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The Importance of Being Earnest

Series: Modern Plays
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( 409,238 ratings, 17,843 reviews)
Brief Description
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so. While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade. Unfortunately,... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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A new version of Oscar Wilde's legendary 'trivial comedy for serious people', to coincide with the new run at London's National Theatre.

A new version of Oscar Wilde's legendary 'trivial comedy for serious people', to coincide with the new run at London's National Theatre.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

A Trivial Comedy for Serious People

Being sensible can be excessively boring. At least Jack thinks so.

While assuming the role of dutiful guardian in the country, he lets loose in town under a false identity. Meanwhile, his friend Algy takes on a similar facade.

Unfortunately, living a double life has its drawbacks, especially when it comes to love. Hoping to impress two eligible ladies, the gentlemen find themselves caught in a web of lies they must carefully navigate.

A new edition of Oscar Wilde's legendary comedy, published to coincide with the revival at London's National Theatre, in November 2024.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781350551572

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 26 November 2024

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Methuen Drama

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 10.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 106g

Pages: 88

About the Author

Oscar Fingal O'Flahertie Wills Wilde (b. Dublin, 1854) was an Irish playwright, who wrote one of the best loved comedies in the English language - The Importance of Being Earnest (1895). A leading wit and conversationalist in London society, his career was destroyed at its height when he was imprisoned for homosexual offences.

Wilde was born in Dublin and educated at Trinity College, Dublin, and Magdalen College, Oxford. Settling in London, he became famous for his extravagant dress, long hair, and paradoxical views on art, literature, and morality. His first play, Vera (1880), a tragedy about Russian nihilists, was produced in New York to poor reviews. Success in the theatre came with the elegant drawing-room comedy Lady Windermere's Fan. A Woman of No Importance (1893) was another success. Other works for the theatre were An Ideal Husband (1895) and the biblical SalomΓ© (1896), written in French for Sarah Bernhardt. Wilde flaunted his homosexual affairs, including his ill-fated liaison with Lord Alfred Douglas. Following a celebrated trial in 1895 he was sentenced to two years' imprisonment with hard labour. The sentence led to public humiliation, poor health, and bankruptcy. On his release in 1897 he left for France and remained in exile there until his death in 1900.

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