What do you think?
Rate this book
Саломе и други пиеси
Книгата представя стиловото и тематично разнообразие на творчеството на драматурга Оскар Уайлд: „Вера или Нихилистите” – първата му пиеса; „Саломе” – първият му хит; „Ветрилото на лейди Уиндърмиър” – първата му сатира на висшето общество; „Le Sainte Courtisane или Жената, покрита с бижута” – последната му, незавършена пиеса.
Пиесите са в нов превод, като „Вера” и „Le Sainte Courtisane” излизат за пръв път на български.
Заради блестящото остроумие и прословутите афоризми на Уайлд пиесите му са доста приятно, свежо и мъдро четиво.
Историческата трагедия „Вера или Нихилистите” разказва за една силна и горда жена, чиято интелектуалност и амбиции биват жестоко съкрушени от страстна и пагубна любов. За съжаление, понякога животът имитира изкуството и на 1 март 1881 г. руският цар Александър II е убит от нихилисти. Премиерата на пиесата е отложена заради антимонархическите настроения в нея, което поражда страх у английското кралско семейство и особено у принца на Уелс, женен за руската принцеса Александра и зет на сестрата на убития цар.
„Саломе” е вдъхновена от библейския сюжет за обезглавяването на Йоан Кръстител от цар Ирод, но извежда на преден план темата за сексуалността. Заради това над пиесата е наложена тежка цензура. Поставена е във Франция и пожънва луд успех, като скандализира с това, че за пръв път на сцената е представен стриптийз – танцът на Саломе със седемте воала.
„Ветрилото на лейди Уиндърмиър” изобличава лицемерието в брака. Остроумните сентенции и изненадващите обрати в пиесата по-нататък се превръщат в запазена марка за Оскар Уайлд, който разчупва клишетата на жанра и преобръща представите за модерен театър.
“Le Sainte Courtisane или Жената, покрита с бижута” също е вдъхновена от легендата за Саломе и показва самоунищожителната трансформация на добродетелта в сладострастие, едновременно пречистваща и пагубна за душата.
Пиесите са в нов превод, като „Вера” и „Le Sainte Courtisane” излизат за пръв път на български.
Заради блестящото остроумие и прословутите афоризми на Уайлд пиесите му са доста приятно, свежо и мъдро четиво.
Историческата трагедия „Вера или Нихилистите” разказва за една силна и горда жена, чиято интелектуалност и амбиции биват жестоко съкрушени от страстна и пагубна любов. За съжаление, понякога животът имитира изкуството и на 1 март 1881 г. руският цар Александър II е убит от нихилисти. Премиерата на пиесата е отложена заради антимонархическите настроения в нея, което поражда страх у английското кралско семейство и особено у принца на Уелс, женен за руската принцеса Александра и зет на сестрата на убития цар.
„Саломе” е вдъхновена от библейския сюжет за обезглавяването на Йоан Кръстител от цар Ирод, но извежда на преден план темата за сексуалността. Заради това над пиесата е наложена тежка цензура. Поставена е във Франция и пожънва луд успех, като скандализира с това, че за пръв път на сцената е представен стриптийз – танцът на Саломе със седемте воала.
„Ветрилото на лейди Уиндърмиър” изобличава лицемерието в брака. Остроумните сентенции и изненадващите обрати в пиесата по-нататък се превръщат в запазена марка за Оскар Уайлд, който разчупва клишетата на жанра и преобръща представите за модерен театър.
“Le Sainte Courtisane или Жената, покрита с бижута” също е вдъхновена от легендата за Саломе и показва самоунищожителната трансформация на добродетелта в сладострастие, едновременно пречистваща и пагубна за душата.
- GenresPlays
222 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1947
2 people are currently reading
34 people want to read
About the author
Oscar Wilde
5,531 books39k followersOscar Fingal O'Fflahertie Wills Wilde was an Irish poet and playwright. After writing in different forms throughout the 1880s, he became one of the most popular playwrights in London in the early 1890s. He is best remembered for his epigrams and plays, his novel The Picture of Dorian Gray, and his criminal conviction for gross indecency for homosexual acts.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Wilde's parents were Anglo-Irish intellectuals in Dublin. In his youth, Wilde learned to speak fluent French and German. At university, he read Greats; he demonstrated himself to be an exceptional classicist, first at Trinity College Dublin, then at Magdalen College, Oxford. He became associated with the emerging philosophy of aestheticism, led by two of his tutors, Walter Pater and John Ruskin. After university, Wilde moved to London into fashionable cultural and social circles.
