The Importance of Being Earnest

Despite being thoroughly out of date (it dates from 1895), this play has the striking virtue of being hilariously funny throughout, in a way that transcends time. A modern writer transported back into British society of the 1890s and desiring to make fun of it could hardly have done better.

The story is perfectly composed, I see absolutely nothing wrong with it. But it's pure social parody: the characters and the plot have no other purpose, and so it's too light and insubstantial to make it into my top favourites. I certainly enjoy it, but I don't reread it often.

I was already familiar with it before downloading this edition from Project Gutenberg: I think I'd previously read it (without owning a copy) and seen it performed.