The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
The Importance of Being Earnest, Oscar Wilde
18 Rating(s)
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The Importance of Being Earnest

Author: Oscar Wilde, Ensemble Cast

Narrator: Ensemble Cast

Unabridged: 1 hr 54 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 03/04/2002

Categories: Fiction, Drama


Synopsis

Known as one of the greatest comedies written in English, Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest attacks Victorian manners and morals in what can only be described as the most maliciously delicious way. A witty satire of Victorian social hypocrisy, Wilde pulls the strings on his cast of late-Victorian characters making them appear, first and foremost, exactly as they are—superficial, upper class Englishmen bound and cinched by an artificial code of manners.

Jack Worthington has invented a rakish brother, Ernest, who calls Jack away from family duties and gives him an excuse to travel to London. Similarly, Algernon Moncrieff has created the persona of Bunbury, an invalid friend, who periodically requires his services in the country. Both young men cleverly use their invented alter egos to disguise their misdemeanors until Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest, to woo Jack's young ward, Cicely. To make things just a bit more complicated, Algernon's cousin Gwendolyn loves Jack, but thinks Jack's name is Ernest. This enduring comedy of manners rises on a farcical crescendo until true identities are revealed and both couples end up happily united.

This full-cast reading coaxes every nuance of pretension, self-importance, and double entendre from Wilde's lines.

About Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde was born in Dublin on October 16, 1854. He excelled at Trinity College in Dublin from 1871 to 1874, eventually winning a scholarship to Magdalene College in Oxford, which he entered in 1875. The biggest influences on his development as an artist at this time were Swinburne, Walter Pater, and John Ruskin.

In 1875, Wilde began publishing poetry in literary magazines. In 1876 he found himself back in Ireland when the death of his father left the family with several debts. Wilde continued writing poetry in earnest, and in 1878, he won the coveted Newdigate Prize for English poetry. He soon left Oxford to build himself a reputation among the literati in London.

During the 1880s, Wilde established himself as a writer, poet, and lecturer, but above all as a "professor of aesthetics." In 1884, he married Constance Lloyd in London. Sons soon followed: Cyril in 1885 and Vyvyan in 1886. During these years, Wilde worked as a journalist and reviewer, while also continuing with his other writing of poetry and plays. In 1890 he published his well-known story The Picture of Dorian Gray. The early 1890s were the most intellectually productive and fruitful time for Wilde. Some of his most familiar plays-including Lady Windemere's Fan and Salome-were written and performed upon the London stages. In 1893 Wilde produced A Woman of No Importance and An Ideal Husband, followed in 1894 by The Importance of Being Earnest.

Wilde's life took a turn for the worst when, in May 1895, he was convicted of engaging in homosexual acts, which were then illegal, and sentenced to two years imprisonment with hard labor. He soon declared bankruptcy, and his property was auctioned off. In 1896, Wilde lost legal custody of his children. When his mother died that same year, his wife Constance visited him at the jail to bring him the news. It was the last time they saw each other. In the years after his release, Wilde's health deteriorated. In November 1900, he died in Paris at the age of forty-six.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Brittany on July 16, 2023

Unexpectedly hilarious! It was so surprising how much of the humor translated to current times. Delightfully fun. I weirdly loved this. But I honestly went into it randomly with very low expectations. I love witty sarcasm, and Oscar Wilde was chock full of it! 5 Stars......more

Goodreads review by Richard on November 30, 2018

I used to be an inveterate playgoer (one year, 1989 I think, I saw 52 plays). The action and dialog on stage can be pretty quick. And if you're seeing a play that was written in another time for a different culture, that might be too quick to catch. For example, the first line of Lady Windermere's Fan......more

Goodreads review by Sketchbook on January 07, 2013

"Prism, where is that baby?" demands the damndest dowager in theatre history in OWs farcical masterpiece. Feeling blue ? Reread this comedic milestone for the most preposterous merriment outside of Noel Coward's "Blithe Spirit," with a bow to WS Gilbert and Sheridan. Wilde found his playwrighting vo......more

Goodreads review by Lucie on October 16, 2018

3.5 stars I love Oscar Wilde so much and I’m so glad I finally ended up reading his most famous plays, they were so ironic and funny, I also adored the social satire he did. I’d love to see them on stage, it must be amazing. The Importance of Being Earnest, 4/5 stars Lady Windermere’s Fan, 4/5 stars Sal......more

Goodreads review by Victorian on August 26, 2021

Me ha parecido una comedia deliciosa que consigue la difícil tarea de que el lector se ría solo. Y no lo hace una vez, me pasé dos tardes de lectura riendo casi sin parar. Esto es muy complicado de conseguir cuando se lee teatro, ya que te falta la 'fisicalidad' y las expresiones del actor. Pero aqu......more