The Sphinx Without a Secret by Oscar Wilde
Back in July, 2009 I won a copy of 'The Model Millionaire' by Oscar Wilde from Jessica over at The Blue Stocking Society. It's a collection of short stories. I know it been awhile since I won it but I finally cracked it open and read the first story.
The Sphinx Without a Secret is a very short story, all of seven pages. It opens at a outdoor cafe in Paris.
Lord Murchison was walking by and saw an un-named friend sitting at a table and joined him. He told his friend a strange story about a woman he had intended to marry.
She was very secretive about where she went so, one day Lord Murchison followed her. To his disbelief, he followed her to a boarding house Of course, Lord Murchison assumed she had a another lover and confronted her. She confessed that she rented a room at the boarding house but denied that she was meeting another man there. Lord Murchison didn't believe her and broke off their engagement. He later finds out...
Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (16 October 1854 – 30 November 1900) was an Irish writer, poet, and prominent aesthete. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of London's most popular playwrights in the early 1890s. Today he is remembered for his epigrams, plays and the tragedy of his imprisonment, followed by his early death.
If you would like to participate in Short Story Mondays, go to John of The Book Mine Set. He has a short story review every Monday and a place for you to link your short story review. Come join in the fun!
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I read the Picture of Dorian Gray in high school and for some reason it was always one of my favorite books.
Sandra K321 said... January 25, 2011 at 7:13 AM
Sandra, I think it was quite clever for the time and well written. Perhaps that is why it is one of your favorites.
Teddy Rose said... January 25, 2011 at 10:00 PM
Before my comment got lost, I was saying that it is indeed one of the classics of the short story, but i haven't read it yet.
Maybe this weekend as Wilde seems to be my author of the week: went to see Lady Windermere's Fan on Monday and just borrowed Salome...
Em
Anonymous said... January 27, 2011 at 2:51 PM
Em,
I'm envious. I would love to go to an Oscar Wilde play.
Teddy Rose said... January 27, 2011 at 8:47 PM
Hmm, the only work I've ever read from Oscar Wilde was The Importance of Being Earnest and I have to say that became one of my favorite play works. The movie for it was great too!
And this short story of his, The Sphinx Without a Secret sounds like another excellent work from him. I will be reading this soon! I'm very eager to find out what it was that Lord Murchison found out...!
YWLiang said... February 18, 2011 at 3:34 PM
YW, I hope you enjoy it. I highly recomend The Picture of Dorian Gray as well.
Teddy Rose said... February 18, 2011 at 11:17 PM
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