The Greatest Books of All Time on Bunburying
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This list represents a comprehensive and trusted collection of the greatest books. Developed through a specialized algorithm, it brings together 402 'best of' book lists to form a definitive guide to the world's most acclaimed books. For those interested in how these books are chosen, additional details can be found on the rankings page.
Genres
"Bunburying," as a category for books, refers to stories where characters engage in elaborate deceptions or adopt alternate identities to escape societal obligations, explore hidden desires, or experience life from a different perspective. Inspired by the term from Oscar Wilde's play "The Importance of Being Earnest," where characters create fictitious personas to avoid unwelcome duties, Bunburying books often blend humor, wit, and social commentary. These narratives typically involve intricate plots, clever disguises, and a playful examination of identity and societal norms, offering readers a delightful escape into worlds where the boundaries between reality and pretense are artfully blurred.
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1. The Importance of Being Earnest by Oscar Wilde
A Trivial Comedy for Serious People
This comedic play revolves around two protagonists who both use the pseudonym "Ernest" to escape their social obligations. Their plans unravel when they fall in love and their betrothed women reveal they are only willing to marry men named Ernest. The situation is further complicated by a case of mistaken identity, a lost handbag, and a surprising revelation about one of the protagonist's parentage. The play uses wit and humor to satirize the social conventions of Victorian England, particularly the importance placed on trivialities.
The 1023rd Greatest Book of All Time
Reading Statistics
Click the button below to see how many of these books you've read!
Download
If you're interested in downloading this list as a CSV file for use in a spreadsheet application, you can easily do so by clicking the button below. Please note that to ensure a manageable file size and faster download, the CSV will include details for only the first 500 books.
Download