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    The Importance of Being Earnest
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    The Importance of Being Earnest
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    The Importance of Being Earnest
    Audiobook1 hour

    The Importance of Being Earnest

    Written by Oscar Wilde

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    About this audiobook

    A wonderfully charming recording available for the first time as a digital download.

    Jack Worthing lives in the country with his budding young ward Cecily Cardew and her fusspot governess, Miss Prism. To escape his situation, Jack invents a brother named Ernest who lives in London and frequently needs him. When in London, Jack then poses as Ernest. This elaborate fabrication proceeds smoothly until Jack/Ernest falls in love and his fiancee’s mother discovers there is more – or, rather, less – to him than meets the eye.

    “It is exquisitely trivial, a delicate bubble of fancy and it has its philosophy; that we should treat all trivial things of life seriously, and all the serious things of life with sincere and studied triviality.” Oscar Wilde

    LanguageEnglish
    PublisherHarperCollins Publishers
    Release dateDec 9, 2010
    ISBN9780007424160
    Author

    Oscar Wilde

    OSCAR WILDE (Dublín, 1854–París, 1900), poeta y dramaturgo irlandés, es considerado uno de los más célebres escritores en lengua inglesa de todos los tiempos, tanto por su provocadora personalidad como por su obra. Escribió relatos y novelas, como El retrato de Dorian Gray, poemas como el desgarrador La balada de la cárcel de Reading, y fue enormemente popular en el Londres victoriano por su exitosa producción teatral, como La importancia de llamarse Ernesto, y por su ingenio mordaz y brillante conversación.

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    Reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest

    4/5

    3,065 ratings104 reviews

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    • 2/5
      I didn't like this play at all. Wilde's humor is known for being witty and sharp tongued, but nothing was funny. The plot isn't bad, but his characters were just so bland it ruined the story for me. The ending was horrid for me, like I get that his point was to laugh at the fact that plays wrap up in neat little packages and he was trying to point out how ridiculous that is, but it was just pathetic, it just made his play look bad.
    • 4/5
      Oscar Wilde is a very witty Sass Master. This was a great comedy, and I'm sure it'd be even better on stage.
    • 5/5
      So funny! Did it as a high school play
    • 4/5
      Radio version from L.A. Theatreworks. Perfect!
    • 4/5
      This is a well-known classic which I've seen on screen but don't think I had previously read the original play. A free e-book edition encouraged me to try it, and I was surprised at how easy it was to read despite the stage directions and dramatic format.

      The story is a satirical jab at the silliness of society at the end of the 19th century, featuring two men who invent fictitious lives in order to escape from their families for a while. Two girls fall in love with them, but insist that they can only ever love men called Ernest...

      I found myself smiling a few times, and irritated at others by the trivialities of upper-class society - but then that's the point of it, really. It's not a long play, and I read it in just a couple of days. Well worth reading, in my view.
    • 5/5
      As scrumptious a play as was ever penned.
    • 1/5
      A cute little trifle, just a middle-of-the-road blip, though. At least now I can say I’ve been exposed to it, and exposure is good - unless you’re arrested for it, or die from it.
    • 5/5
      Probably Oscar Wilde's most famous play, and certainly one of his best works. The story revolves around a couple of society gentlemen who have fallen in love with women who have the idea that they should marry a man by the name of Ernest. Since neither of the young men are named Ernest, this leads to a lot of pretense, and suddenly the world is blessed with two Ernest Worthingtons. The resolution might seem somewhat contrived, but since the entire play is a satire, this can be forgiven, since it is intended to appear that way. A fun work, and a quick read.
    • 2/5
      zeer flauw, vol klassieke Wilde-oneliners. Misschien moet ik het nog eens herlezen.
    • 5/5
      Every time I read this play, I find myself amazed at how funny it is! This Librivox recording (version 3) was excellent, which didn't surprize me since Elizabeth Klett was not only the voice of Gwendolyn but also the coordinator. Ruth Golding was especially good as Lady Bracknell, but all the narrators were wonderful.
    • 4/5
      I love the wit and humor saturated in this play. I also enjoyed being able to look at Victorian culture from a different angle. It is quick and funny, and the use of the English language a delight.
    • 4/5
      This farce follows the entanglements of two men, each posing as a man named "Earnest" in order to woo a woman. It's the only written work that's ever had me laughing out loud in public--Oscar Wilde is an incredibly witty man. He makes great use of snappy banter, the occasional satirical reference to real-world social issues, and puns (such as the one in the title itself), but never comes on too strong, as many comedies can tend to do. If you've never read Wilde before, this is an excellent place to start.
    • 4/5
      The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde; (4*)The Importance of Being Earnest seems to start as a play about truth but quickly becomes a play about the false through the classical "simply a misunderstanding". The two male leads, Jack Worthing and Algernon Moncrieff, use imaginary friends they invent to avoid the boring and weekly family engagements. These imaginary friends lead to eventual confusion between them and the women they love. This misunderstanding is only half the fun though. Wilde mocks the ill portrayed English Aristocracy of the late 19th century; poking fun at not only their etiquette but also their stubborn and unpractical tendencies, their immoral behavior, and their exploitation of the lower classes. Very rarely do comedies strike to the heart of the matter and say something as meaningful as Oscar Wilde did with this great play of his.Wilde gives new meaning to the terminology irreverence and farce.His views on the virtues of having a satirically empty head as written by one understanding this is the funniest I have ever read. His characterization of the English upper class as both idle and clueless most likely came very close to the truth.But he wraps it all up happily (for most) and leaves us with a great laugh. Well done, Wilde!
    • 4/5
      Spring 2020 (March);
      ~ Live reading w/5 classes

