Designed to appeal to the book lover, the Macmillan Collector's Library
is a series of beautifully bound pocket-sized gift editions of much
loved classic titles. Bound in real cloth, printed on high quality
paper, and featuring ribbon markers and gilt edges, Macmillan
Collector's Library are books to love and treasure.
The richness of Oscar Wilde's way with words and ideas are given full
range in this sparkling collection of short stories written between 1887
and 1891. There are ghost stories, moral tales, detective fiction and,
above all, fairy stories here to delight and entertain. From the
comically unsuccessful and unhappy spook in 'The Canterville Ghost' to
the incompetent would-be murderer in 'Lord Arthur Saville's Crime' we
are treated to the extravagance and dexterity of Wilde's wit. However it
is particularly in the fairy stories that we see the brilliance of
Wilde's vision of society and human action, with each tale having both
beauty and simplicity while at the same time exploring complex moral
issues. The challenge and pleasure of Wilde's short stories is the
simultaneous appeal to both child and adult with their themes of Love,
Truth and Sacrifice which are as relevant today as they were when they
were written.
