Lady Windermere's Fan [with Biographical Introduction]

by Oscar Wilde

"Lady Windermere's Fan" is Oscar Wilde's classic comedic play set in London in the late 19th century. It is the story of Lady Windermere who becomes jealous of her husband's interest in Mrs. Erlynne. Lady Windermere suspects her husband of infidelity, however unbeknownst to her, Mrs. Erlynne is really Lady Windermere's divorced mother who for the last 20 years was thought to be dead.

Genres: Classics, Plays, Fiction, Drama, Theatre, 19th Century, Humor

104 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1892

About the author

Oscar 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.

Reviews

[Kenny · Rating 4 out of 5]

We are all in the gutter, but some of us are looking at the stars.
Lady Windermere's Fan ~~ Oscar Wilde



Lady Windermere's Fan is quite clever, quite witty, but at it's heart is a comedy in the vein of The Importance of Being Ernest. And while all is resolved in a neat package by the end of Act IV, it is not as satisfying most of Wilde's work. Lady Windermere's Fan is a social comedy, as is most of Wilde's work. It looks at the social norms, expectations and mannerisms of the time. And while it uses humor to criticize class situations, the humor is much more subtle than one would expect from Wilde.

In his letters, Wilde claimed that he did not want the play to be viewed as "a mere question of pantomime and clowning"; he was interested in the piece as a psychological study. In this, Wilde has succeeded.

[Piyangie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a brilliant play written by Oscar Wild. From the first dialogue, I knew I'm in for a treat. And yes indeed I was. There was so much in this play - humour, satire, witty dialogues, drama, excitement, sensitivity and a heartwarming story full of wisdom. All of these features were clustered into a Four-Act play. If this is not brilliance, what is?

Writing a short work is quite challenging. One has to balance the elements very carefully. And it is by no means an easy task. But Oscar Wild has had no difficulty in accomplishing this feat. Most of his works are short and they are nothing but great literary productions. I have not read many classical playwrights to draw comparisons. Other than Wild I have only read Shakespeare and Henrik Ibsen. I've enjoyed their plays, it is true. But to me, Oscar Wild is one step ahead of them.

This is a very sensitive play. Under the humour and satire, there is depth and wisdom. The story takes us deep into Victorian marital relationships, the ideals surrounding them, the myths and the realities, and how susceptible they are. The story also brings to light the deception that is forced upon women with the full sanction of the society to enter into marriage, to make an advantageous match. Underneath the fine layers, there is the hypocrisy of convention and etiquette of the upper class. There are also secrets, lies, and blackmail in abundance carried out shamelessly. With his ingenuity, Oscar Wild exposes all this ugliness in his play under the guise of satire. Even the upper-class theatergoers, could enjoy it and laugh at their own follies. But what struck me most is the extent of a mother's love and sacrifice that she can make for her child which Oscar Wild has so sensitively portrayed. It was the ray of light that illumined the beautiful side of this dark and ugly picture.

[Mark Porton · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a treat. Oscar provides a wonderfully witty drama here with some wonderful misunderstandings.

The drama centres around Lady Windermere who is ‘reliably’ informed her husband, Lord Windemere is visiting a new lady in town, presumably for horizontal refreshments.

This lady, Mrs Erlynne, is causing a bit of a stir – she’s vivacious, a little bit older than romantic society, but nevertheless the young men have fallen for her, the women of polite society, detest her.

I can resist everything except temptation

Lady Windermere is hosting a ball for her birthday and Lord Windermere insists she invite Mrs Erlynne. Lady Windermere is appalled at the idea, why would her husband suggest this? She is angry, confused, and refuses. Lord Windermere ends up inviting Mrs Erlynne.

As you can imagine, much drama ensues. There’s a large cast here of pompous twits – Lord Darlington being the biggest one. A few hangers on and some reliable servants – such as Parker – which reminded me of Parker from The Thunderbirds, who was Lady Penelope’s butler and driver.



