Oscar Wilde

[BroccoliSpears]

Back when I was a pretentious student, I bought the complete works of Oscar Wilde to arrange casually on my bookshelf (next to the abstract art posters that I pretended to adore, and the dribbly candles in cheap wine bottles).

So, I've just got around to reading some of it and OH WOW it's amazing and brilliant and some of the best stuff I've read for years!

It's so readable and funny and clever.

The Picture of Dorian Grey - the descriptions of the garden at the beginning had me uncurling my toes and photosynthesising to the hum of the bees.

Lady Windemere's Fan made me laugh out loud, and The Canterville Ghost had me in fits.

The Happy Prince - okay, a bit blah, but so sweetly done. I can imagine reading it to dd in a few years time.

The Sphinx Without A Secret was great.

This is the most pleasurable reading adventure I've been on for ages.

Ballard of Reading Gaol next, maybe? Or another play?

Wait til you get to The Selfish Giant. Sob

"The Importance Of" is brilliant - but you need to try and get to see it at the theatre, as well as reading it. I've seen some fantastic productions of it and it is laugh out loud funny.

Oooh, maybe I'll do The Selfish Giant next. I'm very hormonal and quite enjoy a good sob.

Yes, will definitely look out for local stage productions.

gosh, Oscar is just fantastic

Ballad Of Reading Gaol is amazing

"yet each man kills the thing he loves, by all let this be heard
the coward does it with a kiss, the brave man with a sword"

the selfish Giant is just sublime, whether you are Christian or not. Exquisite and unbearably moving.

i loved dorian gey so much - so very much.

Defn try the importance of being ernest (there was a fairly decent film version recently-ish, I think) And the selfish giant is wonderful

There's a fantastic biography too, which I would recommend. I'll try and find a link.

here

Appreciate the recommendation Janeite - reading his stuff has made me want to read a biog. Will look out for that one.

I've owned that biography for about 10 years and still haven't read it! Is it really that good? Might give it a go. What I've heard of his life has certainly been interesting...

Love The Importance Of, especially since my Grandma told my Dad when he was little that his middle name was Ernest, but it turned out not to be when he saw his birth certificate when he got married!

Still quite often quote old Oscar "Women call each other many things before they call each other sister" and "A woman should never be truly honest about her age" especially!

He was so clever, I am forever in awe of his wit. I read The Importance of Being Ernest at school and have been hooked ever since. The 1955 (I think) film is hilarious.

Have you seen Stephen Fry in the film of his life?

I bought a book of his fairy tales and I loved it. He was an amazing writer.

oooh, Selfish Giant - very sob making

If you are a fan of Oscar Wilde you should definitely read 'Lord Arthur Savile's Crime'. It is a great short story.