Oscar Wilde


He's my favorite short story writer. I've come across many brilliant people's many brilliant works like Tagore, Frost, Tolstoy's short stories, etc. etc. They're all incomparably beautiful but nothing touched me like Wilde's 'The happy prince'.

It's a very famous one, most probably you would have come across it too. Across the swallow that loved the flirty reed and the prince who formerly lived in a castle where sorrow was not allowed. Read the story or get the summary from Wikipedia. It's a short read, but a very humane one. When I read the end of this story, for the first time I wanted to believe in god. Just so, I can believe in the happy ending.

'The nightingale and the rose', that's where the concept of smearing white roses with blood started. A nightingale hurts itself on the thorns of a white rose for a (human) physics student's love. The student gives the rose to a girl who rejects it for jewels. The student goes back to metaphysics and chooses not to believe in love anymore. Why do I like it? I like physics students, I don't like him being portrayed that way. But it's Wilde's story and a very good one too. As usual the best part of the story according to me, is the nightingale. Animate animals go very deep.

'The selfish giant' is another story full of faith. I don't know why Wilde's stories always end in undecided grief or paradise and I appreciate the portrayal of grief, but paradise is beyond me. But I know if I read any of his stories before I was ten I would've been on my knees praying all day and all night by now. C'mon which child wouldn't want the reformed sweet giant to end up in Christ's paradise in the end. Which child would ever want such a friendly giant who lets them play in his glorious spring garden to consider him dead as in plain dead. You wouldn't want to take that way, so the only happy way out is to believe.

'The devoted friend' is an attack on literary critics. That they fail to see the moral and see simply the words heartlessly. It was good but didnot leave as great an impression on me as the others.

Wilde wrote many other stories, a lot of drama, which include 'The importance of being earnest'. 'Lady Windermere's fans', 'A woman of no importance', 'An ideal husband'. 'The picture of Dorian Gray' which I've read, which I also think are good. But I just enjoy the animals and giants more.