Yes, I know I digress. But, Parker, of The Thunderbirds fame, was an outstanding man of service (Like Lady Windermere’s ‘Parker’ in this play). Just quietly, I fancied Lady Penelope until I was at an age where it became embarrassing for everyone concerned

There’s a lot of wit here as you’d expect. It’s longer than I thought it would be – so halfway through it was a bit of a slog – so, I put on my ‘big-man-pants’ and persisted, I’m so glad I did.

I ended up loving this.

4 Stars

[Jamie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay, so apparently I'm an idiot because it took me until the very end of this play to realize that the “fan” in the title is referring to “something you move air around with” and not “someone who really likes something.” It makes so much more sense now.

Anyway. Lady Windermere's Fan is another tremendously entertaining play by Oscar Wilde. There's not as much humor as some of his other comedies and it's a little preachy at times, but overall it was an enjoyable listen on audiobook. And, as always, the L.A. Theatre Works recording is excellent and it's definitely worth seeking out if you're wanting to listen to this one. Miriam Margolyes is part of the cast!

A solid four stars.

[Melissa · Rating 4 out of 5]

Wilde's wit never bores me, which is why he is one of my favorite authors. Below are a few quotations I particularly liked from Lady Windermere's fan:

"... scandal is gossip made tedious by morality."

"In this world there are only two tragedies. One is not getting what one wants, and the other is getting it."

"What is a cynic?...A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing."

"That is the worst of women. They always want one to be good. And if we are good, when they meet us, they don’t love us at all. They like to find us quite irretrievably bad, and to leave us quite unattractively good."

"I can resist everything except temptation."

"Experience is the name every one gives to their mistakes."

"Repentance is quite out of date. And besides, if a woman really repents, she has to go to a bad dressmaker, otherwise no one believes in her. And nothing in the world would induce me to do that."

"Ideals are dangerous things. Realities are better. They wound, but they’re better."

[Maria Espadinha · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Charming Trip


Truths , Dares and Lies...

Saviour Silences and Devastating Truths!

Ssssssshhhhhhh... —- DON'T SAY IT!...

"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious. I take the side of the charming..."

Forget about Goodness!
Forget about Badness!
Take the Charming Boat!
All Aboard?!... 😉👍🌟🌟🌟🌟

[N · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my favourite Oscar Wilde play. I loved this play even before I read it. The fantastic film adaptation, The Good Woman, has been one of my favourite movies. After reading the play, I can appreciate how perfect the casting is even more. Helen Hunt as Mrs. Erlynne, Scarlett Johansson as Lady Windermere and Tom Wilkinson as Tuppy are made for these roles.

"I don't like compliments, and I don't see why a man should think he is pleasing a woman enormously when he says to her a whole heap of things that he doesn't mean."

While there are so many lines to quote, this one is my favourite as I can relate to it so much. There aren't many things in this world that I dislike more then verbal compliments. There are many ways to show appreciation, love or admiration and I think if the best you can do is utter a few meaningless words, you better just shut up. 😆

As of the play, what it teaches us is that we shouldn't rush to judgment and sometimes the only difference between a good woman and a bad one is their circumstances.

[Sawsan · Rating 3 out of 5]

A combination of drama and humor
as usual, Wilde criticizes appearances and social hypocrisy of the aristocratic society and the different view of actions of men and women
and the most important point about the harsh judgments of people over others while it's so normal for the human nature to fluctuates between right and wrong
this play was published at 1893

[Elyse Walters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Full cast Oscar Wilde play....*Theatre Format*/ 4 act British- upper society play....all in one day.
........Audiobook....
....1 hour and 37 minutes

Magnificent performances....[this play was enhanced with the audiobook format] - great voices, and characters.
Rights & wrongs.....code of conduct....deceitfulness..... hypocrisy....and revenge are themes on full display......
......between husbands, wives, mothers, and daughters.

Mrs. Erlynne hopes to win over a married aristocrat, Mr. Windermere. News of their flirting becomes a scandal. Naughty-naughty!
Lady Windermere isn’t stupid. She knew her husband was having an affair.

This is a light-hearted, but complex play— romantic rendezvous.....
with everyone making assumptions, judgments, and conclusions.
One of the compelling aspects of this play is examining what a mother does—she makes herself an outcast in order to save her daughter’s reputation.

