The young king and other stories (Oscar Wilde)

EXTRAÍDO DEL LIBRO

(Traducido del inglés por Charlotte Eyre)

Extraños y maravillosos sucesos ocurren en los siete cuentos que vienen en este libro. Oscar Wilde nos introduce en un mundo de reyes y reinas, sirenas y brujas, gigantes y enanos y animales que hablan. Emocionantes y divertidas, felices y tristes, estas son historias para personas de todas las edades.

Nota: He leído la versión adaptada de penguin readers (nivel 3)

Mi comentario:

De los siete cuentos que vienen en esta edición he leído seis y debo decir que todos reflejan gran ternura, además de ser muy profundos, de hecho, uno de ellos tiene un final que me ha conmovido intensamente. En todas ellas hay un gran contraste entre lo que es actuar por amor (no sólo en lo romántico) y el hacerlo movido por un interés egoísta. La virtud contra la corrupción.

Las historias que vienen en este libro:

1) The young King

2) The birthday of the Infanta

3) The Happy Prince

4) The Fisherman and his Soul

5) The Nightingale (*) and the Rose

6) The Star Child

7) The Selfish Giant

Quotes:

"Here, at last, is a true lover, said the nightingale. I have sung about true love night after night, but I have never seen a true lover!" ("The nightingale and the Rose")

"One evening the young fisherman called to the mermaid, Little mermaid, I love you. Take me as your husband. But the mermaid answered. No, you have a man´s soul. Send away your soul, and I will love you" (The Fisherman and his Soul")

"The statue of the Happy Prince stood high above the city. It was covered with gold, its eyes were bright blue jewels, and a red jewel hung from its waist. Everyone thought that it was very beautiful.

(...)

Who are you? asked the bird.

I am the Happy Prince.

Then why are you crying? I am wet with your tears.

When I was alive, said the prince. I had a heart like every other man. But I did not know what tears were. I lived in a palace where there was no sadness. In the daytime I played with my friends in a beautiful garden, and in the evening I danced. There was a high wall round the garden. But I did not know what lay on the other side. So I was called the Happy Prince. I was pleased with my little world. Now I am dead, and they have put me up here. I can see all the unhappiness of my city. My heart now is made of a cheap metal. But even that poor heart can feel, and so I cry."

(The Happy Prince)