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The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.

The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.

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The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.

by WILDE, Oscar

  • Used
  • Hardcover
  • first
Condition
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Seller
Seller rating:
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London, London, United Kingdom
Item Price
€4,465.12
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About This Item

London, Leonard Smithers and Co., 1899. . First edition, limited issue, no. 371 of 1000 copies; small 4to; half-title, publisher's lilac cloth gilt designed by Charles Shannon, very light soiling, spine slightly faded.
First performed on 14th February 1895, The Importance of Being Earnest marked the zenith of Wilde's career, and followed on from the success of Lady Windermere's Fan, An Ideal Husband, and A Woman of No Importance. However, as his professional star rose, so did the escalation of his feud with Lord Queensberry, father of his lover Lord Alfred Douglas (Bosie). Only four days after the opening of the play Lord Queensberry left his card at Wilde's club, scrawled with the words 'For Oscar Wilde posing somdomite' [sic]. Wilde, despite the advice of his friends but egged on by his lover, sued Queensberry for libel, and the rest his history. On 25th May, in the ensuing trial brought by the Crown, Wilde was convicted of gross indecency and sentenced to two years in prison with hard labour.

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Details

Bookseller
Shapero Rare Books GB (GB)
Bookseller's Inventory #
108852
Title
The Importance of Being Earnest. A Trivial Comedy for Serious People.
Author
WILDE, Oscar
Book Condition
Used
Binding
Hardcover
Place of Publication
London, Leonard Smithers and Co., 1899.

Terms of Sale

Shapero Rare Books

30 day return guarantee, with full refund including original shipping costs for up to 30 days after delivery if an item arrives misdescribed or damaged.

About the Seller

Shapero Rare Books

Seller rating:
This seller has earned a 5 of 5 Stars rating from Biblio customers.
Biblio member since 2020
London, London

About Shapero Rare Books

Specialising in rare books on Travel & Voyages, Natural History, Literature (including modern first editions), Children's Books, Guide Books, Judaica & Hebraica, titles of Russian interest, and Islamica.

Glossary

Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:

Cloth
"Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
Gilt
The decorative application of gold or gold coloring to a portion of a book on the spine, edges of the text block, or an inlay in...
First Edition
In book collecting, the first edition is the earliest published form of a book. A book may have more than one first edition in...
Spine
The outer portion of a book which covers the actual binding. The spine usually faces outward when a book is placed on a shelf....

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