Book 8 - The Ballad of Reading Gaol by Oscar Wilde

Reading date - May 2020

Not technically a book, it's more of a, well, ballad.  Hands down my favourite author which is no secret to anyone who knows me.  I have loads of his work, sometimes in triplicate because I can never ever leave a book of his behind when I see it.  

This was written by Wilde after serving time in Reading Gaol for gross indecency.  The ballad itself is about the hanging of a man who was in the gaol at the same time as Wilde.

It took me about five minutes in total to read but it's a read so it's going to be reviewed.  If you really want a treat, find the audio of Simon Callow reading it..he was born to read Oscar Wilde's work.  I saw him at the Vaudeville doing de Profundis and he was amazing.  One man on stage for just talking..my attention didn't wander once, even when an old lady came in 25 minutes late.  Why do theatres not enforce that "no latecomers" policy properly?  

Did I like it? Is there anything of Wilde's I don't like? Apart from the recent production of The Friendly Giant..no.  

Yet each man kills the thing he loves
By each let this be heard
Some do it with a bitter look
Some with a flattering word.
The coward does it with a kiss,
The brave man with a sword!


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