The Importance of Being Earnest
Oscar Wilde
Read by LibriVox Volunteers
The Importance of Being Earnest is a classic comedy of manners in which two flippant young men, in order to impress their respected beloveds, pretend that their names are “Ernest,” which both young ladies believe confers magical qualities on the possessor. It was first performed for the public on February 14, 1895 at the St. James’ Theatre in London, and is regarded by many critics and scholars as being the wittiest play in the English language. (Summary from Wikipedia.org)
Characters:
John Worthing, J.P. - Read by John Gonzalez
Algernon Moncrieff - Read by Gord Mackenzie
Rev. Canon Chasuble, D.D. - Read by Chris Goringe
Merriman, Butler - Read by Peter Yearsley
Lane, Manservant - Read by Hugh McGuire
Lady Bracknell - Read by Kristen McQuillin
Hon. Gwendolen Fairfax - Read by Deana
Cecily Cardew - Read by Kara Shallenberg
Miss Prism, Governess - Read by Sureka
Narrator - Read by Betsie Bush
Project Editor - Paula Berinstein (2 hr 18 min)
Chapters
| Act 1 | 50:46 | Read by LibriVox Volunteers |
| Act 2 | 56:33 | Read by LibriVox Volunteers |
| Act 3 | 30:22 | Read by LibriVox Volunteers |
Reviews
Light-hearted and Witty
Sapper
I cannot imagine how many times I have heard this title and dismissed it as a stuffy, Victorian play. The wordplay and comedic timing of the script produced multiple "LOL" moments, despite being restricted to volunteers whose voices were spliced together. The technical limitations of volume and background noises quickly fade and allow the listener to enjoy the play, even if not as Oscar Wilde originally intended. Thank you, Librivox and readers for your contribution. This is now on my short list of must-sees.
What a worth while rendition. The cast was inspired.
janice
What a worthwhile rendition. The cast was definitely inspired. Every character brought to life, every jest and pun sincere. Oscar Wilde would have been proud.
My dear fellow, Bunberry - the humour is extraordinary!
A LibriVox Listener
i realy like it
bathsheba
i have enjoyed the story it is a piece of art the one who read this story or listen to it can easely feel as if a part of it well done !nice work from the narrators especially john's voice
Read well
Ellie
Overall, a good reading. The women are a little monotone at times and the narrator's voice is choppy a couple times, but definitely worth a listen!
Another great work by the witty Wilde.
RJax
Oscar's works never fail to amuse. His stories feel timeless and aren't antiquated as some pre-21st century writing does. His characters are very well developed and are brought to life, thanks to the Librivox volunteer readers. If you aren't already a fan of Oscar's, I can't recommend this author enough. From children's books to world plays, his talent never ceases to entertain and delight. It's a terrible shame England imprisoned him for his homosexuality, which invariably lead to his early demise; his alcohol and drug use likely didn't help his situation. We can only imagine what other gems he would have bestowed upon us if he had lived longer than his 40's. The only reason I didn't give it 5 stars is the reading is a bit too dry for a comedy. However, this didn't deter me from enjoying it none the less.
Absolutely love this reading!
Rogarh
My favorite rendition of this classic play.. have listened to it several times.. I think the voice actors did a fabulous job, also the Editor for whom this project must have been a true labor of love.. Best voice performances IMO were the actors that voiced Worthing, Algernon, Gwendolyn, Lady Bracknell and the Reverend.. at any rate congratulations to all participants for their efforts and selfless dedication.. very much appreciated
Perfect!
Teddilayne
This is by far my favorite play by Oscar Wilde and these volunteer readers do an excellent job of reading the lines and making it come alive through my headphones. I've listened multiple times to this recording over the last few years and always laugh!