Oscar Wilde's obsession with books

Advantages: Full of fascinating information about Wilde's life and love of books
Disadvantages: None really, except maybe best enjoyed by those with some prior knowledge of Wilde

...The controversial Victorian playwright and poet Oscar Wilde, so the introduction to this book tells us, ?devoured and luxuriated in books?. He had a lifelong thirst for reading, so it?s not surprising to find that his house in Chelsea was packed with them. Not only was he an avid collector, but he was also an accomplished speed reader with a remarkable ? and to some extent photographic ? memory which helped him to absorb and recall instantly vast amounts of prose and verse. As a reviewer for the Pall Mall Gazette, he could master a book's content, plot or argument in minutes. (If only ciao had been around in those days as well). Maybe it is only fair to get the one major chink in his armour out of the way quickly. Once, when he was preparing a lecture on the poet Chatterton, most of his notes were made up of entire pages and paragraphs...

JOHNV 24.11.2009 · Read review
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Review of Oscar's Books - Thomas Wright

A Picture by Oscar Wilde

Advantages: Brilliantly horrific and satirical, written with a sense of the beauty words can construct that astounds, this is simply wonderful...
Disadvantages: Age has not stolen it's power to disturb - this is no charming classic...

...Oscar Fingal O' Flahertie Wills Wilde was an author and playwright whose range covered just about every genre in the book, and in life he was both amused and pained that many thought this range suggested superficiality. That is one crime of which Wilde can never be justifiably accused. The content of 'The Picture of Dorian Gray', a work which is almost semi-autobiographical, works on a multitude of levels. In short, this is the story of a man exposed, through literature given to him by one Lord Henry, to the darker side of life, the sins and pleasures of the flesh and the spirit. Throwing himself into these pleasures with vigour and enthusiasm, the once pure-hearted Dorian Gray becomes a black beast. He remains youthful, beautiful and saintly looking, while all the time the titular picture of him grows more and more repellent as...

RichardW 17.02.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde's story of the victory of kindness.

Advantages: A story with a moral without being preachy.
Disadvantages: I personally feel the ending is a bit difficult to figure out for young children.

...the tree he is on. And from then the giant undergoes change of heart. The children are let in and the flowers bloom and the birds chirp. But the giant pines for that child who never comes again till it is just the right time for him to. A heart warming story. Oscar Wilde is one of my favorite classical writers. This one is a real good read for smaller kids. Buy it for them but oh please don't leave them agonizing over the end. Explain it to them....

urooj0691 08.04.2009 (09.04.2009) · Read review
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Review of The Selfish Giant - Oscar Wilde

Wilde

Advantages: Beautifully poignant stories
Disadvantages: Maybe too moral, and a little sad

...I never really saw Oscar Wilde as a children?s author, sure a wit, a raconteur, an author, playwright and a notorious man about town but a children?s author no. I was given a book by my wife Oscar Wildes Stories for Children and I wasn?t sure. What immediately caught my eye was the beautiful illustrations by P.J Lynch, delicate, rich and totally fitting to the stories. Then I read the first story in the set was ?The Selfish Giant.? It is wonderful, I?m sure I couldn?t do justice to it myself but Wilde weaves words so well it appeals to both children, my 3 and a half year old is rapt, and adults equally well, with little witty comments peppered about. The story is simple children play in the giants beautiful garden until the giant arrives home from visit to his friend the Cornish ogre ?After seven years were over he had said all...

DiazX 15.12.2000 · Read review
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Review of Oscar Wildes Stories for Children - Oscar Wilde

Wilde about Gray

Advantages: Beautiful prose and wondering story-telling.
Disadvantages: None

...If you were to think of the classic horror stories of the nineteenth century, I am sure you would be in mind of?say, Dracula or Doctor Jeckle and Mr Hyde. You will think the names Poe and Lovecraft. Some of you might even think of Oscar Wilde and ?The Picture of Dorian Grey.? Grey by the way seems to be spelt both as Grey and Gray! This is the book that I had promised myself I would read at least five years ago, and now I have done just that. But was it worth it; is it the classic it is merited as being? The first sketches to be put on the canvas that is ?The Picture of Dorian Grey? are an introduction to three main characters. Three friends, all of different personalities? to begin with anyway. We have the young, naïve Dorian of the title, sitting for a portrait by top artist Basil Hallward and we have Lord Henry Wotton. Basil has...

