Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime and Other Stories

D’Oscar Wilde. 1887-1891. Recueil de contes et nouvelles. Très bonne lecture.  [192 p.]

Résumé : « These eight high-spirited stories were written at the height of Oscar Wilde’s creative power, between 1887 and 1891, when he delighted polite society with the epigram and controversy which flowed from his pen. « Lord Arthur Savile’s Crime » is a masterpiece of polished cynicism, in which poison, explosive clocks and finally murder forerun married bliss; and « The Canterville Ghost » is a venerable – and resourceful – family spook thoroughly unhorsed by his new American owners. Two of Wilde’s best-loved stories for children are also included, together with « The Portrait of Mr W. H. », a masterly example of scholarly detection, and three rare pieces by the man for whom, above all, there was « no Mystery so great as Misery ».« 

Je retrouve avec plaisir l’excellent style de Wilde, ses idées parfois baroques et sa manie de se moquer du monde à tout va. Cependant ce recueil de textes est aussi l’occasion de se confronter à divers genres et humeurs de l’auteur. En clair, il y a tant de choses différentes dans ce livre que chaque lecteur y trouvera probablement son compte de temps en temps tout en ne le trouvant pas à chaque fois, à moins d’être vraiment très éclectique dans ses lectures.

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The Picture of Dorian Gray

D’Oscar Wilde. 1890. Roman fantastique. Très, très bonne lecture. [240 p.]

Résumé : « The Picture of Dorian Gray is the only published novel by Oscar Wilde. It tells of a young man named Dorian Gray, the subject of a painting by artist Basil Hallward. Basil is impressed by Dorian’s beauty and becomes infatuated with him, believing his beauty is responsible for a new mode in his art. Talking in Basil’s garden, Dorian meets Lord Henry Wotton, a friend of Basil’s, and becomes enthralled by Lord Henry’s world view. Espousing a new hedonism, Lord Henry suggests the only things worth pursuing in life are beauty and fulfilment of the senses. Realising that one day his beauty will fade, Dorian cries out, expressing his desire to sell his soul to ensure the portrait Basil has painted would age rather than himself. Dorian’s wish is fulfilled, plunging him into debauched acts. The portrait serves as a reminder of the effect each act has upon his soul, with each sin displayed as a disfigurement of his form, or through a sign of aging. »

(Après avoir lu le livre je trouve la plupart des résumés « éditeurs » très réducteurs ou peu pertinents ; du coup l’image est celle de l’édition que j’ai lue (1993), mais le résumé appartient à une autre édition.)