Oscar Wilde Appreciation Post

Everyone knows Oscar Wilde and his plays but his little phrases and witty comments are what he is really loved for in the world of literature. He is quoted in books, movies and now also on this blog. I have collected some of my favourite phrases in order to share them with you.

Always forgive your enemies - nothing annoys them so much.

Some cause happiness wherever they go, some whenever they go.

Education is an admirable thing, but it is well to remember from time to time that nothing that is worth knowing can be taught.

It is better to be beautiful than to be good. But... it is better to be good than to be ugly.

Experience is simply the name we give our mistakes.

I am so clever that sometimes I don't understand a single word of what I am saying.

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Do you like Oscar Wilde and do you have a favourite quote?
Have a great day,
The Countess

Literature

As some of you might already know I study English and history at the university of Cologne. During the last semester I had various courses on English literature and I don't think I have ever enjoyed studying more! Reading novels and plays that are regarded as part of 'the canon' most of the time means basically one thing: They're pretty old. Old means history which is my second major subject so reading those works of literature was like heaven to me. 

I had courses such as 'Gothic Fiction' where I read Dracula, Frankenstein and Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde or 'Oscar Wilde and the Problem of Representation' where we discussed The Happy Prince, An Ideal Husband, The Importance of Being Earnest and (of course) Dorian Gray. For an other class I read The Great Gatsby and Twelfth Night. I loved every minute of these courses, they were interesting and inspiring and they gave me the opportunity to read books that I normally wouldn't have read. 

I already knew Dracula, Dorian Gray and The Happy Prince but it was nice to have a look at them again and to hear other people's interpretations of some of the images and rhetorical methods.

I bought all of the books in the 'Pnguin Popular Classics' edition not only because they are cheap (2,80€ each) but also because they have some wonderful extracts of art on their covers. I seriously fell in love with the look of these books. Now, whenever I get a new book that is a classic (such as Sherlock Holmes) I try to get the Penguin version. Maybe in a few years I will have a nice collection of beautiful affordable books.

Do you like the so called 'classics' of English literature? I myself am a big fan of Oscar Wilde.

Have a great evening,

The Countess