Witty, clever, hilarious, evocative, and wonderful.

As for the title of this play...if my friend Anne, wasn’t going to spill the beans about the ‘fan’....well, I won’t either.
Other than to say....I don’t want it ‘either’.

There is a movie called “A Good Woman”, based on this play. I haven’t seen it....( but I did watch the YouTube trailer- staring Helen Hunt, and Scarlett Johansson. ( it looks good!). I plan to watch it.

[Kathleen · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Oh, now-a-days so many conceited people go about society pretending to be good, that I think it shows rather a sweet and modest disposition to pretend to be bad. Besides, there is this to be said. If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn’t. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism.”

With his signature verbal irony, Oscar Wilde makes a scathing social critique go down as easy as ice cream. Of course it’s more fun to see a play performed, but reading it allows you to pause over wonderful lines like these, let them bounce around in your mind. It lets you slow down and appreciate Wilde’s brilliance.

In this short, light, amusing play, he hints at true love and self-sacrifice, but in order to see them, we must allow him to force our minds open a little.

The Duchess of Berwick visits the innocent Lady Windermere with gossip that makes Lady W doubt her husband’s fidelity. This begins a series of events--played out in rapid-fire dialogue--that uncover both true and false morality. Wilde entertains us with banter from characters we don’t relate to at all. We think he’s talking about “them,” but by the end we realize he’s talking about us.

Things are often not what they seem. Underneath what is deemed bad when looked at superficially is often something good, and vice versa. We know this is true from Wilde’s own tragic life and enduring legacy, yet we never seem to learn.

[Sara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Lady Windermere's Fan is classified as a Comedy of Manners, and while there are certainly humorous elements present in the usual clever Wilde manner, I would contend that there is more of drama here than comedy. The story at the base of this play is quite serious. The subject of the ease with which a person (particularly a woman) could be ruined and expelled from society (something that Wilde, even as a man, knew something of) is a serious topic for Wilde. The instinctive love of a mother is a serious topic for me.

As is so often Wilde's technique, there is much misunderstanding and confusion that leads characters to do foolish or socially dangerous things. Mrs. Erlynne might be a bad woman, but she does a very good thing; Lady Windermere prides herself on being a good woman, but she does a very bad thing. Perhaps the lines are not that clear or delineated. I particularly enjoy the progress that Lady Windermere makes in her thinking by the end of the play. I also enjoy the contrivance in which we, the audience, share in a secret that the Lady does not know.

Plays are meant to be seen, not read. I have never had the privilege of seeing this play produced, but in 2004 a movie was made based on this play entitled "A Good Woman" and starring Helen Hunt. If you have not seen it, it is worth seeking out. I think Oscar Wilde would be proud.

[Anne · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not my favorite Oscar Wilde play, but it doesn't have to be. Everything Oscar Wilde writes is brilliant and this play is no exception. Wilde's works range from serious to comedic and this one has elements of both. Wilde is concerned in this play about the British obsession with keeping up appearances, with the expectations of one's social class, and the hypocrisy of double standards. He uses his characters brilliantly to examine these themes.

This play had me rapt with attention from beginning to end, wondering about the meaning of the fan. I'm not telling. You have to watch, listen to or read the play to find out. You won't be sorry.


I listened to the audio recording with Juliet Stevenson. What a treat! Highly recommended.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

An enjoyable play that I liked more than The Importance of Being Earnest and An Ideal Husband. Many Goodread members classify Lady Windermere's Fan as a comedy and although there are definitely some witty parts, you know the Oscar Wilde wit, but I found the play to be more of a drama. Slightly disappointed that I figured out who Mrs. Erlynne was before I got to the end and what part she really played. Four stars.

[Jasmine · Rating 4 out of 5]

"There is the same world for all of us, and good and evil, sin and innocence, go through it hand in hand. To shut one's eyes to half of life that one may live securely is as though one blinded oneself that one might walk with more safety in a land of pit and precipice."

[Antoinette · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely adored this play! I highly recommend listening to this versus reading as all the voices totally bring it alive.

