Reviews

Lately I have been listening to Richard Strauss's opera 'Salome' so I felt a sudden urge to learn more about Salome through Oscar Wilde's play. Previously I have very much enjoyed his "The Importance of Being Earnest" as well as "An Ideal Husband". Both made me laugh and appreciate Wilde's brilliant wit. The play "Salome" was a very different experience as it focused on a very different type of event. I mostly appreciated the poetic language and Wilde's strong use of similes. The dramatic ending

Spoiler

Salome's ultimate fate

took me by surprise, but it certainly resonated in my mind. Reading up on the play I was surprised to learn that the play was banned during rehearsals in London in 1892 and wasn't performed until 1896 in Paris. I had no idea that British law at the time banned the depiction of biblical characters on stage! https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Salome#Oscar_Wilde.27s_play
Now I just need to find Granville Bantock's incidental music for Salome!

Link to Richard Strauss's opera: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ildwhas43sY&t=92s

apalebluedot's review against another edition

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dark mysterious medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

gooselyjay's review against another edition

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4.0

crazy girls go hard

reikanra's review against another edition

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5.0

The prime example for a femme fatale written in a grotesque and fascinating manner. It‘s a quick read, a Tragedy in One Act, but it‘s filled with suspense, sex, death and anything you could want from a work of the decadent Fin de Siècle. Wilde twisted the biblical Song of Solomon into the story of a powerful, deadly woman.

sailor_sidd's review against another edition

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4.0

This was a major departure from Wilde's typical drawing-room plays, being set during Roman times and with Biblical characters instead. It felt more Greek than his other works, with prophecies, religious elements, and family dynamics. I liked the way it was written, especially with how prominent a role the moon played, and how each character viewed its beauty. The descriptions of Salome and Jokaanan also have a very special element in their appearance that was captivating. Also the stage directions lended a lot to the feel and aesthetic of the play. Wilde's humor was also present still, which made reading certain lines very interesting when you realize they were meant to be comedic.

nunuseli's review against another edition

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4.0

Con ‘Salomé’ he encontrado otra obra de Oscar Wilde que me gusta genuinamente. Ya no es sólo en el ‘De profundis’ que veo verdadera pasión. Quizás sea porque Wilde las escribió sin la presión de tener que ser arrebatadoramente ingenioso y sin la necesidad de gustar y adular a cierto tipo de público. La historia la conocemos todos, pero lo importante es la forma en que es contada, como Wilde lleva a su terreno una anécdota bíblica, la intensidad dramática que le otorga. Es una tragedia con todas las letras, con toda la grandilocuencia de los clásicos, con unos personajes intensos con cuyos deseos extremos es muy fácil empatizar, porque ¿quién no ha sufrido de amor (o lujuria) no correspondida?

Está escrita con un lenguaje magnífico, con unas metáforas e imágenes que se repiten de forma obsesiva y que prácticamente producen un efecto hipnótico en el lector. El estilo impresionista y el tono decadentista ejercen una fascinación de la que uno no puede escapar. Y encima no dejan de haber algunos toques de humor (las discusiones teológicas de los judíos, el tono poético de Herodes confrontado con el tono prosaico de su mujer que le quiere hacer bajar de las nubes). Como en las mejores tragedias. Pero antes que nada, por supuesto, es una obra de pasiones, llena de sensualidad y sexualidad. Es de una intensidad magnífica.

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