This is my first book review, as a librarian. If I have made you interested in the book, I have succeeded in my objective. Hahaha.


Genre: Fiction- Fairy Tales (AYP)
Title: The happy prince and other stories
Author: Wilde, Oscar, 1854-1900
Series Title: Penguin popular classics
Publisher: Middlesex: Penguin Books Ltd, 1994
Notes: “Complete and unabridged”--cover

Call number: English WIL

Review:

Think that you are too old for fairy tales? You may have heard of the story of the happy prince when you were young but why deny yourself of a chance to read this wonderful tale again? Take a break from the world of reality that is stifling our mind of fantasy. Immerse yourself in the stories told by Wilde, as his provocative tales evokes your wildest imagination. The happy prince is an extremely powerful piece of writing by Wilde, which is compelling to read. Through Wilde’s painted imaginary world and vivid description, the emotional response provoked within each piece of writing not only touches the reader, but also infused within it, an underlying message of wisdom and morality. This version of Wilde’s writings is more suitable for older age groups rather than children, owing to the complexity of the story plot development of certain tales and the old English style of writing being used. It may not be that comprehensible for young children. It is the circulated simplified version of Wilde’s fairy tales that are more reader-friendly and popular among kids. Have forbearance that happy endings are not always found in Wilde’s fairy tales.

This Penguin Classics comprises of a number of short stories. “The Happy Prince” is the best tale out of the collection. The Happy Prince, a statue adorned with riches, witnessed the sufferings of poverty and hunger. Filled with compassion and love, he chose to give away the pieces of jewels and gold on him, through the help of a swallow, to the needy. The citizens of the town, ignorant of the happy prince’s noble acts, chose to remove him and melt down the ugly statue that is deprived of its former beauty.

In “The nightingale and the rose”, the nightingale gave up its life for the greater good of love. A young man was helplessly in love with a young maiden but she would only go out with him if he present to her a red rose, which could not be found during the time of the year. The nightingale overheard this and went out on its own to search for the red rose. The price, was high, the rose could only be grown using its own blood!

The young prince, from “the young king”, had strange dreams on the night before the coronation about the sufferings of his people. He refused to put on his robe and crown as he realized that these adornments came at the inextricably unjust price of his people’s blood and sweat. Despite the scorns and bitter remarks from his assembly of knights and even disapproval from the bishop, the young prince humbly put on plain tunic and cloak as his robe, a shepherd’s staff as his scepter and wild briar as his crown. Would the people of the state come to accept this young prince with the raiment of a beggar as the rightful king?

“The fisherman and the soul” is an imaginative tale of a young man who chose to give up his soul, his shadow, in order to live with a mermaid that he loved. In this mystic and magical tale, the man’s abandoned shadow picked up a personality and life of its own, as it travels around the world to gather riches and treasures to tempt his owner into accepting it back. Would the man be able to remain steadfast to his love and resist this temptation?

This collection of short stories is certainly worth reading, despite its old English writing. Unlike thick novels, little time is needed to finish the book. It is a good catch for you if you can’t afford much time to read. Of course, if you don’t find a particular story appealing, you can skip it, but I wouldn’t think you could bear to do so.