crazygoangirl 's review for:

Lady Windermere's Fan by Oscar Wilde

5.0

emotional funny lighthearted fast-paced

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I never imagined Plays would bring me such joy this year! This is my third Oscar Wilde play and although I found it a tad more serious than the other two - The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband, it didn’t lack in Wilde’s signature satirical wit and incisive social commentary. This one explores a parent - child relationship as well as the bond between husband and wife, Lord and Lady Windermere, who must navigate the challenges presented to their marriage by suspicions of infidelity. It examines themes of trust, honour, sacrifice and love through a tightly plotted narrative and well crafted characters - a Wilde specialty - as I’ve discovered!

I enjoy his prodigious skill with language and dialogue - so witty, laden with the perfect amounts of sarcasm and irony. His one-liners are delightful and this one has the famous quote,

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.

I love how Wilde is merciful to his characters. He walks them on tortuous paths and brings them to the precipice, only to save them before they fall. Some are weak or should I say ‘good’ and others ‘bad’ but worthy of redemption. In the end, they’re all recognisable for the deeply flawed humans they are. I listened to the play while following along on e-book, the way I’ve done with the two previous ones I’ve read. I find this the perfect reading experience. I enjoyed the cast in the audiobook. For once they were perfectly cast with no annoying voices! 

So far, I’ve enjoyed all three of Wilde’s plays. They are extremely entertaining, his humour matches mine, always lightens my mood and makes me laugh out loud. I’m off now to find a movie adaptation I like. That’s another advantage with Wilde, one is spoilt for choice, there are so many!