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Title: The Star Child
Author: Oscar Wilde
Narrator: Anton Lesser
Format: Unabridged
Length: 32 mins
Language: English
Release date: 11-27-13
Publisher: Naxos AudioBooks
Ratings: 3 of 5 out of 1 votes
Genres: Kids, Ages 5-7
Publisher's Summary:
This is a story from the The Happy Prince and Other Stories collection.
Oscar Wilde's collection of fairy stories are among the greatest and most poignant classics for children and adults alike. Humour, pathos, delightful little characters abound in the stories of The Happy Prince and the Swallow who agrees to keep him company despite approaching winter; The Selfish Giant, who doesn't want children playing in his garden, and The Remarkable Rocket. In addition, there are those who are not so familiar: The Star Child, The Young King, and The Devoted Friend.
Editorial Reviews:
One cold winter's night, a poor woodcutter finds an abandoned infant in the middle of the forest. The woodcutter raises the child, who soon grows into a beautiful but cruel boy. When a beggar comes in search of him, claiming to be his mother, the boy rejects her. In doing so, he is transformed into a horrible, toad-like creature, and sets off after his mother to seek her forgiveness. Oscar Wilde's story is multifaceted fable of redemption and empathy that Anton Lesser, using a somber and dignified tone, helps to make an emotionally powerful experience for listeners of all ages.
Members Reviews:
Lovely, bittersweet, and nostalgic
I had an audio book of The Happy Prince when I was a child, which id what made me look for this book now. Mind you, this story is slightly different than the one I listened to in my youth(the one I had didn't end on a religious note, to be sure), but I still enjoyed it. The addition of several other selfless tales of love were a delightful surprise (I suppose I didn't read the description too carefully). These stories are beautiful and bittersweet, descriptions of selfless love given without expectation of reciprocation. Enjoy and share with the young.
An Entirely Different Side of Oscar Wilde
This collection - one of thousands of worthwhile 'freebies' available for Kindle - offers a side of Oscar Wilde unknown to those who've only experienced his witty, cynical plays. These 'fairy tales' are gentle, moralistic, and only sometimes sardonic. I downloaded it in order to have my favorite of Wilde's short stories, "The Selfish Giant", which blends children's fantasy with Christian iconography in a charming, emotionally affecting way. Now I've read them all and I'm glad I have the set. This also led me to download another freebie, "Lord Arthur Savile's Crime", also recommended.
Heartbreaking Tales of Magic and Life
These stories are beautifully written (of course!) and enchanting for little ones.
Some are more accessible than others (for example The Remarkable Rocket went a little above my five year old's head, while they could relate very well to The Happy Prince and The Selfish Giant).
The stories do raise some potentially heavy topics for children (for example death, sacrifice, God, poverty...) so I think it's good to be prepared for questions afterwards, as you might end up talking about the stories with your children long after they have finished.
Oscar Wilde's story of the HAPPY Prince is a timeless story for both young and ...
Oscar Wilde's story of the HAPPY Prince is a timeless story for both young and old as it defines greatness as one who cares for others more than self - and sacrificing, even unto death for the good of others.