Will I love The Importance of Being Earnest?

I love this book, which is also a play, for its witty banter and mistaken identities. Oscar Wilde is a master of acerbic wit and putting his characters in situations that fully shine the light on their humanity and also their faults and foibles.

I read this book with a smile pasted across my face from the first to the last page.

Jack pretends to be his brother, Earnest, blaming the made-up man for all mishandled affairs. But when Jack's friend "becomes" the infamous Earnest and begins to woo Jack's ward Cecily, all sorts of craziness ensues. This classic play is perhaps the best example of wacky characters creating mayhem in a world where even bad things turn out to be only silly mishaps.  

“A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.” It’s actually quite exciting to me how well Oscar Wilde’s comedy holds up today. Known as one of the greatest wits of his generation, Wilde was a master of many narrative forms including gothic horror (The Picture of Dorian Gray), and children’s literature (The Selfish Giant), but in Earnest, he creates one of the greatest comedy of manners ever put to paper. In this play, two young, roguish gentlemen conspire to effectively court the ladies of their interests. What makes the piece so timeless and relevant today, is the… show more.