Customer Reviews

Lady Windermere's Fan (Dover Thrift Editions)

5 star:		(9)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

Oscar Wilde entirely dedicates this play to the exploration of the way a woman can be saved from destruction in this society of appearances. A woman was the victim of an imbroglio in the past and abandoned her daughter. This woman comes back and the daughter ignores her relation to her. She is brought back into societry by the daughter's husband who knows the truth but does not want his wife to know it. But there is some kind of malediction that flies over the heads of these women. The daughter nearly does the same mistake as her mother but she is saved by her mother who accepts to be tainted in her daughter's place. Bus Oscar Wilde must think there is some kind of reward for a good deed and all is well that ends well, and this play has a happy ending. In spite of all the melodramatic sentimentalese atmosphere, Oscar Wilde definitely explores in this play the great disadvantage of a woman in society. Men can do nearly all they want. Women are extremely limited and have to walk a very straight and narrow line. Oscar Wilde seems to be ahead of his time as for the fate of women: he seems to aspire for real equality for them, though he shows in all possible ways that this is impossible in his society.

Dr Jacques COULARDEAU, University of Perpignan

My first experience reading Oscar Wilde... and certainly not my last.

Wilde's sardonic wit and ineffable satire had me enchanted from page one. Wilde writes with devastatingly appealing witticisms, and with a style and cleverness matched by few other authors. It is said that he is one of the more oft-quoted authors in the English language, and I now understand why.

In addition to axioms and aphorisms of pure genius, the plot both captivates and surprises the reader. Lady Windermere discovers that her husband has been cheating on her, and a folly of misunderstandings and poor advice then unfolds; all the while satirizing society.

Women have a wonderful instinct about things. They can discover everything except the obvious. -- Oscar Wilde

The plot is about Lady Winderemere who goes from being a pillar of Victorian society to a woman of wandering morals. The woman who pulls her up is the one she suspected of being her husband's mistress. It's a comedy of society manners and morals with acerbic repartees and funny quips, in the great Oscar Wilde tradition.

Now, more than 100 years later, it still has a thought provoking depth which is very much applicable to today's society as well, although we view such adventures with less criticism and more understanding.

A wonderful comedy with all the wryness of Wilde.

I just wanted to say that i really love this play and that i highly suggest that everyone should read this funny and witty masterpiece. Lady Windermere is so naive but i liked the bit when she threatens to slap Mrs Erlynne across the face. That's what i call Girl Power!!

Anyway, i wanted to know if there are any notes to accompany this play. I need some notes that focus on the language of the play, social context, characters, etc.

I would be eternally grateful if anyone could help.

I was very satisfied with this product and the speed with which it was delivered. I gave it as a Christmas gift to my grandson, who is a student at NYU and who requested it for Christmas. I was very happy with my purchase!

I have always enjoyed all of Oscar Wilde's works, but this is not very good compared with the others, but none the less still worth reading. The characters were sort of dull, but the plot intresting which made up for it. I'd reccomend this to fans of Oscar Wilde, but if you have just discovered Wilde, skip this and start with either, "The picture of dorian gray" or "the importance of being Earnest".

Great edition - delightful and charming! This is a funny play!!! I'm nuts about Wilde, and have the good fortune to watch this play nearby where I live, it reminded me to read it again, and I ordered this version from Amazon as part of a larger Wilde order, (I think I bought all his works!).

There is no sense writing about this fantastic play - its so funny, the satire is right on the mark, the wit still as fresh today as it was when first written, I just wanted to say that this is a very good edition, and I especially enjoyed the cover photo of Wilde looking the way we all remember him.

PS if you have the chance see his grave stone in Paris. Beautiful Art Deco!

I'm not going to add much in the review sense, just mention to those who were unhappy with their kindle book, that is is the real, full, hard copy, and a beautiful edition it is!

Wilde is wonderful, and this is one of his best plays. I've seen it a few times, but never tire of reading it. The wit, the barbs, are timeless!

Enjoy!

The writing is very clever & funny. The story is compassionate as it juxtaposes conventional Victorian morality w/actual true human understanding and kindness. Lots of great lines. "People are not so much good or bad, as charming or tedious." "A cynic knows the price of everything & the value of nothing. A sentimentalist knows the value of everything & the price of nothing." It's a quick read. You can blow thru it in a day or two.

This play is very interesting to read (according to me). I saw a lot of hypocracy and snobery of people in this play. But a lot of peole said that the plays of Oscar Wilde have no satire, means, there is no factor of politics, socials,etc. I think, what he wrote in this plays and other plays had something to critize the people in that time. I want more information about Lady Winderemere's Fan, I mean what is the background of Wilde wrote yhis novel. Is there any important effects so that he wrote this first play?