      I loved doing this satirical play with my class, and listening to them giggle as the train wreck of a cast train wrecked across the whole of this play. The whole of this play is a contrivance of satire against the upper class and, while I don't find that it has much depth with context research, I do like that one gets a few smiles out of the lunacy of the interactions even without knowing all of that.
    • 4/5
      Chirp Audiobook

      I loved this book as much as I loved it in college. Although the banter gets to be a little much towards the end, it left me wanting more. More Earnest, more Algernon.
    • 4/5
      A quick, fun read.
    • 5/5
      I was worried that I would miss the physical comedy of this play with only the audio, but the actors were able to convey some of it through their voices. I did appreciate how the listening to this version really made me focus on Wilde's playing with language.
    • 3/5
      I probably should have expected a fair amount of silliness and slapstick based on it being a 'trivial comedy for serious people,' but que sera, sera. It was a quick, funny read nonetheless. The ending line was a bit on the nose, though, wasn't it?
    • 4/5
      Read for book riot read harder challenge #6: Read a play by an author of color and/or queer author.
      Funny play, I may check out a love performance of it. Not really much into reading plays, but hey, that’s why it’s a challenge right?
    • 4/5
      The wit! The snark! THIS is why I need to get my hands on more classics.
    • 5/5
      One of my favorites
    • 5/5
      While reading The Importance of Being Earnest, I kept wondering how I managed to skipped over this one. It seems like something that should have been part of my curriculum in college. Or at the very least I should have seen one of the movie versions of the play. But somehow I did not.And yet, as I read it recently, it felt very familiar. Part of the familiarity comes from the use of tropes common to comic writing. We have cases of mistaken identity, intentional deceit, unlikely coincidences and more. The dialog is witty and playful but with a biting undertone that gets at the heart of the theme.The play centers on the interactions of two young men, Earnest and Algernon. At the onset we encounter the two men discussing the merits and virtues of life. During the discussion, we learn that Earnest’s real name is Jack but that he assumes the name Earnest while in London. He seems ready to give up his duplicity but when he proposes to Gwendolen, she admits that she really loves him most because of his name. So instead of making a clean slate and killing off Earnest, he decides to wholly accept the name. Meanwhile, Gwendolen’s mother opposes their marriage on the grounds that Earnest does not come from an appropriate aristocratic heritage.Thus we have a young man caught between two identity problems. His fiancé only loves him because of his fake first name and his would-be mother-in-law refuses to acknowledge his potential because he has the wrong last name. Wilde presents these two obstacles as counterpoints to showcase the absurdity of each. Just as it’s absurd that young Gwendolen only loves her man because of his name, it’s equally absurd that he be inadequate for marriage because of his status in society as shown by his last name.The story continues to play with these ideas through some hilarious moments to come. Algernon and Jack each struggle with their identities both in relationships and in society. We’re shown how ridiculous we can appear when we place too much importance on trivial things. At the same time, there are many things that we trivialize that perhaps we should look at more closely.The language of the play is fabulous and is a great example of Wilde’s genius. The dialog is sharp and smart with some great quips and repartee. While the character types and the plot elements feel very similar to other plays (I was especially reminded of scenes from Twelfth Night), the writing feels fresh and fun. This is a super fun story. Well written and hilarious. I really need to seek out a movie version (or see it performed live). It’s got plenty of laugh out loud moments while also providing a thoughtful satire on our impressions and assumptions about society and each other.*****4.5 out of 5 stars
    • 4/5
      I'm not sure how I made it through an MA in English without reading this. Finally dove into the script when I was cast to play Algernon in a local community theatre production.So much of this is witty and relevant and speaks with a modern sensibility. But dear lord, let's pick up the pace. Every line can be cut by a third, and several sections could be cut completely.
    • 4/5
      I've always enjoyed this play and couldn't turn down the opportunity to listen to this audio production with James Marsters (SPIKE!) in one of the lead roles. The play remains as funny and charming as ever, and while not all of the actors rocked the English accent as well as others, it was a delightful and fast listen. Highly recommended.
    • 4/5
      Very funny, in the ridiculous sense, and often quotable. (I think Wilde could go further into illogic and non-sequiturs, and should try some longer-running gags.) Edited nicely; the humor doesn't overstay its welcome. Jack: You never talk anything but nonsense. Algernon: Nobody ever does.
    • 3/5
      I found the play amusing, so I'm giving the book three stars. However, I have to give one star to the homophobic creator biography and literary analysis that is contained in the edition I actually read, a 1959 book in the Barron's Educational Series. When it wasn't offensive, the literary analysis was just boring as hell and written in dry, tortured, overly academic prose that contrasted greatly with the witty dialogue in Wilde's play. Wilde's work stands the test of time, while the introductory matter is best left in the past.
    • 4/5
      The 2 narrators on this version were incredible, immediately switching voices without missing a beat. I don't know how they did it. The book was amusing in a stuffy English way. Silly can be fun.
    • 2/5
      man pretends to be ernest; comedy
    • 5/5
      After encountering references to this play in a book I recently read, I decided it was high time I "took in the play", which was rather easy to do with access to the audiorecording of a L.A. Theatreworks production. Now I understand why this play is considered by some to be the apogee of Wilde's work and such a wonderful precursor to the English farcical comic novel style perfected by P.G. Wodehouse. An entertaining Victorian story of courtship and manners, assumed names, mistaken lovers and the epitome of the "dragon" aunt. A whimsical mayhem romp!
    • 5/5
      This is a hilarious and quick play centered around two couples and the name Ernest.