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The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan. London: Chiswick Press for Leonard Smithers & Co., 1899.
Details
WILDE, Oscar (1854-1900)
The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan. London: Chiswick Press for Leonard Smithers & Co., 1899.
First edition, deluxe large-paper copy signed by Wilde, no. 49 of 100 copies, of his most celebrated play. Wilde himself is reported to have assessed his play thus: ‘the first act is ingenious, the second beautiful, the third abominably clever’ (Mason p.433). The Importance of Being Earnest also led to his downfall. The Marquess of Queensbury, father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, planned to disrupt the opening night and the ensuing conflict eventually lead to Wilde’s conviction and imprisonment for ‘gross indecency.’ The play’s run was cut short due to Wilde’s notoriety, but he arranged for this publication of the text from his exile in Paris, with his name omitted from the title-page. The editing of this play, along with Lady Windermere’s Fan, for publication were his final literary efforts. Mason 382.
Small quarto (222 x 174mm). Printed on Van Gelder paper, (a few thumb marks on preliminaries, small stain from an early bookmark on pp.88-89, light toning on flyleaves). Publisher's light red-brown cloth gilt, covers with repeated leaf spray design by Charles Shannon, spine with leaf sprays and gilt-blocked title (cloth lightly cockling, very light bumping, small scratch); modern maroon morocco-backed folding box, gilt spine. Provenance: Barry Humphries (1934-2023; bookplate).
The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People by the Author of Lady Windermere's Fan. London: Chiswick Press for Leonard Smithers & Co., 1899.
First edition, deluxe large-paper copy signed by Wilde, no. 49 of 100 copies, of his most celebrated play. Wilde himself is reported to have assessed his play thus: ‘the first act is ingenious, the second beautiful, the third abominably clever’ (Mason p.433). The Importance of Being Earnest also led to his downfall. The Marquess of Queensbury, father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas, planned to disrupt the opening night and the ensuing conflict eventually lead to Wilde’s conviction and imprisonment for ‘gross indecency.’ The play’s run was cut short due to Wilde’s notoriety, but he arranged for this publication of the text from his exile in Paris, with his name omitted from the title-page. The editing of this play, along with Lady Windermere’s Fan, for publication were his final literary efforts. Mason 382.
Small quarto (222 x 174mm). Printed on Van Gelder paper, (a few thumb marks on preliminaries, small stain from an early bookmark on pp.88-89, light toning on flyleaves). Publisher's light red-brown cloth gilt, covers with repeated leaf spray design by Charles Shannon, spine with leaf sprays and gilt-blocked title (cloth lightly cockling, very light bumping, small scratch); modern maroon morocco-backed folding box, gilt spine. Provenance: Barry Humphries (1934-2023; bookplate).
