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The Importance of Being Earnest

The Importance of Being Earnest

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Product Info Reviews

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Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Light, funny, and wonderful.
Review: Here is a rare thing -- a comedy that is enough in and of itself. It is funny-- genuinely funny, without being naughty or "sophisticated" or cynical, without being overly goofy, without being sad at the same time, or profound, or stupid. It is light without making you wish it was deeper or think maybe it is and you missed it somehow.

I was forced to read a fair number of comedies throughout English lit classes, and my clearest memory was that most jokes, though alive on stage, are dead on the page. Even in Shakespeare, often. Here, though, I really was laughing, enjoying the wordiness and wit. Makes me really wish and hope to see it performed someday.

The word that comes to mind is pure. Like if there really are Platonic forms, essences of things, this is the platonic form of comedy. Or at least approaches it more closely than anything else I've ever read.

It's simple. It's short. It's beautiful -- in that it is fully formed within itself, wanting nothing, leaving nothing. It's a classic.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Wonderful Wilde!
Review: I have just read Mr Wilde for the first time, though I am a prolific quoter of one-liners taken from my 'Wit of Wilde'. I urge you to read him. This book was the funniest thing I have read in a long time. It certainly brightened up a very dark and depressing end of semester for me. Mr Wilde is a genius! He has got himself another devoted fan!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: A work of genius!
Review: I have recieved the "honor" of portraying Gwendolyn in our High School's production of The Importance of Being Earnest. I can honestly say that it is the funniest,wittiest play I've ever experienced. The cases of confused identities, backhanded remarks, shallow character, and outright ignorance makes this play a must for anyone who finds Shakespeare just a little above their heads. Although nothing can compare to a live performance, this play is a delight simply to read!

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: the mother of all bon mots
Review: I love this play; I cannot imagine not having read it, not being able to revel in its insane logic of plot and a script that consists almost entirely of epigrams. Even though the play is given over to a frenzy of wit, the characters are likable and well-drawn, not mere vehicles for gag lines. The only problem with this play is that it is too short.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Histerical!
Review: I loved this book!! It's a short, quick read, and definitely worth your time. I really enjoyed it and I would recommend it to anyone. Very funny and enjoyable to read.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Hysterical!
Review: I loved this! Generally I detest reading plays for some reason, but I enjoyed every minute of this one. The characters were excellent, and the plotline creative. Actually, the plot alone is amusing. The dialogue (ooooh, the dialogue!) is absolutely hilarious. I laughed out loud many, many times while reading this. I found Lady Bracknell to be one of the more entertaining characters, with her stereotypically lopsided priorities. Algernon and Jack's many angry (well, on Jack's part, at least) exchanges were marvelous (the bit with the muffins is an absolute classic, in my opinion). The satirical side of this was well-done and rather interesting for those interested in such things, but "The Importance of Being Earnest" is, overall, a superb read just for the entertainment value of it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Hilarious and Well Constructed
Review: I read this when I took the Comic Vision in school. In all honesty this is a phenomenal piece of literature. Wilde offers comedy of several sorts. The bickering between Jack and Algernon and the bickering between Gwendolen and Cecily is well drawn. Lady Bracknell is a dominating figure in herself. Miss Prism and the Priest are also memorable supporting characters. Wilde also offers a funny repetition of events when first Jack tries to woo Gwendolen under an alias identity and then Algernon tries to woo Cecily under the same alias identity. This makes the scene where they all meet together hilarious! But Wilde DOES NOT stop here! After the 2 men and 2 women bickered with each other, Jack and Algernon team up to win the love of their lives, and Gwendolen and Cecily team up to determine the integrity of Jack and Algernon. The end of this defines dramatic irony! (I don't want to spoil it.) Perhaps the greatest thing about this book is that Wilde skillfully balances subtle humour and major dramatic irony. If you like this book, you MUST see the Paramount Production. Most video stores should have it.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: Very amusing comedy
Review: I really enjoyed reading it, because I think it contents a good portion of humour, and also irony. At first I did not know what to expect from the novel, I did not even understand the title at all. One man`s name is called "Ernest" and so I got confused by the name and the adjective "to be earnest". I must also say, that the beginning is difficult to understand because at first you don`t really know what the idea of "bunburry" is. And then the different relationships between the persons are not easey to understand. After I have read the novel, I had the chance to watch also the film. Afterwards I have liked the novel more, the film was too old and you could only guess what the actors were saying, they had a very strong English accent.

Rating: 4 stars
Summary: A wonderful play
Review: I was first introduced to this play when I was in college. It is a funny and warm story on how important it is to know who you are. It was because of this play that I got into reading plays by various writers, but this one will always be my favorite. I have read this book so many times, that I lost count and I still get the same thrill out of it.

Rating: 5 stars
Summary: Importance of Being Earnest
Review: I was never a fan of Oscar Wilde's until I read The Importance of Being Earnest. His words crackle and fly off of the page, full of humor and fluency. I was never bored with this text, from its very start to the crazy, chaotic end. Wilde made me writhe in my seat with anticipation, wondering what loony character I'd be introduced to next, and with what sub-plot they'd fit in. The dialogue of The Importance of Being Earnest snaps, addressing social ideas and mores that, in its time, weren't exactly spoken aloud. What a clever and creative man Wilde truly was.


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