March 2013: Oscar Wilde, The Happy Prince and Other Stories

[Peder]

Have started The Happy Prince (instantly from Kindle) -- a cheery tale so far, with gentle Willde-ian irony plainy visible. Lachrymose perhaps coming just around the corner, when I stopped.

Do we continue here?

 

[Ronny]

I guess we could, it seems to be just me and you I like Oscar Wilde, I had read some short stories by him in the past and enjoyed them, these seem to be good too but I am thinking Dorian Gray will remain my favorite.

 

[Peder]

Just finished. A pretty strong satire on the ways of the world, and heart-wrenching in its morality.

 

[Conscious Bob]

I'm in.

 

[sparkchaser]

So, be sure to post up your reviews here: http://www.bookandreader.com/book-reviews/the_happy_prince_and_other_tales.12/

 

[Conscious Bob]

This is a discussion surely.

 

[Peder]

This is a discussion surely.

Put some gas in the tank, Bob, and we might get moving.

 

[Ronny]

So, be sure to post up your reviews here: http://www.bookandreader.com/book-reviews/the_happy_prince_and_other_tales.12/

I finished it last night, I liked it but I can't think of anything to say about it, much less review it. The stories were short, poignant and reminded me of Aesop.

 

[Conscious Bob]

Put some gas in the tank, Bob, and we might get moving.

Cool your jets turbo, I've got the rest of the month.

 

[Peder]

Cool your jets turbo, I've got the rest of the month.

I'm cool. There were five votes, after all, some yet to be heard from.

 

[kelstan]

I did not vote for the Wilde, but I will put my two cents in as soon as I get a chance to start it. It's been a busy week.

 

[Ronny]

I'm cool. There were five votes, after all, some yet to be heard from.

I kind of liked it when we could see who voted for what, it maybe made them more accountable. I don't ever want to be a sore loser or anything, but I do dislike when something is voted to win and only the people that didn't vote for it read it

 

[Peder]

I kind of liked it when we could see who voted for what, it maybe made them more accountable. I don't ever want to be a sore loser or anything, but I do dislike when something is voted to win and only the people that didn't vote for it read it

We may be headed just that way in this discussion here, but I'm patient. Meanwhile I'm reading up a little on Oscar Wilde to try to understand any deeper intent behind the simple story we just read.

 

[Ema]

I kind of liked it when we could see who voted for what, it maybe made them more accountable. I don't ever want to be a sore loser or anything, but I do dislike when something is voted to win and only the people that didn't vote for it read it

Maybe there should be three books of the month. You could read all three or just one - your choice.

I read these stories when I was a kid. I loved them. It would be nice to see how I feel about them now.

 

[Polly Parrot]

I have the Wilde stories on audiobook, I will participate once I get to listening to them, probably in the course of next week.

 

[kelstan]

As I read these, I thought back to the books I read my own children when they were little. Definitely quite different. In most of today's children's literature, no one dies, nor is punishment for one's actions terribly severe. Basically, most modern children's stories are "nice." I wonder if we are doing our children a disservice by presenting to them a sanitized version of the world. It's no wonder so many young people have trouble when they find themselves thrust into a world that is nothing like the fairy tales upon which they have been raised. I'm afraid my children are too old for fairy tales, but I will have to keep this in mind when I have grandchildren.

 

[Landslide]

As I read these, I thought back to the books I read my own children when they were little. Definitely quite different. In most of today's children's literature, no one dies, nor is punishment for one's actions terribly severe. Basically, most modern children's stories are "nice." I wonder if we are doing our children a disservice by presenting to them a sanitized version of the world. It's no wonder so many young people have trouble when they find themselves thrust into a world that is nothing like the fairy tales upon which they have been raised. I'm afraid my children are too old for fairy tales, but I will have to keep this in mind when I have grandchildren.

Off topic: I remember reading the book "The Little Match Girl" when I was a kid and it was one of those stories that really stuck with me. Most of the happy ending ones I read around the same time, I don't even remember...

 

[kelstan]

I don't think that's off topic at all. My grandma used to read me a story called "Little Black Sambo", which was horribly politically incorrect, but I loved it. I don't think it's the nice stories that stay with us, but those that teach us something worth remembering.

 

[Landslide]

Yes, I think you're right.

 

[Hedwig]

Sorry I won't be able to make it this month, there's just too much that keeps popping up, howling for my attention. I'll be sure to catch up later if that's OK.