The Happy Prince and other Tales

<p>Wilde's first authentic work...marked the beginning of his true creativity...Wilde's stories are splendid. -Jeanette Winterson</I><p>...partly for children and partly for those who have kept the childlike faculties of wonder and joy.-Jack Zipes</p><p><b>Oscar Wilde's <I>The Happy Prince and Other Stories</I>(1888) is an inscrutable magical fairy tale collection that has filled readers of all ages with joy and wonder. Each story explores profound truths of love morality and suffering; yet there is a poignant beauty that shines through each of these remarkable and timeless tales.</b></p><p>The opening story The Happy Prince is set in a town full of suffering where a little sparrow who had been abandoned by his flock befriends a gilded statue of a prince who knew no sorrow in his life. The tenderness of their relationship and their empathy towards the ill-fortune of the townsfolk is one of the most touching evocations in all of children's literature; It is also a powerful allegory of inner beauty and the preoccupation with superficiality. The story has been adapted into animated films radio plays and a number of musical compositions since its publication.</p><p>Another cherished gem within this collection is The Selfish Giant one of the most beloved stories in the English literature that tells the tale of a narcissistic giant his wondrous garden and the child who transforms his heart. Also included are the stories The Nightingale and the Rose The Devoted Friend and The Remarkable Rocket.</p><p>With an eye-catching new cover and professionally typeset manuscript this edition of <I>The Happy Prince and Other Stories</I> is both modern and readable. </p>