Oscar Wilde is known for his wittiness but he is also an astute and wise man.

This play revolves around Lady Windermere finding out that her husband of 2 years has been seen with Mrs. Erlynne, a “bad” woman, frequently. Today is Lady Windermere’s birthday and there is to be a party and guess who is coming!!

By the end of the night, Lady Windermere learns a valuable lesson.

“I don’t think now that people can be divided into the good and the bad as though they were two separate races or creations.” Lady Windermere.

There were so many great lines in this play that really show Wilde’s wit and wisdom. A few I’d like to share:

“ Scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.”

“ What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.”

“I can resist everything except temptation.”

“Do you know that I am afraid that good people do a great deal of harm in this world? Certainly the greatest harm they do is that they make badness of such extraordinary importance.”

This is a play that focuses on morality and the deception of appearance. Society, especially the affluent, are always judging others. Yet, Wilde shows that we all have it within us to be both good and bad.

My wish after listening to this is to one day see it live on stage. How perfect would that be!

Published : 1892

[Melcat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Oscar Wilde is my favorite author of all time, and this play in four acts is as delightful as I expected.

The dialogues are brilliant, the humor, satire and wit are through the roof, and it’s a quick and charming read. I can’t wait to be able to travel again so that I can buy Wilde’s plays in a nice edition.

It is short, but packed with nuances and insight. It put a huge smile on my face, for hours.

[library ghost (farheen) · Rating 4 out of 5]

i think you can always trust oscar wilde to combine wit, humor and social commentary in a masterful and engaging way.

[Eman Mostafa · Rating 4 out of 5]

مروحة ليدي وندرمير ثاني مسرحية أقراها من سلسلة روائع المسرح العالمي ، هذه السلسلة من أهم اكتشافاتي في عام ٢٠٢٣ 💓


تدور أحداث المسرحية في أواخر القرن ال١٩ في عاصمة الضباب لندن ، تُظهر حالة المجتمع وتفكيرهم وقت ذاك ، الصراع بين القيم والمباديء والانفتاح الاأخلاقي على ملذات الحياة ، حين تسيطر عليك الاهواء وتترك خلفك اشياء لا سبيل في استرجعها مره أخرى.

المسرحية جعلت القارئ يواجه حقيقة نفسه بدون تزيف وادعاء شعارات وهمية ، أثناء اختبار الحياة سيظهر نسخة جديدة لا تعرفها عن نفسك ، هنا سينهار جبل المثالية وتعرف أي شخص تكون أنت ..

أول مرة اقرا عن الامومة وما تتطلبه من تضحية و عطاء و تفاني ، حبيت كل تفصيلة في المسرحية واثرت فيا جدا ..

××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××××

= الاقتباسات:

-إن كلاً منكما ينتمى إلى إلى عالم مختلف . وإن السوء لم يعرف طريقه إلى عالمك.
-لا تقل ذلك آرثر. فما يوجد إلا عالم واحد لنا جميعاً. عالم يسير فيه الخير والشر ، البراءة والخطيئة ، جنباً إلى جنب . وما مثل من يتجاهل الشر واهو نصف الحياة ، ليعيش في طمأنينة ، إلا كمثل من يغمض عينيه اليسير في أمان وسط أرض كثيرة الحفر والمهاوى ..

ليدى وندرمير : أجميع الرجال إذن أشرار ؟
دوقة بروك : أوه ، جميعهم يا عزيزتي ، جميعهم ، بغير استثناء وهم لا يتحسنون قط إن الرجال يصيرون شيوخاً ، ولكنهم لا يصيرون أخياراً ..

أى نوع من الحياة تكون حياتك معه ؟ ستشعرين أنه إنما يكذب عليك في كل يوم، في كل لحظة. ستشعرين بالزيف في نظرته ، في نبرته ، في لمسته، يعود إليك عندما يمل الأخريات وعليك أنت أن تروحي عنه. يعود إليك وهو متيم بالأخريات وعليك أنت أن تونسيه. وعليك فوق ذلك أن تكونى له القناع الذي يخفى حقيقة حياته ، والغطاء الذي يستر أسراره ..

