![]() ![]() The thing is, though, there are disadvantages to this solitude. In other words, “keep out, you little nits! This is my garden, so there!” And it works – no more children invade his privacy. He then hangs a sign on the gate reading “Trespassers will be Prosecuted”. So he cannibalizes part of the castle for stones (this is not, I think, in the original, but it’s a prominent part of this version), and builds a high wall around the garden. You see, he’s a selfish sort, and prefers to keep the place to himself. He’s away visiting a friend, but one day he comes back, and is not pleased at all to see his private garden being frolicked in by children. The thing is, though, they’re only able to do this because the giant in question (who’s never named, he’s just “the giant”) is not currently in residence. As it’s situated close to a small village, the local children have taken to playing in it after school, climbing the trees, listening to the birdsong, and generally having a good time. This castle has a beautiful garden surrounding it, with many flowers and trees that blossom in the spring. Somewhere in the (presumably) English countryside lives a giant, who, like most giants, resides in a castle. The story is based on a tale by Oscar Wilde, and is really pretty simple. In the meantime – ladies, gentlemen, farm animals, I present to you The Selfish Giant. It was a special part of my childhood, and will always have a place in my heart – and yet, there was a period of a number of years during which I actively avoided it. This time, I have something to share with you that I have decidedly mixed feelings about. Summary Capsule: It’s about a giant who is selfish, and learns that this is not necessarily a good thing.ĭeneb’s Rating: 3 ½ flowering trees out of five.ĭeneb’s Review: Yes, your eyes do not deceive you – here, at last, is another installment of Tales from the VHS! My apologies for taking so long between segments, but hey, there’s only so many of these that I can do, and I want to spin them out a bit – and when you start that sort of spinning, it’s sometimes difficult to stop.Īnyway. ![]() The Scoop: 1971 G, directed by Peter Sander and starring Paul Hecht and Charles Aznavour. ![]() And I will allow nobody to play in it but myself.'” Complement it with Oscar Wilde on art, then revisit Zwerger’s enchanting reimaginings of Wonderland and Oz.“‘My own garden is my own garden,’ said the giant. Zwerger’s The Selfish Giant is long out of print, but surviving copies can still be found online and at some libraries. It’s a simple yet immeasurably sweet story - the story of transformation and self-transcendence through one’s own single act of kindness, and Zwerger’s subtle yet infinitely expressive illustrations add beautiful dimension to Wilde’s wistful hopefulness. But then, the giant disappears, only to come back many years later, as an old man returning to die under the tree, covered in white spring blossoms. Rather than scold, the giant helps the child climb the tree and gets a hug and a kiss in return, which melts his heart. He is gripped with regret over his surly behavior and vows to demolish the wall, but as he emerges from his castle to welcome the children, they all run for their lives - except one little boy in the midst of trying to climb a tree. One day, the giant is awakened to discover that the children have found a way to sneak in through a hole in the wall. In that turbulent context, it is perhaps befitting that Wilde would gravitate toward something soulful, symbolic, and ultimately bittersweet: When the selfish giant bans the children from playing in his garden, Spring refuses to come and the garden sinks into an unending winter. The story was written at a pivotal time in Wilde’s life: professionally, it was wedged between his foray into professional journalism in 1887 as editor of The Woman’s World and his only novel, the 1890 classic The Picture of Dorian Gray personally, it was nestled between the peak of his marital troubles and his intense love affair with Lord Alfred “Bosie” Douglas. From Austrian artist Lisbeth Zwerger - who also gave us those impossibly imaginative illustrations for Alice in Wonderland and The Wizard of Oz - comes a rare 1984 illustrated edition of The Selfish Giant ( public library), one of the five short stories in Oscar Wilde’s 1888 collection for children, The Happy Prince and Other Tales.
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