Customer Reviews

The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)

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Oscar Wilde was not a person who was likely to take being put into prison lightly. Those who know the full extent of Wilde's wit ought to see how bitterly it was able to express itself, when getting locked up for enjoying inappropriate pleasures of the mind results in this, the reflection that "every prison that men build is built with bricks of shame." (p. 40) Although it is included in a small book, the poem in the title might seem to go on forever, as it hardly ends when Wilde gets to the last line, "The brave man with a sword !"

If you are looking for slapstick humor or short "sound-bite" quotations, then perhaps you should look to some of Oscar Wilde's other works--but if you are looking for subtle wit and excellence in exposition, then you have found just the book. These Dover Thrift editions allow one to inexpensively read, annotate and travel with Oscar, when you might be leaving the big collected works at home. Real value for the dollar, and "The Ballad of Reading Goal" is some of the best writing in the English Language.

This is a must have for any fan of Irish Literature

The Ballad of Reading Gaol and Other Poems (Dover Thrift Editions)