Oscar Wilde Biography

Oscar Wilde was an irish playwright, novelist, poet and critic. He is regarded as one of the greatest playwright and novelist of the Victorian Era. In his lifetime he wrote nine plays, one novel and numerous poems ans short stories. Wilde also created the philosophical theory "art fort art's sake" wich means that the beauty of a masterpiece is as important as her social theme.
Besides litterary accomplishments he's also famous fort his affairs with men. He was tried and imprisoned for his homesexual relationship (then considered as a crime) with the son of an aristocrat.

Oscal Wilde was born in Dublin on october 16 1854. His mother, Jane Francesca Wilde, was a successful poet and journalist and his father William Wilde was an eye surgeon. He was educated in Trinity College in Dublin, then went in England to study in the Magdalen College of Oxford. It's in Oxford that he became involved in the "art for art's sake" movement and he won as well a price for his poem Ravena.

After he graduated, he moved to Chelsea to establish a litteraty carreer. In 1881 he published his first collection of poems, which received mixed review by critics because of the homoerotic overtones. He married in 1884 to Constance Lloyd, they had to son Cyril and Vyvyan. To support his family, Oscar accepted a job as an editor of the newpaper Woman's World where he worked for two years. In 1888 he published The Happy Prince and Other Tales, fairy-stories written for his two sons. His first and only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was published in 1891 and received quite a negative responde, maily because of the love triangle between Basil the Painter, Dorian and Harry, the three protagonists. Then he wrote successful playwright such as An ideal Husband (1895) and The importance of being Ernest (1895). In those years he began an affair with Lord Alfred Douglas, nicknamed "Bosie" who became both the love of his life and his downfall.

In April 1895 Oscar is accused of homosexuality. At the court, Oscar's case is unsuccessful and he's arrested and tried for indecency. He was sentenced to two years of prison. When he was finally released in 1897 he wrote The Ballad of Reading Gaol, revealing the inhuman prison conditions. He spent the rest of his life in Europe, leaving in cheap hotels. He died of cerebral meningitis on November 30 1900, penninless.

The man who loved flowers.

The man who loved flowers is a short story, written by the well-known American writer, Stephen King. He published it first in the August 1977 issue of Gallery and then in King's collection of short stories: Night Shift, published in 1978.

The short story begins in New York City, on an early evening in May 1963. The main character is an unnamed man who is walking on Manhattan's 3rd Avenue, he is beautiful ! In an old lady's view, he seems to be in love. The handsome young man stops at a flower shop. The vendor is listening a new report on the radio: a woman's body has been found in the local river. The unnamed man wants to buy flowers for his fiancée, Norma. Later, he leaves the vendor who gives him a piece of advice for his relationship with Norma and continues up the street. Then, he turns into a dark alleyway, and sees a young woman . He calls her "Norma" but she doesn't answer. So, he decides to offer her the flowers. She thanks him for the flowers, but tells him that she isn't Norma and it might be a mistake. The young man, in a moment of madness, kills the young woman with a hammer that he was carrying in his pocket, and resumes his walk, calm and as beautiful as ever. We understand that the real Norma died ten years before. The young man has killed many "fake Normas", including the woman in the local river.

Stephen King is a kind of genius because with this very short story and this surprising ending, he can show us the madness of the main character which the reader didn't really anticipate. The young man is actually a psychopath, a demon within an angel. Personally, my favorite passage begins when the young woman tells the handsome man that it might be a mistake. We understand that something is weird, and unfortunately the story becomes a tragedy. Nevertheless, I recommend this short story, it is very easy to read and surprising!

Listen to "The Man Who Loved Flowers", by Stephen King.

In order to get ready for tomorrow's reading of your favourite parts of the short story The Man Who Loved Flowers, by Stephen King, listen to this reading of it and practice!

Hi everyone.

I am on sick leave until the holidays. I will see you again in November. Remember to bring the book you chose to read.

I will post the videos of your performances soon.

Desert Island Book by Alice

Alice lives near Paris in a town called Gentilly, she has been interested in books since she was a child, she often read in her grand faher's library, and all her family reads a lot.

Her favorite books are especially the classic books, those which we read at school. For example she likes Sartre and Stendhal very much.

She chose this book: "Rebecca" by Daphné du Maurier, a British writter, because it's an old book she loves and she began to read it very early, without understanding really, without getting all the atmosphere of the work.

She read it again afterwards and appreciated it a lot. She says that if we stay in this optic: If we begin to read this book, we can't stop anymore.

"The Fidelity Files" by Meryl

Today we welcome Elizabeth. She's born the August the 31th 1995. She lives in Arceuil. She likes reading romantic books (that kind of book suit with her personality) but she can also enjoy reading a horror book .

Her favorite book is "The Fidelity Files" by Jessica Brody, it's the story of a woman who had to plays to roles because of her job. The fact is: Is she going to find one day love? Suspense......

Elizabeth appreciates this book because she found it really close to the reality. She appreciates reading and can read many books in a year! Well, not as me!

"The Desert Island Book" by Victoire

Today, the interviwee of our famous radio "Desert Island Book" is Victoire.
She is a sixteen-year-old girl and she is a student in IND High-School.
She lives in BLR, and likes drawing, playing the piano, and listening the music.

Her sister, Marie, enjoys reading very much, and she tells her the stories of the books she liked.
Victoire prefers classic books by authors like Zola or Maupassant. But she doesn't really like fantasy book (except Harry Potter...).
She has chosen "Au bonheur des dames" by Zola, as her favourite book. In fact, she is interested by the 19th century and she found the story and characters particullary attractive.
She doesn't often read, but she likes analysing texts when she enjoyed the book.