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THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
by [WILDE, OSCAR]
- Used
- first
- Condition
- See description
- Seller
-
McMinnville, Oregon, United States
Payment Methods Accepted
About This Item
London: Bernard Smithers and Co, 1899. FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 1,000 COPIES. 228 x 157 mm. (8 1/2 x 6 1/4"). 8 p.l., 151, [1] pp.
Original lavender cloth decorated with gilt designs by Charles Ricketts, edges untrimmed and UNOPENED. In a modern black morocco clamshell box by R. Patron with gilt decoration replicating that on the original cover, gilt titling to back. Mason 381. ◆Spine lightly sunned (but far less faded than usual with this binding), but AN UNSURPASSABLY FINE COPY, with no signs of use or wear.
This is Wilde's best-known work and a justly celebrated play that sparkles from beginning to end with pre-eminent sophisticated wit. Day says that "the play's lasting appeal arises from some of the most brilliant dialogue of the English stage," and it is generally accepted as one of the two or three best modern comedies ever written. Wilde, who gave the play the subtitle, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People," said that "the first act is ingenious, the second beautiful, the third abominably clever." The plot turns on two cases of mistaken identity, with both young heroes falsely believed to bear the name of Ernest and in danger of losing their lady loves if their true identities are revealed. This volume is notoriously hard to find well preserved, as the cloth always fades badly, and the structure of the book is weak. But there is no copy anywhere of this important work that could possibly be in better condition than the present one..
Original lavender cloth decorated with gilt designs by Charles Ricketts, edges untrimmed and UNOPENED. In a modern black morocco clamshell box by R. Patron with gilt decoration replicating that on the original cover, gilt titling to back. Mason 381. ◆Spine lightly sunned (but far less faded than usual with this binding), but AN UNSURPASSABLY FINE COPY, with no signs of use or wear.
This is Wilde's best-known work and a justly celebrated play that sparkles from beginning to end with pre-eminent sophisticated wit. Day says that "the play's lasting appeal arises from some of the most brilliant dialogue of the English stage," and it is generally accepted as one of the two or three best modern comedies ever written. Wilde, who gave the play the subtitle, "A Trivial Comedy for Serious People," said that "the first act is ingenious, the second beautiful, the third abominably clever." The plot turns on two cases of mistaken identity, with both young heroes falsely believed to bear the name of Ernest and in danger of losing their lady loves if their true identities are revealed. This volume is notoriously hard to find well preserved, as the cloth always fades badly, and the structure of the book is weak. But there is no copy anywhere of this important work that could possibly be in better condition than the present one..
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Details
- Bookseller
- Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts
(US)
- Bookseller's Inventory #
- ST19436
- Title
- THE IMPORTANCE OF BEING EARNEST
- Author
- [WILDE, OSCAR]
- Book Condition
- Used
- Quantity Available
- 1
- Edition
- FIRST EDITION. ONE OF 1,000 COPIES
- Publisher
- Bernard Smithers and Co
- Place of Publication
- London
- Date Published
- 1899
Terms of Sale
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts
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About the Seller
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts
Biblio member since 2006
McMinnville, Oregon
About Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books and Medieval Manuscripts
Phillip J. Pirages Fine Books an Manuscripts was established in 1978 on a ping pong table in a basement in Kalamazoo, Michigan. From the beginning, its founder was willing to sell a range of material, but over the years, the business has gravitated toward historical artifacts that are physically attractive in some way--illuminated material, fine bindings, books printed on vellum, fore-edge paintings, beautiful typography and paper, impressive illustration. Today, the company still sells a wide range of things, from (scruffy) ninth century leaves to biblical material from all periods to Wing and STC imprints to modern private press books to artists' bindings. While we are forgiving about condition when something is of considerable rarity, we always try to obtain the most attractive copies possible of whatever we offer for sale.
Glossary
Some terminology that may be used in this description includes:
- Sunned
- Damage done to a book cover or dust jacket caused by exposure to direct sunlight. Very strong fluorescent light can cause slight...
- 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...
- Morocco
- Morocco is a style of leather book binding that is usually made with goatskin, as it is durable and easy to dye. (see also...
- 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...
- Cloth
- "Cloth-bound" generally refers to a hardcover book with cloth covering the outside of the book covers. The cloth is stretched...
- Clamshell Box
- A protective box designed for storing and preserving a bound book or loose sheets. A clamshell box is hinged on one side, with...
- Edges
- The collective of the top, fore and bottom edges of the text block of the book, being that part of the edges of the pages of a...
- Fine
- A book in fine condition exhibits no flaws. A fine condition book closely approaches As New condition, but may lack the...
- Unopened
- A state in which all or some of the pages of a book have not been separated from the adjacent pages, caused by a traditional...
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