بل شعرت أنك تدعين . فحب الأم إنما يعنى التفاني وإنكار الذات ، والتضحية. من أين لك معرفة مثل هذه الأشياء ؟

تبدد وهم من أوهامى الليلة البارحة . كنت أعتقد ألا قلب لى ، فإذا بي أحس وجوده بين جوانحي . والقلب شيء لا يناسبى يا وندرمير . إنه مجاف للزى العصرى. إنه يجعل الإنسان يبدو هرما .. وإنه ليفسد على الإنسان مستقبل حياته في اللحظات الحاسمة .

سيسيل ، إذا أحب الإنسان امرأة حباً ورد صادقاً ، فإن جميع النساء سواها لا يعنين شيئاً عنده. الحب يغير الإنسان وها أنذا قد تغيرت.

يسمى الناس كل أخطائهم بالتجارب.

- كم من الوقت تستطيع أن تحب امرأة لا تحبك سيسيل ؟
- امرأة لا تحبنى ؟ أوه ، أحبها طول عمرى .

يردن دائماً للرجل أن يكون صالحاً وإذا نحن كنا صالحين عندما يلاقيننا ، لا يحبيننا بالمرة . فالذي يحلولهن هو أن بجدتنا فاسدين فساداً لا غناء فيه ، ويتركننا طيبين طيبة لا تستهوى امرأة .

أخشى أن تكون هذه هي القصة القديمة الخالدة يا عزيزتي . الحب - ليس الحب من النظرة الأولى أول الموسم ، بل في نهايته ، وهو خير أنواع الحب .

أي نوع من الحياة تكون حياتك معه ؟ ستشعرين أنه إنما يكذب عليك في كل يوم ، في كل لحظة. ستشعرين بالزيف في نظرته ، في نبرته ، في لمسته ، في عاطفته . يعود إليك عندما يمل الأخريات ، وعليك أنت أن تروحي عنه . يعود إليك وهو متيم بالأخريات وعليك أنت أن تونسيه . وعليك فوق ذلك أن تكوني له القناع الذي يخفى حقيقة حياته ، والغطاء الذي يستر أسراره .

بين الرجال والنساء لا يمكن أن توجد صداقة ، بل صبابة ، عداوة ، عبادة ، حب ، أما الصداقة فلا .

ليم لا تسألني عن حالى ؟ أحب من الناس أن يسألوني عن حالى . إن ذلك يدل على مدى الاهتمام بصحتي . هأنذا الليلة على غير ما يرام .

ولكن التجربة علمتني أن الناس بمجرد أن يبلغوا من الكبر ما يجعلهم أكثر إدراكاً، لا يدركون شيئاً بالمرة .

إن مسز إيرلن كانت يوما ما امرأة مكرمة ، محبوبة ، ومحترمة . وإنها من بيت طيب ، وقد تبوأت في الحياة مكانة حسنة ، ثم فقدت كل شيء - رمت به إذا شئت ، وهذا .. يجعل الأمر أنكى وقعا وأشد مرارة . فالنكبات محتملها الإنسان، إنها ترد عليه من الخارج، إنها ضربات القدر . أما أن يقاسى الإنسان عواقب ما جنت يداه - آه ! - فهذه هي التي يحس المرء لذعها في صميم كيانه.

وإن أزواجنا لينسون حتى مجرد وجودنا ، لولا مضايقتنا إياهم من آونة لأخرى لتذكيرهم بأن ذلك من حقنا المشروع عليهم.

29/12/2023 📚
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[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

I always enjoy Oscar Wilde. His turns of phrase and incisive perceptions are often right on target and almost always amusing. Lady Windermere’s Fan is one of those London society plays in this case covering the subject of what today would be updated to be sex shaming of women. At the very least, it addresses the double standards that have been used against women. This play is 4.5 stars for me, rounded up to 5.

