#19 in Drama & theatre
Salome
- 66
- Pages
- about 1 h
- Reading time
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Our view
“Salome” is a short, feverish one-act tragedy in which Oscar Wilde turns a biblical episode into a study of desire and power. Salome, stepdaughter of Herod Antipas, tries to seduce Jokanaan, and the dance of the seven veils she performs drives the play towards its violent end. Wilde wrote it in French; an English version followed a year later. Some readers find it unexpectedly funny.
The view of the BookRank editors, written from readers’ ratings and comments. It does not affect the score or the book’s place in a ranking.
About the book
Salome is a one-act tragedy by Oscar Wilde. The original version of the play was first published in French in 1893; an English translation was published a year later. The play depicts the attempted seduction of Jokanaan by Salome, stepdaughter of Herod Antipas; her dance of the seven veils; the execution of Jokanaan at Salome's instigation; and her death on Herod's orders.
Where the score comes from
The sources average 7.1 across 68 ratings — not yet many, so the reader vote carries 31% of the weight and the rest pulls toward the Drama & theatre average of 7.6. That is how 7.4 comes out.
| Source | Average | Ratings | Weight |
|---|---|---|---|
| Open Library | 6.8 | 15 | 22% |
| Hardcover | 7.2 | 53 | 78% |
Frequently asked
How long is Salome?
It has 66 pages — shorter than 100% of the ranked books in Drama & theatre.
In this book
Themes this book shares with others — each leads to the best books on it.
If you liked this
Same shelf — Drama & theatre — with scores between 7.4 and 7.5, closest to this book.
