The Importance of Being Earnest
by Wilde, Oscar
- Used
- near fine
- Signed
- first
- Condition
- Near Fine
- Seller
-
Portland, Oregon, United States
Bibliophiles Club Membership
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About This Item
Wilde's masterpiece, which opened to wide acclaim at the St. James's Theatre, London, on February 14, 1895. It was withdrawn after 86 performances following his arrest and imprisonment on charges of gross indecency as a consequence of his failed libel suit against Lord Queensbury, the father of Wilde's homosexual lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. He was outed as gay (a disgrace in Victorian society) and the play was not published in any form until the present edition, following his release from prison. It has been hailed as an exemplary farce, called by poet W.H. Auden "a pure verbal opera.
Synopsis
Set in England during the late Victorian era, the play's humour derives in part from characters maintaining fictitious identities to escape unwelcome social obligations. It is replete with witty dialogue and satirises some of the foibles and hypocrisy of late Victorian society. It has proved Wilde's most enduringly popular play. - [*Wikipedia*][1] [1]: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Importance_of_Being_Earnest
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Details
- Bookseller
- Burnside Rare Books, ABAA (US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- 140940300
- Title
- The Importance of Being Earnest
- Author
- Wilde, Oscar
- Book Condition
- Used - Near Fine
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- Signed Limited First Edition
- Publisher
- Leonard Smithers and Co
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1899
Terms of Sale
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
30 day return guarantee, with full refund including shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.
About the Seller
Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
About Burnside Rare Books, ABAA
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Gilt
- The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- First Edition
- In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
- Spine
- The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....