It is hard to think of another play so funny from beginning to end as Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest. What makes this “trivial comedy for serious people”—as Wilde called it—more than just a lighthearted farce is the language; while the characters’ actions are often silly, the words they speak are brilliantly witty. Wilde created a play so perfect that it remains a frequently performed favorite. This Core Classics volume presents a shortened version of Wilde’s best-known play, with background information and helpful notes.

The Core Classics® series presents stories loved for generations in abridged versions for young readers, illustrated and annotated, and faithful to the style, plot, and themes of the originals.