4/26/22

Brilliant work. I felt like I had expectations by the third of these plays and yet somehow they were subverted in such a way that makes sense and seems inevitable (as it should). The dialogue pops off the page even in translation and some of the characters feel so real you could touch them. This is especially true of Daniel Hejre whom the author modeled on his father, a slashing portrait. A Doll's House, meanwhile, is a masterpiece in three acts. Rare is it that a relationship is shown with such crackle on stage as the one between the Helmers. The denouement is a dazzle of bittersweet perfection. ( )

In this edition are three contrasting plays by Henrik Ibsen spanning his whole career. The most well known and enduring of the collection is 'A Doll House', the other two, although interesting have a very dated, melodramatic, and old-fashioned feel about them. 'A Doll House' has become such an influential work that it instantly feels modern and somewhat familiar. You can easily forget that this was written in 1879! The theme of women's equality was both ground-breaking and scandalous at that time, as was the naturalistic setting and language. The mood steadily becomes more anxious as Nora's worst fears come to the surface and the fragile domestic bliss is shattered completely in the surprising ending. With basically only one set, Ibsen masterfully suggests a whole town outside. The plays are accompanied by an interesting introduction to the life of the author and background historical notes, as well as explaining some of the difficulties with translation. ( )

When Torvald gets sick, his wife, Nora, takes out a loan in secret to pay for the trip to Italy his doctors insist upon. She has been paying off her debt consistently - without her husband's knowledge - but now it looks like her dirty secret must come to light.

I read it in one sitting and feel perfectly fine about it. At a mere 88 pages or so, this play is ridiculously short, and the plot is relatively simple, but thematically, the story is overflowing with important and relevant issues that provide food for thought. If you haven't yet read this play, I would highly recommend doing so. ( )