" absolutely devoured this book definitely a six star read "

"Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde, the man that you are.

I actually can't believe I have now read almost everything by Oscar Wilde, a writer that I already admired so much from only having read The Picture of Dorian Gray. Now I can appreciate the full scope of his ingenious writing, his sarcastic humour and witty remarks. It's a tragedy he died believing his name would be a sham for generations to come, that for hundreds of years his works wouldn't be read, that he would stand for nothing but shame and perversion; an utter disgust to the society that couldn't stand people like him. I wish I could tell him how wrong he was and that he is still one of the most read authors of our time. More importantly, he’s personally my pookie bear.

The edition I read was fully illustrated and I think that enhanced my reading experience, so a short thank you to all talented artists that contributed to this book!

I will provide individual ratings for each parts of the collection because I'm that bastard.

The Picture of Dorian Gray is probably one of my favourite books ever. It changed me from the moment that I read it, and I'm not even being dramatic, but the complex themes of morality and psychology in regard to human nature, combined with Wilde's exemplary writing, couldn't help but change something in my brain chemistry.
5 � The Picture of Dorian Gray

STORIES
5 � The Happy Prince
4 � The Nightingale and the Rose
3.5 � The Selfish Giant
4 � The Devoted Friend
2 � The Remarkable Rocket

4 � Lord Arthur Savile's Crime
5 � The Model Millionaire
3 � The Sphinx without a Secret
4.5 � The Canterville Ghost

3 � The Young King
2 � The Birthday of the Infanta
4 � The Star-Child

PLAYS
3 � Lady Windermere's Fan
3.5 � A Woman of No Importance
4 � An Ideal Husband
5 � The Importance of Being Earnest � if you would read any play by Oscar Wilde it should be this one; brilliant characterisation, shows Wilde’s fantastic ability dabbling comedy and critique of the privileged in a satirical way, and of course his wonderful writing in of itself.
3.5 � A Florentine Tragedy
2 � La Sainte Courtisane

COLLECTED POEMS
I am usually not one for poetry and only read poems if it is absolutely neccessary but I felt needed to give Wilde's a chance, especially since they are of his earliest work, when he was, whom I like to regard as, Baby-Wilde. With most poetry, I liked a few and disliked a few, and even loved a few of his poems. Some of them I found were deeply profound and others over-dramatic or shallow. And too many of them I found reminding me of my crush *sigh*.

Here are two of my favourites:

Silentium Amoris

As often-times the too resplendent sun
Hurries the pallid and reluctant moon
Back to her sombre cave, ere she hath won
A single ballad from the nightingale,
So doth thy Beauty make my lips to fail,
And all my sweetest singing out of tune.

And as at dawn across the level mead
On wings impetuous some wind will come,
And with its too harsh kisses break the reed
Which was its only instrument of song,
So my too stormy passions work me wrong,
And for excess of Love my Love is dumb.

But surely unto Thee mine eyes did show
Why I am silent, and my lute unstrung;
Else it were better we should part, and go,
Thou to some lips of sweeter melody,
And I to nurse the barren memory
Of unkissed kisses, and songs never sung.

and

Extract from Her Voice

And there is nothing left to do
But to kiss once again, and part
Nay, there is nothing we should rue,
I have my beauty, � you your Art,
Nay, do not start,
One world was not enough for two
Like me and you.

I fucking loathe love (I am only miserable in my suffering so don't heed my words too much aight)."

Carla Alves is 67% done with The Pumpkin Spice Café