[Fenia · Rating 5 out of 5]

WOW. Oscar Wilde is a genius! This was so realistic, there was so much wisdom pouring out of it. It was entertaining and short, straight forward, full of cherished quotes. Loved it! ♥

[Liam O'Leary · Rating 4 out of 5]

Video Review
I grew up with a girl who wrote love letters to a prisoner during our teens, and during this period she told me on rough days that "We're all in the gutter but some of us are looking at the stars". We drew a lot of optimism and strength from that quote. It stopped her dropping out of school, it stopped me dropping out of friendships. We knew Oscar Wilde wrote it, but we weren't sure where it came from. I read The Picture of Dorian Gray like most teens, but I didn't find it in there. And then I just forgot about it, books took a backseat, growing up was hectic.

More than a decade later, I'm considering quoting this in my PhD thesis. And so I looked it up and found it was in Lady Windermere's Fan. I figured I ought to read what I'm quoting, and it was about time I read an Oscar Wilde play.

Lady Windermere's Fan is a pretty fantastic and enjoyable play, as you'd imagine from Wilde. It is quite silly, but less so than most comedies, and is full of tension and painful dramatic irony. He called a character Dumby, so it's a light jest of a play.

But the quote is so much different than I thought. It's not about optimism at all! It's a response to a bunch of drunk men talking about what women want.

"[Women] like to find [men] quite irretrievably bad, and to leave [them] quite unattractively good"

To which a man with unrequited love responds with my chosen quote. He is declaring all men are immoral but love makes them long to be better. It isn't that women want a man to be bad and good, it's that a woman's love reforms a man. The gutter is a moral one not a miserable one, and the star is a lover not happiness. Women don't want men to change, they don't need to. They know that a man that loves them will change for the better, and that most men are capable of changing for the better. It's not one-sided, it's cooperation. Society keeps men down so that they can be raised, through love.

And with this recognition, it has sexualized what was this innocently motivating aphorism I've had in my head for over a decade. I'm still processing it, I feel like I've been lied to by my own ignorance. That's psychological development for you. Funny enough, to date, 43457 GoodReads users have liked this cherished quote, but only 18938 GoodReads users have rated this book (with less than 1000 reviews total). This means that more than half of the people who like this quote have never actually read it in its very different context! My sympathies in advance for those of you who reach the awareness that what you were hanging onto were misinterpretations, but it happens to us all at some point.

But one thing that's obvious to me now, is that even if social justice didn't float your boat, there's a very good practical, self-centred reason for reading diversely. Oscar Wilde dissects problems with heterosexual relationships and marriage in a way heterosexual writers simply couldn't, even if censorship wasn't an issue, due to them being biased and part of the problem. How many heterosexual men write about good women in a way that is believable and unbiased, and vice-versa? Is it impossible for men and women to be friends, as this play suggests? Maybe. But our best hope and identifying and reforming bad elements like this will be be through the eyes of 'others'. We learn so much more from people different from us, that the differences themselves are never as important as the amount we can learn from working together. And frankly, our diversity also extends to the realm of humour. Life is also just funnier reading diversely, because Oscar Wilde can make jokes no sane heterosexual would dare to, and it probably wouldn't be as funny even if they had the charisma for it. So yes, this play is light, true, serious and fun. It's jokingly provocative. It's light satire that calls for decency. That's more than a play needs to be, really.

[Connie G · Rating 5 out of 5]

The subtitle of Lady Windermere's Fan is "A Play About a Good Woman." Goodness and evil are at the heart of the play, and the characters change over the course of the action. Lady Windermere hears gossip about her husband and another woman which sets up a series of reactions. The morality of the characters is ambiguous, and is handled in a humorous way.

The Victorian era was a time of double standards in terms of morality. Women were judged in much harsher terms, and reputations could be lost very easily in an unforgiving society. Maintaining a good appearance was important.

There are several mothers in the play. The Dutchess of Berwick is a helicopter parent that never lets her daughter finish a sentence. Mrs Erlynne was not a good mother in her child's early life, but sacrifices herself later. Lady Windermere is upset about a rumor, but Mrs Erlynne keeps her from doing something drastic by reminding her that her son needs her.

Lord Darlington is a charming man who has great witty lines that also make us think about society:

"It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious."

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

Oscar Wilde's writing is superb in this comedy of manners. Although it is about Victorian society, it still feels fresh because human nature does not change.