Borg 25.03.2003 · Read review
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Review of The Picture of Dorian Gray - Oscar Wilde

A Wilde Read

Advantages: Very funny and insightful
Disadvantages: Not as good as reading complete Wilde

...I?ve always been quite a fan of quotations, and own several dictionaries or collections of such. It?s perhaps not entirely coincidence that I?ve also become quite a fan of Oscar Wilde (1854-1900). Although best known for his plays (such as The Importance of Being Earnest - a film version made a few years ago), I first really came to appreciate his genius when reading his works on art (indeed David Cooper?s ?Blackwell?s Companion to Aesthetics? includes an entry on Wilde, noting how in many ways his attitudes to art display a Platonic influence). Wilde had an aphorism for every occasion, and is so widely quoted many of his phrases will no doubt be familiar (?I can resist everything except temptation?, ?To lose one parent?may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness?). I think what really makes them is that they...

a-true-ben 23.03.2004 (24.03.2004) · Read review
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Review of Oscar Wilde's Wit & Wisdom - Oscar Wilde

I'm Just Wilde About Earnest

Advantages: Wonderfully witty - a classic
Disadvantages: none at all!

...Ok, time to inject a bit of culture and sophistication here on Ciao (well, I can try!) As I have mentioned on previous book opinions, I am a member of a postal book group. Therefore, every 2 weeks I receive a new book to read, chosen by a friend in the group. Just before I receive the book, I receive an e-mail from the sender, with comments from those who have previously read the book. So, just over a week ago, I received the latest email. Being a bookworm, I will generally have a go at reading anything, but I was disappointed to read that the book I was about to receive was The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde. Although the comments from the other group members raved about it, I must confess, I have never read anything by Wilde and the thought of reading a play didn’t fill me with much enthusiasm. So when...

jools30 25.02.2002 · Read review
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Review of The Importance of Being Earnest - Oscar Wilde

Wild about Wilde

Advantages: Everything Oscar Wilde has written
Disadvantages: Cheap and tacky book won't last long

...Firstly Oscar Wilde was a genius and it follows that any complete collection of his works is therefore good. That siad a complete collection also has its flaws. Firstly the book is bulky and probably won't last long if your an avid reader. The print is small and the paper cheap. A true fan of wilde would probably be better off spending money on a decent edition of his works or buying their favourite pieces seperatly. That said the content of this collection is superb. It includes all the well-known pieces adn much that is less well-known but no less readable. Some of the early poetry is not particuarly good and the essays and de profundis are hard going especially if you know little about wilde. The intor is servicable but nothing special and is worth reading as an overview. Wildes works thought are welll worth reading...

Telute 30.01.2001 · Read review
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Review of The Complete Works of Oscar Wilde - Oscar Wilde

I said 'Lady' not 'Lake'

Advantages: A wonderful comedy with all the wit of Wilde.
Disadvantages: Rather outdated now

...Women have a wonderful instinct about things. They can discover everything except the obvious.Oscar Wilde Lady Windermere's Fan If you read any of my other book reviews you would find it hard to believe that I have studied English Literature upto A level standard ( even obtaining a grade A) as I do read an awful lot of easy reading books, chick-lit etc., but every now and then I do dig out the odd classic to re-read. I have always liked Oscar WIlde's plays finding them very humerous. "OSCAR WILDE" Born Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 ? 30 November 1900) he was Irish playwright, poet . He also wroye a lot of short stories and one novel, and is most famous ( in the literary world) for his humour. Below are some of his famous quotes: #America had often been discovered before...

oldchem 05.06.2009 · Read review
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Review of Lady Windermere's Fan - Oscar Wilde

"Salami smells like dirty socks" says Oscar

Advantages: Entertaining story with great illustrations
Disadvantages: might give kids ideas!

...Oscar by Torbjorn Lundmark and Dana K. Lundmark ISN 0868962813 Published by Ashton Scholastic Yet another of my children?s books brought back with us from Australia in 1989 so it is quite an old book. It was actually a birthday present from a pre-school friend of my 27 year old daughter! It has been read to many classes of children in school over the years and my husband read it to our grandchildren when they stayed the night a few weeks ago. All enjoyed the story and appreciated the humour which is expressed in both the story and the illustrations. The story is about a nice, well behaved little boy called Oscar who hates salami (I question why anyone would force their child to eat salami) and his ingenious ways of avoiding eating the stuff. The illustrations showing Oscar?s hatred of salami are wonderful and I love the way hid huge...

catsholiday 25.10.2009 · Read review
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Review of OSCAR - Torbjorn Lundmark