The Importance of Being Earnest

Written by Oscar Wilde

Narrated by James Marsters, Charles Busch and Full Cast

This final play from the pen of Oscar Wilde is a stylish send-up of Victorian courtship and manners, complete with assumed names, mistaken lovers, and a lost handbag. Jack and Algernon are best friends, both wooing ladies who think their names are Ernest, “that name which inspires absolute confidence.” Wilde’s effervescent wit, scathing social satire, and high farce make this one of the most cherished plays in the English language.

Includes an interview with director Michael Hackett, Professor of Theater in the School of Theater, Film and Television at UCLA.

An L.A. Theatre Works full-cast performance featuring:
James Marsters as Jack
Charles Busch as Lady Bracknell
Emily Bergl as Cecily
Neil Dickson as Lane and Merriman
Jill Gascoine as Miss Prism
Christopher Neame as Chasuble
Matthew Wolf as Algernon
Sarah Zimmerman as Gwendolen

Directed by Michael Hackett. Recorded before a live audience at the Skirball Cultural Center, Los Angeles.

• Language: English
• Publisher: L.A. Theatre Works
• Release date: Nov 1, 2009
• ISBN: 9781580815901

Oscar Wilde

Oscar Wilde (1854–1900) was a Dublin-born poet and playwright who studied at the Portora Royal School, before attending Trinity College and Magdalen College, Oxford. The son of two writers, Wilde grew up in an intellectual environment. As a young man, his poetry appeared in various periodicals including Dublin University Magazine. In 1881, he published his first book Poems, an expansive collection of his earlier works. His only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray, was released in 1890 followed by the acclaimed plays Lady Windermere’s Fan (1893) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895).

Reviews for The Importance of Being Earnest

[MinHezy · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

it's absurdly funny

[maxernst11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

zeer flauw, vol klassieke Wilde-oneliners. Misschien moet ik het nog eens herlezen.

[catalogthis · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Radio version from L.A. Theatreworks. Perfect!

[quantum_flapdoodle · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[leslie398 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[charlie68_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Funny at times though tough to follow at times. The characters are quirky and eccentric.

[gregorio_roth · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

a blend of hilarity and double speak... quit the woodhousian affair.

[carmacreator · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Oscar Wilde is a very witty Sass Master. This was a great comedy, and I'm sure it'd be even better on stage.

[grlintrrptdrdng · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

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.

[okrysmastree · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[melopher_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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!

[katieloucks · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

So funny! Did it as a high school play

[sueincyprus · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[jmlibrarian · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

As scrumptious a play as was ever penned.

[rontyler-1 · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

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.

[andjhostet-527429 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Simply hilarious play. Wilde, as usual, has dialog that is just so hilariously witty, that it requires the reader to read every single line twice. The plot itself is nonsense, albeit hilarious and entertaining nonsense, but the magic is in the witty dialog and the eccentric characters.

Favorite quotes:

"The truth is rarely pure and never simple"

“To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness.”

"Algernon: All women become like their mothers. That is their tragedy. No man does. That’s his.
Jack: Is that clever?
Algernon: It is perfectly phrased! and quite as true as any observation in civilized life should be.
Jack: I am sick to death of cleverness. Everybody is clever nowadays. You can't go anywhere without meeting clever people. The thing has become an absolute public nuisance. I wish to goodness we had a few fools left.
ALGERNON: We have.
JACK: I should extremely like to meet them. What do they talk about?
ALGERNON: The fools? Oh! about the clever people of course.
JACK: What fools."

[wanderlustlover_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[debbie13410 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Very Quotable witty farce.

"Jack. [Pulling off his gloves.] When one is in town one amuses oneself. When one is in the country one amuses other people.
Algernon. Got nice neighbours in your part of Shropshire?
Jack. Perfectly horrid! Never speak to one of them."

"Algernon. The amount of women in London who flirt with their own husbands is perfectly scandalous. It looks so bad. It is simply washing one’s clean linen in public."

"Lady Bracknell. I’m sorry if we are a little late, Algernon, but I was obliged to call on dear Lady Harbury. I hadn’t been there since her poor husband’s death. I never saw a woman so altered; she looks quite twenty years younger."

"lady bracknell. Nor do I in any way approve of the modern sympathy with invalids. I consider it morbid. Illness of any kind is hardly a thing to be encouraged in others. Health is the primary duty of life."

"Lady Bracknell. I have always been of opinion that a man who desires to get married should know either everything or nothing. Which do you know?
Jack. [After some hesitation.] I know nothing, Lady Bracknell.
Lady Bracknell. I am pleased to hear it."

" Lady Bracknell. To lose one parent, Mr. Worthing, may be regarded as a misfortune; to lose both looks like carelessness."

" Algernon. My dear boy, I love hearing my relations abused. It is the only thing that makes me put up with them at all."

" Algernon. What shall we do after dinner? Go to a theatre?
Jack. Oh no! I loathe listening.
Algernon. Well, let us go to the Club? Jack. Oh, no! I hate talking.
Algernon. Well, we might trot round to the Empire at ten?
Jack. Oh, no! I can’t bear looking at things. It is so silly.
Algernon. Well, what shall we do?
Jack. Nothing!"

" Cecily. Well, I know, of course, how important it is not to keep a business engagement, if one wants to retain any sense of the beauty of life,"

" Cecily. You dear romantic boy. [He kisses her, she puts her fingers through his hair.] I hope your hair curls naturally, does it?
Algernon. Yes, darling, with a little help from others."

" Gwendolyn. I never travel without my diary. One should always have something sensational to read in the train."

" lady bracknell. I do not approve of mercenary marriages. When I married Lord Bracknell I had no fortune of any kind. But I never dreamed for a moment of allowing that to stand in my way."

[whatalicesaw · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[arkrayder · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A quick, fun read.

[bodagirl · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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.

[sarahlh-41506 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

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?

[out1and1about · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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?

[amandanan · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The wit! The snark! THIS is why I need to get my hands on more classics.

[nx74defiant · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

One of my favorites

[theokester · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

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

[jscape2000 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.

[breic-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

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.