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 | | The Importance of Being Earnest and Other Plays (Penguin Classics) by Oscar Wilde, Richard Allen Cave (Commentary), Richard Allen Cave (Contributor), Richard Allen Cave (Editor) ISBN-10: 9780140436068 ISBN-10: 0-14-043606-5 ISBN-13: 9780140436068 ISBN-13: 978-0-14-043606-8 Paperback 2001-03-01 Penguin Classics Find Lowest Price |
Editorials | ||
Product Description Oscar Wilde was at once a family man and a homosexual outsider, a socialite, socialist, and Irish nationalist. His contradictions inspired him to ponder the roles and masks donned in conventional society, and his acute and wry insights are wonderfully displayed in this collection of his essential plays. Known not only for his brilliant, epigrammatic language, but also for his sense of theatrical design, color, and staging, Wilde created an enduring body of finely crafted works, whose delights and ironies still speak to modern audiences. In addition to Lady Windermere's Fan, Salomé, A Woman of No Importance, An Ideal Husband, A Florentine Tragedy, and The Importance of Being Earnest, this edition contains an introduction, notes and commentaries, and an excised scene from The Importance of Being Earnest. | ||
Reviews | ||
A handbag? I consider these to plays to be probably the most entertaining that we have in the English language. Shakespeare, they're not, but that is precisely why they can be enjoyed by a modern audience. Don't get me wrong, when shakespeare is good he's the tops (much ado about nothing, taming o. the shrew), but even with these plays one has to put one's sixteenth century english cap on, and start thinking in english like that renaissance bard did. What's more, with shakespeare, even the comedies had some serious dark, somber undercurrents. None of that with Wilde. Everything is left to the wit of language, which is ample, and usually uproarious. You really owe yourself the opportunity to become acquainted with these plays. Go out and watch a stage or film production of these plays if you can... Which is the best play out of the three presented here? Importance of Being Earnest, no question. | ||
Not so funny I have decided that since so many people are obviously blind to how dumb this play is, I should write a review to enlighten anyone that might read it. The humor is dated and because of that, very boring. The situations are completely inconceivable and it makes no sense! The characters are flat and serve no real purpose. I suggest that no one else ever ever read this play. | ||
Partying and Good times and thoughtless happy endings... satirically? This fellow gives new meaning to irreverence and "farce". His views on the virtues of having a satirically empty head as written by one appears to be the well written best example? His characterization of the English upper class as both idle and clueless came too close to the truth. Yet he mostly has happy endings and a good laugh for all. | ||
THE BEST EDITION OF THE PLAYS... All you Wildeans take note: this is the only edition of the plays wherein the lines are properly numbered for specific citation and easy reference: very, very important!! | ||
The Importance of the whole Text An extraordinary play; witty, profound and beautiful. And even better if you read all of it. Which you won't if you buy the Penguin copy with Edith Evans on the front, since this version is heavily abridged. Which is fine except the publishers make no mention of this at all in the volume. And cultural vandalism of this kind should, I feel at least be acknowledged. | ||