This book contains four funny and sad short stories an some memorable poems by Oscar Wilde. Oscar Fingal O’Flahertie Wills Wilde was born in 1854 to an ear surgeon and a poet mother. From a very young age he was exposed to literary talk and later he was influenced by the art for art’ s sake philosophy. In 1881 he published his poetry and went on a lecture tour of North Amerika where he met Walt Whitman. Wilde wrote plays, short stories, poems and jjust one novel „The picture of Dorian Gray.“ „The Canterville Ghost and other stories“, includes four stories an some poems. The poems criticise the catholic church and god, but in a very clever way. Also memorable is the poem „The Disciple“, it is about a pool, who becomes very sad after the death of Narcissus, but not because he can’ t see the young man anymore, it is because… The title story of this book is about a ghost who meets fearless and practical Americans. „I really must insist on your oiling those chains…“ His life as a ghost becomes very dull and he gets very waek and tired. „I must rattle chains, and groan through keyholes…It is my only reason for existing…. I am so lonely and unhappy.“ Just a girl of fifteen tries to console the ghost. „You must weep for me for my sins…and pray for me for my soul. The funny story about cultureless Americans turns to a sad one an culminates with a happy ending. at the end. Other stories deal with the realtionship of men and women, a topic Wilde has written a lot about, „Women are meant to be loved, not to be understood“, nobleness and destiny. In the longest story „Lord Arthur Savile’ s crime“, a man gets to know his future. And the future is, he will be a murderer. So the man thinks it is his duty to do this and now he tries to kill someone, only after this task will be completed, he can marry his lovely wife. As always Wilde describes the upper society with their talks about marriage, „I don’ t think a husband should be too fascinating“, and their passion for amusements in every way, like trying to read someones future in his hand by a chirmantist. Oscar Wilde’ s stories are full of wit, unexpected twists, sadness, philosophy and memorable sentences. In 1895 Wilde spend two years in prison for homosexual offenses, he went to France, where he lived the rest of his life under the pseodonym Sebastian Melmoth. He died in 1900.