worthy of her sacrifice.
“ it must be admitted that she has some beautiful notes in her voice. What a pity it is that they do not mean anything, or do any practical good.”
These stories were also much more religious than I was anticipating for short stories. I think the most prominent being in the Selfish Giant.
All in all this was an enjoyable book, the stories although short are deep.
xaviergasper's review against another edition
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? N/A
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? N/A
3.0
Charming short story collection - I recall The Selfish Giant from childhood. Wilde's satirical gave the ending of each tale a suprisingly dark twist.
amoghsinha's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
It's a collection of short stories of which I'm pretty sure I was not the target audience. Nonetheless, one just can't go on without mentioning the superb humor and style that Oscar Wilde uses, and how he can make a conversation between, say, a tree and a nightingale so emotional.
That said, the stories were a bit of on or off for me, they were either super fun to read, or just miserable. The first collection of stories was a strange mix of over-the-top melodramatic stories, like a nightingale sacrificing her life so that a boy can get a red rose to emotional ones like the titular story to just straight-up fun and no redeeming ones, like the devoted friend.
The second set of stories was probably my favorite. The things we do for love are very aptly portrayed in Lord Arthur Savile's crime. While the titular character thinks about what he should do, the reader enjoys his antics and admires his stupidity. But there's still heart there, you never start to hate the character, you want them to succeed. The same is the way for the Canterville ghost. This showed Wilde's humor in its full force. The crazy situations that the character find themselves in is always a treat. The last two stories, while smaller were also like a cherry on top.
The last set was my least liked solely because I just didn't enjoy them. I don't know why, it may be me but I just couldn't get myself to care for the fisherman. I'll probably have a different opinion later but right now, it is what it is.
That said, the stories were a bit of on or off for me, they were either super fun to read, or just miserable. The first collection of stories was a strange mix of over-the-top melodramatic stories, like a nightingale sacrificing her life so that a boy can get a red rose to emotional ones like the titular story to just straight-up fun and no redeeming ones, like the devoted friend.
The second set of stories was probably my favorite. The things we do for love are very aptly portrayed in Lord Arthur Savile's crime. While the titular character thinks about what he should do, the reader enjoys his antics and admires his stupidity. But there's still heart there, you never start to hate the character, you want them to succeed. The same is the way for the Canterville ghost. This showed Wilde's humor in its full force. The crazy situations that the character find themselves in is always a treat. The last two stories, while smaller were also like a cherry on top.
The last set was my least liked solely because I just didn't enjoy them. I don't know why, it may be me but I just couldn't get myself to care for the fisherman. I'll probably have a different opinion later but right now, it is what it is.
dreamdustwithmybooks's review against another edition
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
itsmemiriam's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
ngidda's review against another edition
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
quokkaboba's review against another edition
4.0
out of the 9 short stories, my favorites were The Happy Prince, The Nightingale and The Rose, The Selfish Giant and The Young King. a lovely collection of short stories!
nareyes's review against another edition
5.0
Es un cuento realmente hermoso. Que bondadoso era el príncipe feliz y la golondrina.
lenci's review against another edition
emotional
lighthearted
relaxing
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0