Customer Reviews

The Happy Prince and Other Tales: Leather Bound

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

As a child I didn't have the books of Oscar Wilde but rather the records. My imagination soared with his descriptions of life, and my eyes overflowed with tears at each story. The record of the Happy Prince was read by Bing Crosby and Orson Wells and each year at Christmas we still play that old scratched thing, just to hear it's wonderous love story and that of The Selfish Giant. Now I have to get the book so my nieces and nephews will share in my treasures of love!!!! What is this world if it isn't all about Love?

When I was quite small (I'm now 64) the 33 1/3 records were introduced. One of the first that we got was a recording of "The Happy Prince". It featured Bing Crosby. I listened to it over and over until I went off to college. Years later I was in England, and I discovered that there was a whole book of stories. Over the years I have re-read this book so much that it is now in tatters. Each story is a gem unto itself. Each story will become another jewel in your treasure chest of lenses, which help you to see the world more clearly. Now that I have discovered that this book is still in print, I expect to buy multiple copies to give as Christmas Gifts this year. Do yourself a favor and don't miss these delightful additions to your life. (Psst : I like this book !)

I remember this book from my childhood. I had my parents read each story to me over and over. When I learned how to read I read this book until the pages fell out. In short it is a great book that encourages youthful imaginations. And, it makes for great bedtime stories. A real classic. I bought it for my children.

In these tales, most of them being sad and even very sad, Oscar Wilde looks for a way to save one's soul in front of the misery of the world. Anyone in society who lives in the upper classes does not necessarily see the ugliness and suffering of the world when one looks at the lower classes. But in these tales the Happy Prince, or the Selfish Giant, or any other character will manage to get salvation out of their upper class blindness, by opening their eyes to misery and suffering and by doing what they can to repair these pains and evils because they will realise they have to feel responsible for the world, because they are more powerful and could easily impose their selfish rule. But the giant will discover nature, if not God, punishes him for his selfishness. The nightingale will try to redeem a young student by giving him a red rose in a season when read roses do not bloom. And yet the student will not get the love he wants because he is nothing but a non-entity for the girl he would like to be loved by. There is also a very sad note in A Devoted Friend and how friendship can become a mask for selfishness, a nice appearance for an ugly and egoistic attitude. Those tales are sad and at the same time they convey a moral full of hope. All is not lost if the Happy Prince can give away his happiness for those who suffer, even if later the powerful of his society will reject him when he does not look happy and beautiful any more

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

My father read them to me, when I was 4, sitting in the crook of his arm (I know I was 4, because at five, I was too BIG to sit in the crook of his arm, and besides, I could read). He must have read them to me a lot, because I still remember "the cold gray fingers of dawn were clutching at the fading stars," from "The Young King" (my favorite, then), and--in "The Selfish Giant," the words TRESSPASSERS WILL BE PROSECUTED were capitalized, and when he got to them, he'd make me "read" them aloud.

It is thus hard for me to say they aren't children's stories. Some children's stories are frightening; why shouldn't some be sad?

They are lovely, often very sad (though some end happily), socially conscious (Wilde seems to have had a strong sense of being surrounded by the poor --well, London is not a bad place to find them), and often filled with irony--but the kind children can understand. Some make reference to God, and one to Christ, indirectly (though the clergy aren't always so sharp!). Some take us on journeys to strange and foreign places. Some have a rather sophisticated sense of humor (I understood these well enough as a child, but did not like them very much).

It's nice to have them again, in a large-paged (and such white pages!), hardbacked

book. I find the intentionally primitive, brightly-colored illustrations hard to get used to. I expected something more realistic, or even pre-Raphaelite or Art Nouveau. Perhaps others will appreciate them.

THIS BOOK CONTAINS MANY STORIES BUT THE BEST IS THE HAPPY PRINCE.ILIKED IT BECAUSE IT'S OF A PRINCE WHO SACRIFICES EVERYTHING TO THE POOR PEOPLE. I THING EVERY CHILD SHOULD READ AND ENJOY THIS BOOK! THANKS

I was frankly astonished to read an Oscar Wilde children's story and find that it promotes a rather traditional "moral." Knowing him from his very witty, sometimes risque plays, I wasn't sure what to expect, but not this.

What you get is still witty -- just because it's for kids doesn't mean Wilde has lost his sense of the ridiculous -- but also providing a simple, moving lesson on what it means to be compassionate and giving. I think what works best here is that Wilde never talks down to his readers. He assumes that they're young, not stupid, and I find that refreshing.

The title story "The Happy Prince" is deservedly the most well-known, but all of the tales contained here work in a similar way -- a traditional "lesson" to be learned, but told in a charming voice with a touch of humor and a tug at the heartstrings.

This is a delightful little book. I liked it a lot better than the expensive Calla edition of "House of Pomegranites" - which has drab, dull illustrations.

The illustrations in this book are beautiful and the overall design of the book is very good. Don't hesitate to buy it.

This book is a duplication of old works and comes with defects. This is not necessarily a negative thing but The Happy Prince story is missing pages 10 and 11. A replacement copy that arrived had the same two pages missing. As the title page to the story is in place of one of the missing pages, middle instead of in front, I think this was an error that occurred when the book was put together. I decided to keep the book and printed off the missing pages from a library copy. It is still and will always be a wonderful story.

This collection makes a wonderful gift for any library. Our children received a copy each, inscribed by their grandmother as a Christmas gift. It will be cherished as an heirloom and passed down through the generations. It contains some terrific classic read-aloud stories, and is very well bound. Beautiful.