[Duane Parker · Rating 4 out of 5]

I think these classic plays are better enjoyed on stage than by reading. That seems so obvious that it seems silly to say. But the problem for most of us is, we haven't seen them on stage and probably won't. There is enough going on in this play though to make it a fun read. I use the word fun rather loosely because, even though it is a comedy, it doesn't seem like one to me. Maybe that is one of the things lost in reading versus watching, I don't know. I think it's a subtle style of humor that probably worked better with 19th century readers/audiences than in the 21st century. It felt more like a drama to me. But it has stood the test of time, performed first in London in 1893, and throughout the world during the 20th century, with a major production as late as 2004 at the Harmen Center in Washington D.C.

[Theo Logos · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lady Windermere’s Fan, Oscar Wilde’s social satire that became his first smashingly successful comedy, both delights and annoys me. I’m delighted by Wilde’s wit, his skillful deployment of wonderful bon mots:

I can resist everything but temptation.

History is merely gossip, but scandal is gossip made tedious by morality.

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

What is a cynic? A man who knows the price of everything and the value of nothing.

It is the story of the play itself I find annoying, for to satirize Victorian social mores and conventions, Wilde was obliged to reproduce them within his play. I loved his language, but found the convoluted tale and the characters within it rather tedious. Three and a half stars for the brilliant lines, rounded up.

[Saman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Beyond the appreciation level, my meager vocabulary could ever achieve!

[Rodrigo · Rating 2 out of 5]

Sinopsis: La obra comienza cuando Lady Windermere descubre que su marido puede estar manteniendo una relación con otra mujer. La duquesa de Berwick es la que ha delatado al marido. Lady Windermere se enfrenta a su esposo y le pide explicaciones, pero éste rechaza las acusaciones e invita a la supuesta amante, Mrs Erlynne, al baile de cumpleaños de su mujer.
Ultrajada por la infidelidad de su marido, Lady Windermere decide abandonarlo para seguir a Lord Darlington, un amigo que acaba de confesarle su amor.
Tras descubrir lo sucedido, Mrs Erlynne sigue a Lady Windermere hasta casa de Lord Darlington e intenta convencerla para que vuelva con su marido.

No me ha terminado de convencer, ni fu ni fa.
Esperaba que fuera mas de humor o ironía, tipo como el de Ernesto, pero no, solo hay un enredo, que se soluciona al final mas o menos, pero no de la forma que esperaba.
Valoración: 5.5/10
# 36. Un libro escrito por una persona recluida (encarcelada) o que lo estuvo. Reto Popsugar 2024.

[Vanessa J. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Well, it seems that my liking of Wilde's works follows a graphic like this one:



I am not kidding you. Every time I read another play, I think it's better than the one I read before. Perhaps I'm reading them in some particular order unknown to me, or my opinion is starting to get biased. In any case, I enjoyed this immensely.

This one involves more drama and problems than the plays I read previous to this one. It has a jealous wife, there's blackmailing, there are some misunderstood things that lead to more problems, etc. In short, it was brilliant.

My favourite of these plays keeps being The Importance of Being Earnest, even when I said my enjoyment for them has been growing exponentially.

In the end, I recommend this wholeheartedly. It's really funny, cynical, satirical and easy to read. There's none of that complex or dense writing that characterizes many Victorian works. Plus, it's written by the one and only Oscar Wilde. Need I say more?

List of quotes:

“Ah, now-a-days we are all of us so hard up, that the only pleasant things to pay are compliments. They're the only things we can pay.”

“I don't see why a man should think he is pleasing a woman enormously when he says to her a whole heap of things that he doesn't mean.”

“If you pretend to be good, the world takes you very seriously. If you pretend to be bad, it doesn't. Such is the astounding stupidity of optimism.”

“It is absurd to divide people into good and bad. People are either charming or tedious.”

“Men become old, but they never become good.”

“I am the only person in the world I should like to know thoroughly ; but I don't see any chance of it just at present.”

“It's wrong for a man to abandon his wife for a shameless woman. It is wrong for a wife to remain with a man who so dishonors her.”

