Reviews

The Plays of Oscar Wilde by Oscar Wilde

kaylaoswald's review against another edition

funny lighthearted medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jekaluleka's review against another edition

4.0

Oscar Wilde is so witty but a bit pessimistic for my taste. I like when the characters have plots and hidden identities. Importance of Being Earnest was great, my second favorite was probably An Ideal Husband, and my least favorite was Salomé

liv_acting's review against another edition

funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

lizziestudieshistory's review against another edition

4.0

I'm slowly reading the plays from this book - I'll update as I get through them

Salomé - 5 stars
I ADORE this play but I don't really know why. It's hard to describe, but the language and imagery in Salomé is divine. It's not for everyone but I have an irrational love for it...

The Importance of Being Earnest - 3.5 stars
Silly, fun, and fluffy! This is a wacky comedy to entertain you on a slow evening - Wilde's wit is on full display and I spent the evening giggling quietly to myself.

morgtr's review against another edition

4.0

favorites: the importance of being earnest & a woman of no importance

urvulgardarling's review against another edition

3.0

Sooo... this was a book of several plays. Some good some ok. Yk. Lets talk about it.

The Importance of Being Earnest: 5/5 ☆

This was extremely witty, lighthearted and i loved it so much. It was perfect and i will forever be recommending it to people if they want to read something thats funny and easy. I'm not even kidding i laughed at a part for like 10 minutes.

Lady Windermere's Fan: 4/5 ☆

Quite good! I liked the moral lesson and the characters and plot were quite like-able. It was quite funny at times too.

Salomé: 2/5 ☆

A one act tragedy. Just wasn't really my thing. It has something to do with religion and whatever. It kinda reminded me of like.. Analog horror or whatecer.

A Woman of No Importance: 3/5 ☆

This wasn't as interesting as the other ones but i still liked it! it was cozy and enjoyable to read. I dont really know what to say as its quite lighthearted and aboht like gender roles or whayever.

An Ideal Husband: 1.5/5 ☆

Worst one of them. Okay, i'm lying. It, objectively, is at least worth 3 stars. But i really really didn't like it and i wasn't interested so I DNFed it after the first act.

wagnerw1's review against another edition

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

jenna_wolf1204's review against another edition

funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is such a great collection of Wilde's plays. The notes and intro are very insightful and help to contextualize parts of the plays that either don't make sense without knowing the context or would get lost on a reader not from that time period. My favorites were definitely The Importance of Being Earnest and A Woman of No Importance. Wilde's use of dramatic irony is masterful and makes for a very compelling play. Also his hints of criticism of the aristocracy, the very audience his plays were for, make me laugh -- he really knows how to write a ridiculous rich person. I also love his almost "feminist" view of women's issues -- acknowledging the double standards that existed between men and women and almost flipping them, especially in 

A Woman of No Importance when the mom ultimately comes out on top and it is the father who is shamed, the opposite of how society would view them

. Overall definitely recommend giving this one a read. 

annboooksss02's review against another edition

funny relaxing fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

maireisles's review against another edition

5.0

Wilde’s plays didn’t become classics for nothing.

Wonderfully funny, unexpected and full of one liners that will stick with you long after you put the book down.

I highly recommend reading with notes as there are lots of references or words we modern day readers wouldn’t pick up on normally, but which make it even more entertaining a read!