Friday, February 1, 2019

Short Stories - Oscar Wilde

 Read a collection of stories by Oscar Wilde. It included 'Lord Savile's Crime', 'The Canterville Ghost', 'The Sphinx Without a Secret' and 'The Model Millionaire' in the stories section. All of them delightful and ending in classic short story twists.

In the collection under 'A House of Pomegranates' are stories of 'The Young King', 'The Birthday of Infanta', 'The Fisherman and his Soul', 'The Star Child', 'The Happy Prince', 'The Nightingale and the Rose', 'The Selfish Giant', 'The Devoted Friend and 'The Remarkable Rocket'. Most of them have very sad stories and end in some kind of a redemption save 'The Devoted Friend' which just ends sadly.

The irony and the wit are a joy to read. Wilde's own story ends sadly as well - having got off to a great start he ended up in jail on charges of homosexuality and died a destitute in Paris. Maybe that sadness crept into his stories. 

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