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3.83 AVERAGE
3.83 AVERAGE
3.5 Stars. A playful twist on the classic ghost story.
I've been meaning to read Oscar Wilde for awhile. I chose this one as my first read because besides it being Wilde's first published story, it also inspired one of my all time favourite films, the 1944 release of The Canterville Ghost.
While I obviously tried not to compare the story to the film, it was hard not to a little, as I've been such a fan for so long. That said, the more I read, the easier it got. As much as I love and recommend the film, it has very little in common with the story that inspired it.
While the story did have its problems, most of those problems stemmed from the time of release more than any actual issue with the story or style. The story had a wonderful sense of humour and cleverness to it, and Sir Simon is an incredibly likable ghost considering how awful he was. The style was fluid and pretty without being an unnecessarily taxing read. The story came to a satisfying conclusion.
The Canterville Ghost was a wonderful introduction to Wilde's work, and I definitely intend to read more. I would recommend this to anyone who has yet to read it, especially as an introduction to Wilde. With that in mind, I still think I prefer the film.
While I obviously tried not to compare the story to the film, it was hard not to a little, as I've been such a fan for so long. That said, the more I read, the easier it got. As much as I love and recommend the film, it has very little in common with the story that inspired it.
While the story did have its problems, most of those problems stemmed from the time of release more than any actual issue with the story or style. The story had a wonderful sense of humour and cleverness to it, and Sir Simon is an incredibly likable ghost considering how awful he was. The style was fluid and pretty without being an unnecessarily taxing read. The story came to a satisfying conclusion.
The Canterville Ghost was a wonderful introduction to Wilde's work, and I definitely intend to read more. I would recommend this to anyone who has yet to read it, especially as an introduction to Wilde. With that in mind, I still think I prefer the film.
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
funny
lighthearted
fast-paced
Strong character development:
N/A
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
N/A
funny
lighthearted
medium-paced
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
A delightful ghost story with humor. Great Kids Halloween ghost story.
Not a big fan of Wilde in general. Some great one-liners though, as you would expect!
Oscar Wilde is absolutely amazing and this story that could appear simple is an amazing critic of life, culture and snobbishness. It has amazing, brilliant and even really funny lines.
Really nice
Superbly written and charming short novel. I wished it had gone on and on. Nobody better than Oscar Wilde, that's for sure.
Superbly written and charming short novel. I wished it had gone on and on. Nobody better than Oscar Wilde, that's for sure.