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45 pages 1 hour read

The Country Wife

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1675

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Book Brief

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William Wycherley

The Country Wife

Fiction | Play | Adult | Published in 1675
Book Details
Pages

184

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

London • 1670s

Publication Year

1675

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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Super Short Summary

The Country Wife by William Wycherley, written in 1675, is a Restoration comedy centered on Harry Horner, who feigns impotence to gain access to and seduce married women. Meanwhile, newlywed Jack Pinchwife tries to keep his naive wife, Margery, away from Horner but fails as she falls for him. Concurrently, Frank Harcourt pursues Pinchwife’s sister, Alithea, who is engaged to the foolish Mr. Sparkish. The play humorously explores themes of marriage, infidelity, and male competition.

Humorous

Spicy

Playful

Mysterious

Romantic

Reviews & Readership

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Review Roundup

The Country Wife by William Wycherley is celebrated for its sharp wit and satirical edge, epitomizing Restoration comedy. Critics laud its clever dialogue and incisive social commentary. However, some note its outdated gender politics and bawdy humor may not resonate with modern audiences. Overall, it remains a vital, though polarizing, theatrical work.

Who should read this

Who Should Read The Country Wife?

An ideal reader for The Country Wife by William Wycherley enjoys witty and risqué Restoration comedies. Fans of provocative humor and critiques of social mores akin to Oscar Wilde's The Importance of Being Earnest or Richard Sheridan's The School for Scandal will relish Wycherley's satirical take on marriage and hypocrisy.

Book Details
Pages

184

Format

Play • Fiction

Setting

London • 1670s

Publication Year

1675

Audience

Adult

Recommended Reading Age

18+ years

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