ISBN: 9789352766918 Pages: 240 Size: 197 x 138 mm Weight: 350 gm.
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About The Book
An American family named Otis moves into an old English mansion called Canterville Chase. The owner, Lord Canterville, warns Mr. Otis about the house being haunted. But that does not deter the family, who do not believe in ghosts. But when the notorious Canterville Ghost makes his appearance, the family is not afraid at all. In a role reversal, the ghost is scared after scaring people for more than three hundred years. The ghost considers it a great insult that the American family is not scared of him. He hates them all, except the teenaged Virginia, who is different from the rest of her family. Virginia encounters the ghost at the end of the novel, and accepts his plea for help to lift the curse on him. At the risk of her own life, Virginia travels with the ghost to another dimension, and helps him to finally rest in peace.
About Oscar Wilde
Born on 16 October 1854, Oscar Wilde was a famous Irish poet and playwright. Part of a family of intellectuals, he was educated at the most prestigious colleges in Great Britain Trinity College, University of Dublin and Magdalen College, University of Oxford. During his years in university, he was drawn to Aestheticism, the art movement prevalent in late 19th century. He wrote essays, propagated ideas as a lecturer and also wrote the famous novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, which he vehemently defended using the concept of making art for art's sake.
His aesthetic sensibilities mixed with his wit were apparent in notable plays such as The Importance of Being Earnest and Lady Windermere's Fan, and established him as a successful playwright. However, Wilde had a harrowing personal life because of his homosexuality. He was prosecuted and imprisoned in 1895 for two years. The idea of homosexuality in his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray was used against him to strengthen the case. Upon his release, he left for France, never to return to England.
His health declined after his release from prison and he died of meningitis in 1900, aged 46.