Wilde tried his hand at various literary activities: he wrote a play, published a book of poems, lectured in the United States and Canada on "The English Renaissance" in art and interior decoration, and then returned to London where he lectured on his American travels and wrote reviews for various periodicals. Known for his biting wit, flamboyant dress and glittering conversational skill, Wilde became one of the best-known personalities of his day. At the turn of the 1890s, he refined his ideas about the supremacy of art in a series of dialogues and essays, and incorporated themes of decadence, duplicity, and beauty into what would be his only novel, The Picture of Dorian Gray (1890). Wilde returned to drama, writing Salome (1891) in French while in Paris, but it was refused a licence for England due to an absolute prohibition on the portrayal of Biblical subjects on the English stage. Undiscouraged, Wilde produced four society comedies in the early 1890s, which made him one of the most successful playwrights of late-Victorian London.
At the height of his fame and success, while An Ideal Husband (1895) and The Importance of Being Earnest (1895) were still being performed in London, Wilde issued a civil writ against John Sholto Douglas, the 9th Marquess of Queensberry for criminal libel. The Marquess was the father of Wilde's lover, Lord Alfred Douglas. The libel hearings unearthed evidence that caused Wilde to drop his charges and led to his own arrest and criminal prosecution for gross indecency with other males. The jury was unable to reach a verdict and so a retrial was ordered. In the second trial Wilde was convicted and sentenced to two years' hard labour, the maximum penalty, and was jailed from 1895 to 1897. During his last year in prison he wrote De Profundis (published posthumously in abridged form in 1905), a long letter that discusses his spiritual journey through his trials and is a dark counterpoint to his earlier philosophy of pleasure. On the day of his release, he caught the overnight steamer to France, never to return to Britain or Ireland. In France and Italy, he wrote his last work, The Ballad of Reading Gaol (1898), a long poem commemorating the harsh rhythms of prison life.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
February 27, 2021
How wonderful is to read Wilde's witty comments and remarks about society. Extremelly clever, hilarious at times and above all, utterly sarcastic.
Not an optimistic view on humans or human relationships, but still (or because of it), it is absolutely entertaining.
Not an optimistic view on humans or human relationships, but still (or because of it), it is absolutely entertaining.
December 27, 2022
Three plays by Wilde: Salome; The Importance of Being Earnest; and Lady Windemere's Fan. The edition that I read is not listed and doesn't have an ISBN number. It was published in 1919 as a book in the series The Modern Library of the Best Books from the NYC publishing house of Boni and Liveright.
Although Salome is well known, I found it to be repetitive and not as full of Wilde's biting wit and erudition. It is the story of Salome seducing her step-father Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy of identity and manners. John Worthing (Jack), when he is in London, goes by the false name of Ernest and acts in a manner that would be unacceptable at his country home. His friend Algernon's first cousin. She knows him by his London name and loves him because his name is Ernest, but could never love a man named John. His friend Algernon goes to Jack's country estate and falls for John's niece, Cecily, after introducing himself as Jack's brother Ernest. Cecily of course is enamored of this Ernest and would despise a man named Algernon. Fun if nearly slapstick comedy
Lady Windemere's Fan is a play about love, suspicion, and hidden origins. Again fairly funny but with a little more serious tone than Earnest.
Although Salome is well known, I found it to be repetitive and not as full of Wilde's biting wit and erudition. It is the story of Salome seducing her step-father Herod into giving her the head of John the Baptist.
The Importance of Being Earnest is a comedy of identity and manners. John Worthing (Jack), when he is in London, goes by the false name of Ernest and acts in a manner that would be unacceptable at his country home. His friend Algernon's first cousin. She knows him by his London name and loves him because his name is Ernest, but could never love a man named John. His friend Algernon goes to Jack's country estate and falls for John's niece, Cecily, after introducing himself as Jack's brother Ernest. Cecily of course is enamored of this Ernest and would despise a man named Algernon. Fun if nearly slapstick comedy
Lady Windemere's Fan is a play about love, suspicion, and hidden origins. Again fairly funny but with a little more serious tone than Earnest.
December 5, 2020
My collection includes:
-Salome: 3/5 stars
-A Woman of No Importance 4/5 stars
-An Ideal Husband 4/5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of plays by the brilliant Oscar Wilde. He never disappoints with his sharp wit and humour, and his wide cast of characters that allows for extensive social commentary. An Ideal Husband and A Woman of No Importance are my favourite from this collection for various reasons but mainly for the many themes explored throughout the plays- social hypocrisy, corruption, forgiveness, sexual mores- and for their sharp wit and humour. Salome was quite bizarre to say the least and very different from the rest of Oscar Wilde's work that I'm familiar with. It makes me wonder how it would have been performed on a stage. It is a tragedy based on a biblical story that read more like a psalm than an actual play, with its detailed imagery, repetitions and melodious qualities imbued throughout. It is very creative though and highly interesting in terms of character study.
