Thalia @ Pictures in the Words

This is one of those works where I feel like I just…missed something. This is, almost without a doubt, Oscar Wilde’s most popular and most loved piece of writing. Five stars seemingly across the board, and even those I know who don’t review or read that often seem to love it. So, I think I went in expecting too much. I loved The Picture of Dorian Gray—I thought it was an absolute masterpiece, so I didn’t think there would be anything in this play that I wouldn’t fall head over heels for. However, I just…wasn’t captured. It was alright, but I didn’t really like it or dislike it. It just…is. Some parts were funny, and there were some lines that are witty. However, on the whole, I just… wasn’t impressed, considering all the praise. I wanted to hold off on writing my review until I’d seen a film or stage version, because I often have a hard time reading plays and enjoy them much more once I see them performed, but with this…it didn’t really change the way I felt. (I watched Oliver Parker’s 2002 film, for those interested.) I’m kind of sad, because I feel like I’m missing out on something that so many other people seemed to love, but…I guess that just happens sometimes.

What I Liked: 

• This play had its funny moments. Lines here and there that really did make me laugh out loud of a moment, and other quotable things. I did find more humor in it once I saw it acted out, and I can understand why some people think this is a really funny and interesting play. It had times that made it enjoyable.

What I Didn’t Like:

• Despite its funny lines, I just failed to see the point in any of it. I read this for my English class, and despite being yet another comment on class systems, I just don’t understand what all the fuss is about. It wasn’t that funny, and the characters were oftentimes too ridiculous to be believable (except for maybe Jack). I was left feeling not much of anything by the time I finished, and I feel like I sort of just wasted time reading it. I do think Oscar Wilde is a brilliant wrier, from my previous experience with his work, but this…I just don’t get the hype. Even the film I saw wasn’t that good, and I gave it the same (or a lower) rating as the play itself.

Overall: I honestly wouldn’t recommend reading this unless you have a genuine interest in the work itself, or need to read it for class. If you just want to read it because of all the hype and glowing reviews you’ve read for it, it’s really not worth it. You should probably decide if you actually want to spend your time on it, or if you just want to see what all the fuss is about. One way or the other, I didn’t really care about anything that happened, and that complete lack of feeling is, for me, almost worse than hating it. 

(http://thaliasbooks.tumblr.com/post/79105300668/the-importance-of-being-earnest-review)