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Books with title The Importance of Being Earnest

  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde

    Paperback (Dover Publications, July 1, 1990)
    Here is Oscar Wilde's most brilliant tour de force, a witty and buoyant comedy of manners that has delighted millions in countless productions since its first performance in London's St. James' Theatre on February 14, 1895. The Importance of Being Earnest is celebrated not only for the lighthearted ingenuity of its plot, but for its inspired dialogue, rich with scintillating epigrams still savored by all who enjoy artful conversation.From the play's effervescent beginnings in Algernon Moncrieff's London flat to its hilarious denouement in the drawing room of Jack Worthing's country manor in Hertfordshire, this comic masterpiece keeps audiences breathlessly anticipating a new bon mot or a fresh twist of plot moment to moment.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde

    Paperback (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, March 1, 2019)
    The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play's humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde's career but also heralded his downfall. The Marquess of Queensberry, whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde's lover, planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission. Soon afterwards their feud came to a climax in court, where Wilde's homosexual double life was revealed to the Victorian public and he was eventually sentenced to imprisonment. His notoriety caused the play, despite its early success, to be closed after 86 performances. After his release, he published the play from exile in Paris, but he wrote no further comic or dramatic work.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde

    Paperback (CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform, June 25, 2015)
    The Importance of Being Earnest, A Trivial Comedy for Serious People is a play by Oscar Wilde. First performed on 14 February 1895 at the St James's Theatre in London, it is a farcical comedy in which the protagonists maintain fictitious personæ to escape burdensome social obligations. Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the play's major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Contemporary reviews all praised the play's humour, though some were cautious about its explicit lack of social messages, while others foresaw the modern consensus that it was the culmination of Wilde's artistic career so far. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduringly popular play. The successful opening night marked the climax of Wilde's career but also heralded his downfall. The Marquess of Queensberry, whose son Lord Alfred Douglas was Wilde's lover, planned to present the writer with a bouquet of rotten vegetables and disrupt the show. Wilde was tipped off and Queensberry was refused admission. Soon afterwards their feud came to a climax in court, where Wilde's homosexual double life was revealed to the Victorian public and he was eventually sentenced to imprisonment. His notoriety caused the play, despite its early success, to be closed after 86 performances. After his release, he published the play from exile in Paris, but he wrote no further comic or dramatic work.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde

    eBook (Digireads.com, March 29, 2004)
    "The Importance of Being Earnest," considered to be one of Oscar Wilde best plays, is a comedic satire of Victorian England. It is the story of Jack Worthing who lives in the country with his ward Cecily Cardew. Jack invents a brother named Ernest so that he has an excuse to travel to London to woo a woman, Gwendolen Fairfax. At the same time Jack's good friend, Algernon Moncrieff pretends to be Ernest so that he can woo Jack's ward, Cecily. A comedy of confusion is the result in Oscar Wilde's classic play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde

    Paperback (Chump Change, Nov. 19, 2016)
    Oscar Wilde is genius and his The Importance of Being Earnest is genius. It is a witty comedy with hilarious quotes about society pursuing ideals that are self-made.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.
  • The Importance of Being Earnest

    Oscar Wilde, Golgotha Press

    eBook (Golgotha Press, Feb. 25, 2011)
    An eBook of Oscar Wilde’s classic play, this edition includes a short critical commentary on the work and it’s themes; the book also includes a short essay examining Wilde’s life and and works.Working within the social conventions of late Victorian London, the plays major themes are the triviality with which it treats institutions as serious as marriage, and the resulting satire of Victorian ways. Its high farce and witty dialogue have helped make The Importance of Being Earnest Wilde's most enduring and popular play.