-Salome: 3/5 stars
-A Woman of No Importance 4/5 stars
-An Ideal Husband 4/5 stars
I thoroughly enjoyed this collection of plays by the brilliant Oscar Wilde. He never disappoints with his sharp wit and humour, and his wide cast of characters that allows for extensive social commentary. An Ideal Husband and A Woman of No Importance are my favourite from this collection for various reasons but mainly for the many themes explored throughout the plays- social hypocrisy, corruption, forgiveness, sexual mores- and for their sharp wit and humour. Salome was quite bizarre to say the least and very different from the rest of Oscar Wilde's work that I'm familiar with. It makes me wonder how it would have been performed on a stage. It is a tragedy based on a biblical story that read more like a psalm than an actual play, with its detailed imagery, repetitions and melodious qualities imbued throughout. It is very creative though and highly interesting in terms of character study.
June 16, 2017
Excellent 3 plays. I love the mind of Oscar Wilde. The plots dwell on sacrifice and have been excellently executed with immense humour and an equal measure of suspense.
My collection:
1: Salome
2: The Importance of being Earnest
3: Lady Windermere's fan
My collection:
1: Salome
2: The Importance of being Earnest
3: Lady Windermere's fan
January 10, 2023
Едни от най-добрите пиеси, писани някога!
February 21, 2017
Salome - 2 stars
A Woman of No Importance - 3 stars
An Ideal Husband - 3
Salome was irritating. A Woman of No Importance was good, but not fantastic. An Ideal Husband I read in Jan.
A Woman of No Importance - 3 stars
An Ideal Husband - 3
Salome was irritating. A Woman of No Importance was good, but not fantastic. An Ideal Husband I read in Jan.
June 2, 2014
These were the first plays I have read written by Oscar Wilde. I admired him through his poems. After reading these plays, I know my admiration for him is simply going to rise!
The first play Salomé is one of the best shortest plays I have read. The end is surprising and emotional.
The second one, A woman of no importance, beautifully pictured a typical British society with its pros and cons and also introducing a tinge of American culture through Miss Worsely. Again the end is a true contrast to the name of the play and at the same time it also keeps its agreement with it. I loved some of the dialogues like the one of Mrs. Arbuthnot talking of a woman's purity, mother's love for her child, her sacrifices for him and her charitable work but not her repentance because it is through her sin she got a beautiful gift-her child!
The third one, An ideal husband, is again an interesting play. Follies of the youth-highlighting other man's sins to hide one's own-a female villain-confusions- misunderstandings- and finally love and friendship overpowers everything. Classic!
Amazing plays indeed!
The first play Salomé is one of the best shortest plays I have read. The end is surprising and emotional.
The second one, A woman of no importance, beautifully pictured a typical British society with its pros and cons and also introducing a tinge of American culture through Miss Worsely. Again the end is a true contrast to the name of the play and at the same time it also keeps its agreement with it. I loved some of the dialogues like the one of Mrs. Arbuthnot talking of a woman's purity, mother's love for her child, her sacrifices for him and her charitable work but not her repentance because it is through her sin she got a beautiful gift-her child!
The third one, An ideal husband, is again an interesting play. Follies of the youth-highlighting other man's sins to hide one's own-a female villain-confusions- misunderstandings- and finally love and friendship overpowers everything. Classic!
Amazing plays indeed!
May 30, 2013
This book holds a collection of plays written by Oscar Wilde (Salome, A woman of no importance, An ideal husband. I enjoyed all 3 of these plays, especially Salome, which is brilliant despite it's short length. I was much pleased by the ending of A woman of no importance and it's clever last line which is a parody of the title. An ideal husband is the longest (in pages) of the three plays and again Wilde puts an effective and clever ending to the play, the plot of the play was also very enjoyable and the language used was clever and thought provoking.
Wilde also incorporated several jokes/funny lines within the plays which were very nice and not out-of-place.
Overall a brilliant selection of plays from one of my favourite writers. xx
Wilde also incorporated several jokes/funny lines within the plays which were very nice and not out-of-place.
Overall a brilliant selection of plays from one of my favourite writers. xx
Read
July 21, 2015прочетох само "Саломе" :)
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews