Customer Reviews

The Canterville Ghost: By Oscar Wilde

5 star:		(18)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

This "updated-gothic" tale is really a wonder. A typical American family of late-XIXth century buys a manor in England, the propery of Lord Canterville. Turns out that an ancestor of this lord, who holds the same name, is a ghost still wandering around the big and old house. And he is terribly annoyed and disturbed by the irreverent behavior of the Americans who, in the first place, don't believe in ghosts. That is, until they discover him and make him the target of their irreverence. Every day, Washington, one of the children, erases a centuries-old blood stain from the floor of the library, and every night the phantom paints it again, increasingly in strange colors. He grows more and more disheartened, until Virginia, the nice daughter of the family, comes along... Wilde's is a funny tale, a funny comparison between Americans and British, a compassionate look at ghosts, and an unforgettable story with the characteristic wit and smartness of a fine craftsman of literature.

The Canterville Ghost is a charming tale, one of Oscar Wilde's best. It is a ghost story, a comedy and a romance all rolled into one, told with the offbeat, rolling wit that only Wilde can tell.

An American family moves into a haunted mansion in England, but it is they who torment the ghost with their irrepressible irreverence, finally driving the phantom to despair. The lovely, charming daughter of the family, strikes up a friendship with the ghost, freeing it, with her prayer and tears.

It is a tragic tale with a happy ending , a wonderful story for all ages.

Oscar Wilde was the master of witty and amusing stories, and this little novella is no different. It tells the tale of the poor Canterville Ghost, whose very existence is made miserable by a family of Americans who not only do not believe in him (despite his best efforts at terrorising him), but who do unspeakable things like removing the eternal blood stain in the library.

The American family are really well drawn with the children being particularly successful in making the ghost miserable. And the ghost himself - well, we find ourselves having some symapthy for him, and the end of the story is quite poignant.

It is a wonderful story for an older child, but also for an adult. It is certainly one of my all time favourites.

Oscar Wilde was the master of witty and amusing stories, and this novella is no different. It tells the tale of the poor Canterville Ghost, whose very existence is made miserable by a family of Americans who not only do not believe in him (despite his best efforts at terrorising him), but who do unspeakable things like removing the eternal blood stain in the library.

The American family are really well drawn with the children being particularly successful in making the ghost miserable. And the ghost himself - well, we find ourselves having some symapthy for him, and the end of the story is quite poignant.

It is a wonderful story for an older child, but also for an adult. It is certainly one of my all time favourites.

For those who have been curious about Oscar Wilde and have yet to discover his genius would have been more than US customs could have handled, the Canterville Ghost is a perfect introduction to his work. The story is cleverly woven around the archetypal upper middle class American clergy of the 19th century, yet fits easily into the modern response to our so called classless society.

Oscar, it could be said, is the modern day parabalist so heavily featured within the Bible, yet his work is laced with a caustic humor which will inspire smiles and sympathy, and perhaps, if you are prone, even a little terror at the antics of the children in their torment of the long time feared inhabitant of Canterville, the ghost himself.

My grandfather introduced me to this story when I was but a nipper here in England. I could not recommend it more, for children and adults alike. A classic!

The Canterville Ghost is a charming tale, one of Oscar Wilde's best. It is a ghost story, a comedy and a romance all rolled into one, told with the offbeat, rolling wit that only Wilde can tell.

An American family moves into a haunted mansion in England, but it is they who torment the ghost with their irrepressible irreverence, finally driving the phantom to despair. The lovely, charming daughter of the family, strikes up a friendship with the ghost, freeing it, with her prayer and tears.

It is a tragic tale with a happy ending , a wonderful story for all ages.

This is a nice, short and easy story to read, it will show you the way people think about themselves and about others, you can read this fairy tale while waiting in the airport, it won't take you more that an our to read it, OK, maybe two hours and you will have a smile after you finish the book.

The Canterville Ghost is a small book, which is quite easy to read.
It is a funny story and there are a lot of jokes. Sometimes it is a little bit boring., but when you like the spiritual then you like this book.
It is a fantasy history, who you can use your own imagination. It is also a sad story, although superficially there is a happy ending.
There you see the difference between the serious minded English people and the practical Americans
You can see parallels between the story and the writer. Oscar Wilde had a very difficult life at the end, and in his story it is the ghost, which suffers a lot because of the fact that he has no audience who is willing to pay attention to his pranks.
I think it is a good book to read at school. And I have loved the jokes very much and I like the mystical and spiritual side of this book too.

It's rare for a ghost story to be sympathetic towards the ghost or to flush out the ghosts character. Usually the ghost is just there to frighten the main characters and the readers. The Canterville Ghost however does make the ghost an interesting and understandable character without letting the suspense suffer.

The Canterville Ghost by Oscar Wilde

The Canterville Ghost is a charming tale, a wonderful story for all ages. It is a ghost story, a comedy and a romance all rolled into one. It is certainly one of my all time favourites.