Oscar's Tales #6

 My reading of the sixth of Oscar Wilde's children's stories from his collection, "The Young King". A visually sumptuous story filled with Wilde's love of description. Some of the language is a bit dated so if you are offended by such things best not to listen. One of the dream sequences is resonant of Greek myth and the presence of the nosoi (entities that spread diseases). Speaking of Greek references, there are also subtle allusions to Antinous and a few other homoerotic figures slipping in. Perhaps Oscar had not been long back from one of his forays when he composed this story.

Wilde's essay of socialism was a tad dull, but this tale puts across many of the same ideas in a much more effective manner. It also avoids offering daft solutions to social problems, which makes a nice change in a politicised text. Although the angelic imagery at the end does imply a resolution without going into any practical details. 




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