The Importance of Being Earnest
by Oscar Wilde
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Book Summary Information
Author: Oscar WildeEdition: Paperback
Audio: English (Original Language); English (Unknown); English (Published)
Published: 2005-01-01
ISBN: 158049580X
Number of pages: 76
Publisher: Prestwick House Inc.
Book Reviews of The Importance of Being Earnest
Book Review: The Importance of Laughter
Summary: 4 Stars
"Truth is beautiful, without doubt; but so are lies." ~Ralph Waldo Emerson
I didn't know anything about this play going in to it. After reading the first few pages it became evident pretty quickly that this was a comedy, and a pretty good one at that. There is a lot of witty banter and snide remarks throughout that make you laugh out loud. I imagine this is even funnier on the stage with the actors' body language, etc.
The play demonstrates how a couple of lies can culminate into a huge quandary. You can see the train wreck coming and the anticipation builds until the train finally comes off it's tracks at the satisfying collision ... I mean culmination.
The version of the book I read is full of footnotes that includes changes that have occured in the play over the years and other pertinent information to the play. There is one footnote that I found particularly interesting; it says, Franklin Dyall, who played Merriman (in the play) recalled the effect of one of his lines on the first night, "This [announcement] was received with the loudest and most sustained laugh that I have ever experienced, culminating in a round of applause; and as I came off Wilde said to me: 'I'm so glad you got that laugh. It shows they have followed the plot.'" Imagine watching your play being acted out for the first time. It must be nerve-wracking to sit there hoping that people will like it and appreciate it. It must also be extremely satisfying to see and hear the positive reactions.
My wife noticed what I was reading and told me she had seen the movie and that it starred Rupert Everett as Algernon. I can't think of a more apt actor for that role. I will have to check it out.
Summary of The Importance of Being Earnest
This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and reader,s notes to help the modern reader appreciate Wilde's wry wit and elaborate plot twists.Oscar Wilde's madcap farce about mistaken identities, secret engagements, and lovers' entanglements still delights readers more than a century after its 1895 publication and premiere performance. The rapid-fire wit and eccentric characters of The Importance of Being Earnest have made it a mainstay of the high school curriculum for decades.
Cecily Cardew and Gwendolen Fairfax are both in love with the same mythical suitor. Jack Worthing has wooed Gewndolen as Ernest while Algernon has also posed as Ernest to win the heart of Jack's ward, Cecily. When all four arrive at Jack's country home on the same weekend-the "rivals" to fight for Ernest's undivided attention and the "Ernests" to claim their beloveds-pandemonium breaks loose.
Only a senile nursemaid and an old, discarded hand-bag can save the day!
Wilde, Oscar Books
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