Reviews of Plays »

Importance? To Whom?

Advantages: Ideal for group reading,
Disadvantages: background knowledge is almost essential

A Woman Of No Importance was written in a time when women had little or no place in the world, politically. Lord Illingworth, a womanising politician demonstrates this through his tendancies to leave women 'fallen'. The tale of Rachel Arbuthnot, a single mother in the 1890s, trying to teach her son, Gerald, of the evils of the world has her life torn apart when Lord Illingworth throws the ultimate spanner into the ultimate works. Thus leaving the ...
...the themes of the play. A Woman Of No Importance is ideal more as a project rather than night-time reading as research on the late nineteenth century and on Wilde himself, is highly recommeneded in order to fully understand the deeper meanings of Wilde's work. Despite being written to be viewed by 19th century middle class women, the play still continues to entertain a wide variety of audiences, both as reading and as a play. Wildes choice of characters, ...

chris213west 14.07.2006 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: helpful
Review of A Woman of No Importance - Oscar Wilde

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A diamond in the rough

Advantages: all the works of Oscar Wilde are included (prose, critisicm, drama, poetry), affordable edition
Disadvantages: the edition is liable to tear and wear, it is not aesthetically appealing

...'The portrait of Dorian Grey' the autobiographical 'De profundis' and his stories and fairytales) plays (such as 'The Importance of Being Earnest' and 'The Ideal husband') his critical works ('The Decay of Lying' etc) and his poems. I cannot find a single line of Wilde that is boring, poorly written. If you want to read an elegantly written yet profound and touching book you can do no better. I was initially going to award this with 5 stars but it ...
...the works of a celebrated aesthete sold for £4.99. Wilde adored beauty and elegance and this edition is not in keeping with his artistic credo. It is obviously cheap, vulnerable to tear and wear and impractical to carry around -it is not so very heavy as the paper is thin but I find that carrying it around and reading it in trains results to tears (mostly of the pages). However contrary to my idol I believe that it is better to read a masterpiece ...

picky31 23.11.2008 · Read full review
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Review of The Works of Oscar Wilde - Oscar Wilde

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Salome: Decadent and surreal

Advantages: Descriptions, surrealism, style
Disadvantages: Choppy dialogue, little plot development, unsympathetic characters

...not the play for you. Salome employs staccato sentences with long, surreal descriptions filled with flowing adjectives. The characters are introspective, openly lustful, and dwell in a Byzantine-esque court, living out their fantasies. Perverse attractions reign: Herod's lusts for his wife's daughter as does a Syrian in the court; she for the frigid prophet Iokannan; the Syrian's friend lusts for him. Murder and suicide is triggered. In my opinion ...
...to chaste detatchment and disgust. Salome plays the role of suppressed artist as well as a young woman on the brink of sexual realisation. The style is unusual and definitely not to everyone's taste, but those who enjoy the decadent, aesthetic style of Baudelaire, for example, will enjoy this. The hyperreal descriptions of jewels and bodies are certainly beautiful in an extravagant way. The play encapsulates the height of late C19 decadence: materialism, ...

Summerfox 21.07.2009 · Read full review
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Review of Salome - Oscar Wilde

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I said 'Lady' not 'Lake'

Advantages: A wonderful comedy with all the wit of Wilde.
Disadvantages: Rather outdated now

..."LADY WINDERMERE'S FAN" Lady Windermere's Fan, A Play About a Good Woman - is a four act satirical comedy about the morals of Victorian society, especially marriage. The action of the play takes place within a 24 hour period, beginning on a Tuesday afternoon at five o'clock, and ending the next day at 1.30 p.m. The play was an instant success when it was produced in London at St. James Theatre on February 20, 1892. .The plot is set by a series ...
...In the play, Lady Windermere considers leaving her husband of two years when , because of her eavesdropping, she is convinced of her husband’s infidelity. Although the play is now obviously very dated it is still a very popular play. "THE CHARACTERS" Lord Windermere Lord Darlington Lord Augustus Lorton Mr. Dumby Mr. Cecil Graham Mr. Hopper Parker, Butler Lady Windermere The Duchess of Berwick Lady Agatha Carlisle Lady Plymdale Lady ...

oldchem 05.06.2009 · Read full review
Ciao members have rated this review on average: very helpful
Review of Lady Windermere's Fan - Oscar Wilde

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an ideal husband

Advantages: a brilliant novel by a brilliant writer
Disadvantages: rather long

I BRILLIANT PLAY BY ONE OF OUR NATIONS GREATEST PLAY WRITERS. i have only read it once but already it is my favaourite book and regualy check it out from my local libary although i have had to wait many times before i can take it out as many people are reading it probablt because it is maily used for exams which is another reason you should read this it is a very famous novel and is cherished by hundreds of thousand of people. i hope you read this ...

awesomebanana 11.12.2008 · Read full review
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Review of An Ideal Husband - Oscar Wilde

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