The Importance of Being Earnest Audiobook By Oscar Wilde cover art

The Importance of Being Earnest

 Preview

Get 30 days of Standard free

Auto-renews at $8.99/mo after 30-day trial. Cancel anytime
Try for $0.00
More purchase options

The Importance of Being Earnest

By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: Ensemble Cast
Try for $0.00

$8.99 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $10.18

Buy for $10.18

Jack Worthington has invented a rakish brother, Ernest, who calls Jack away from family duties and gives him an excuse to travel to London. Similarly, Algernon Moncrieff has created the persona of Bunbury, an invalid friend, who periodically requires his services in the country. Both young men cleverly use their invented alter egos to disguise their misdemeanors until Jack discovers that Algernon has been impersonating Ernest, to woo Jack's young ward, Cicely. To make things just a bit more complicated, Algernon's cousin Gwendolyn loves Jack, but thinks Jack's name is Ernest. This enduring comedy of manners rises on a farcical crescendo until true identies are revealed and both couples end up happily united.© 2002 HighBridge Company; (P) 1997 Penguin Books Ltd. Classics Funny

Listeners also enjoyed...
For Whom the Bell Tolls Audiobook By Ernest Hemingway cover art
For Whom the Bell Tolls By: Ernest Hemingway

Critic reviews

"Oscar Wilde's most famous and - posthumously - successful play." (The Cambridge Companion to Oscar Wilde)
All stars
Most relevant
This is "Masterpiece Theater" minus the TV. Crisp, delicious dialogue. No plain ol' narration here - the multiple voices do the play justice. You'll be hooked.

Yummy, fast 'read'

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Very nice story for any age. Listening to it made it more attractive that reading. It was just perfect for a weekend listen.

Refreshing

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
You know the material is funny and biting enough to make you cry. But darn-it, the stage directions distract without adding value. There are maybe *two* places where we need to be told someone is entering or leaving. The rest is really obvious from what the characters say OR could be made obvious through a touch of audio staging (door or walking sounds, for example). The intrusion of the superfluous narrator just ruined this one for me.

Leave off the Stage Directions!

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
This was a very enjoyable listen. I'd never heard this story before, and it was great. I thought the voice acting was well done. I would recommend!

Great story

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.
Wilde's one-liners come to life in a crisp, fast-paced recording. The cast renders the characters in a truly delightful manner. A most entertaining piece of audio.

Delectable and timeless

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.