The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar WildeMy rating: 4 of 5 stars
Oscar Wilde is quickly becoming one of my favorite writers. Even though "The Importance of Being Earnest" feels like a somewhat phoned-in, consequenceless work, it's a fun ready due to his lively -- if somewhat formulaic -- wordplay, and hilarious context codes that reference the gay subculture of 19th century Britain.
Above all, Wilde prizes entertainment and pacing. His tale of wily bachelors who masquerade under fake names as they tiptoe around social conventions to preserve their confirmed bachelorhood as long as possible.
If there's a fault to Wilde's writing, it's that every character speaks in the same voice. It didn't bother me much, because what they have to say is so clever and amusing. This is a fun and wildly entertaining play that I would love to see live.
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