The Happy Prince, and Other Stories

Oscar Wilde

Sep 2017 · Blackstone Audio Inc. · Narrated by Johanna Ward

About this audiobook

The Happy Prince lived in the Palace of Sans Souci, where sorrow was not allowed to enter, and only pleasure was experienced. Then, a gilded statue set on top of a high column allowed him to see all the wretchedness of the poor, the sick and the lonely who inhabited his great city. What develops is a story of sacrifice and redemption that is a parable for our time. This program includes nine of Oscar Wilde's magical and haunting fairy tales. Written for his own sons, Wilde's tales will provide equal delight for children of today. Included here are: 1. "The Happy Prince" 2. "The Selfish Giant" 3. "The Devoted Friend" 4. "The Remarkable Rocket" 5. "The Nightingale and the Rose" 6. "The Young King" 7. "The Birthday of the Infanta" 8. "The Star-Child" 9. "The Fisherman and His Soul"

About the author

Oscar Wilde (1854-1900) was born in Dublin. He won scholarships to both Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford, where he was heavily influenced by the radical aesthetics of Walter Pater. Flamboyant wit and man-about-town, Wilde had a reputation that preceded him, especially in his early career. After publishing two volumes of short stories between 1887 and 1891, his social-comedy plays such as Lady Windermere's Fan and The Importance of Being Earnest established his critical and commercial success. In 1895 Wilde was sentenced to two years' imprisonment for homosexual conduct and died in Paris in obscurity a few years after his release.

Johanna Ward (a.k.a. Kate Reading) is an Audie Award-winning narrator and has received numerous Earphones Awards from AudioFile magazine. She is also a theater actor in the Washington, DC, area and has been a member of Woolly Mammoth Theatre Company since 1987. Her work onstage has been recognized by the Helen Hayes Awards Society, among others. She and her husband live in Hyattsville, Maryland, with their two children.