“Oh! gossip is charming! History is merely gossip. But scandal is gossip made tedious by morality. Now I never moralize. A man who moralizes is usually a hypocrite, and a woman who moralizes is invariably plain.”

“Ideals are dangerous things. Realities are better. They wound, but they are better.”

And yeah, I am perfectly aware that the list of quotes is longer than my “review.”

[ophélie · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

2022 is almost over and i am determined to fulfill my goal of writing a review for every book (or let’s just say “most of the books”) that i have read this year, so welcome to: Reviewing Books Before the Year Ends and I Completely Forget What They Were About. i’ve decided to start with the latest book that i have read cause that is the logical thing to do.

Lady Windermere’s Fan by Oscar Wilde.

first of all i find it embarrassing that upon picking this book up from the secondhand store, my dumbass thought that the word “fan” was used as the synonym of “follower”. but no; it was about the Lady’s fan, you know the actual fan that is used for cooling oneself, well it’s a fan (the object) which probably symbolizes something. i just had to clarify that. BACK TO THE REVIEW, i haven’t read anything from Wilde apart from The Picture Of Dorian Gray cause im basic, so now i can say that i have not only read Dorian, but also Lady Windermere’s Fan so there’s that. i love the fact that Wilde is from Dublin since a friend of mine invited me to visit Dublin this summer and im a fan of Ireland ever since (see what i did there hehe).



wow im not even going to question how i went from talking about a fan and ireland within seconds because i always manage to do so. this is what happens when you neglect writing reviews.

i really enjoyed the atmosphere of the play, i for one consider myself an elegant ball party gal with all those gorgeous dresses and fancy dances. i must say, the conversations were short and comprehensible (or maybe that’s how it felt after reading Shakespeare’s works) so i also UNDERSTOOD what was happening which is cool since english is not my first language, ayo where are my bilinguals at?!!!? bilingual-five 🙌

other than that, it was a very short play so we didn’t get to delve into the lives of other characters but that’s okay i only cared about Lord what’s his name. okay im back i checked what his name was it’s Lord Darlington. here's a tip: always trust cute high status guys who are willing to tell you that they love you in the most awkward yet heartwarming ways (im talking about you Darcy my blueberry pie). and what about that ending. were we supposed to guess what happens next😤? i sure hope #ladywindermereandlorddarlingtonendgame happens, actually im okay if it doesn't happen. i would gladly accept Lord Darlington. wow im completely deflecting here.


(visual representation of me running after lord darlington)

the portrayal of jealousy was cool but of course it wasn’t othelloesque (think of it as kafkaesque) and poor mrs erlynne was misunderstood. i absolutely despise the miscommunication trope, in fact im going to lower my rating just for that (that and because of the ambiguous ending, i also despise ambiguity). i would've loved to have a cup of tea with mrs erlynne sometime, my girl's so cool and im going to pretend that she is a rebellious feminist who dares to talk to other women's husbands (how could she! *audible gasp*). and that plot twist came out of nowhere, which is what plot twists do. plus that women supporting women scene in the end. I LOVE.

to conclude, the play was short but it did not feel like it and the language & tone were satisfying. this wild oscar kid did a good job.

p.s. my battery died while writing this review and now it’s magically back. im starting to think that it shouldn’t have been back.

[Negin · Rating 5 out of 5]

تا حالا شده وایلد نا امیدم کنه؟ نه والا‌.
به نظرم درکنار "زن بی اهمیت" و " شوهر دلخواه" از نمایشنامه های واقعا قشنگ وایلده‌.
خیلی خوشم میاد که پایان نمایشنامه هاش هر جورم که باشه باز یا نا امید کننده تمومشون نمیکنه.
انقدر تفاوت بین نمایشنامه نویسی وایلد، سارتر و بیضایی هست که خودم تعجب کنم از اینکه چقدر عاشق نوشته های این سه نفرم، اما نقطه اشتراکشون اینه که هرچی مینویسن توش یه عالم حرفه و حرف های هرکدوم هم خاص خودشه.

[Katarina · Rating 5 out of 5]

So much drama, so much fun. :)