The Importance Of Being Earnest cover art

The Importance Of Being Earnest

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The Importance Of Being Earnest

By: Oscar Wilde
Narrated by: John Gielgud, Edith Evans
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About this listen

 The Importance of Being Earnest is undoubtably Oscar Wilde's best known play probably due to its sharp wit that cannot help but enchant and entertain any reader, theatregoer or listener with this performance.

Here his economic and finely honed words are delivered by a superb cast that is headed by England's finest, namely Sir John Gielgud and Dame Edith Evans that help make this the ultimate listening experience for fans of classic theatre.

©2009 Horse's Mouth (P)2009 Copyright Group Drama & Plays European Historical Fiction Literary History & Criticism World Literature Funny

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All stars
Most relevant  
I enjoyed this charming, funny and quirky short story. The major let down was the audio quality, I was constantly having to fiddle with the volume as characters were loud one minute and quiet the next. The sound is very poor quality. It sounds like a recording of a play which is great and something I usually like however whoever recorded this must have done it on their phone from the back of the theatre.

Charming and very funny

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Wonderful performance despite the age of the recording. A total delight to listen to. Now for some more Oscar Wilde

Pure delight

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Edith Evans is the quintessential Lady Bracknell with scathing delivery and of course brilliant lines. The rest are..meh. Overall a real disappointment. Lifeless, wooden and stilted. It feels like a performance without any joy. Done for the sake of it. And this is despite being unabridged, virtually so, allowing more of Wildes’s witty writing to be appreciated than in the film.

But much less enjoyable than the film with Edith Evans. I gave up after the first scene.

Wonderful…ish

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It goes without saying that the play itself is great. Unfortunately the quality of this recording is so-so, it’s rather echoey. Also, there a a few times when the recording skips and repeats. I got this on a £3 offer, and that’s about what it’s worth.

Skips a few times

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It is a wonderful performance but I have to agree with other reviewers that the quality of the audio is very bad. I was reading along the book while listening but would have not been able to follow the dialogue otherwise.

Great story and performance but very poor audio quality

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I think this recording of the classic story is showing its age, the recieved pronunciation, fake posh accents do not do this story much good.

I enjoy the story, but feel it could be done better.

Fun, but only ok

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A gem of a literary work, one of the best ever written, made into a scintillating performance of unmatched quality. Five stars overall!

Brilliance Incarnate

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Disappointing both for it's sound quality and some rather wooden performances. Also lacks a cast list.

very poor sound quality

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Old recording but one with top notch actors and of course what is probably the best last line ever

Always a favourite

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John Gielgud and Edith Evens are the only voices who convey the quintessential essence of the period. Such clarity of diction and professional acting.
Wonderful performance.
Thoroughly enjoyable.

Excellent and highly recomnrnded.

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