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elizabethlk 's review for:
The Canterville Ghost
by Oscar Wilde
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.