Books with author Henrik Ibsen

First performed in 1892, this psychological drama is one of the great Norwegian playwright's most symbolic and lyrical works. The drama explores the insecurities of an aging architect, Halvard Solness, who suspects that his creative powers have diminished with age. Solness finds strength of purpose in his involvement with Hilda — his muse, inspiration, and ardent believer in his greatness — but their association leads to a conflict between heroic myth and complicated reality.Among the most original of Ibsen's works and one of his most frequently performed plays, The Master Builder is widely read by students of drama and literature as well as other readers. The play offers audiences a thought-provoking examination of the needs of the artist in relation to those of society and the limits of artistic achievement.

Hedda Gabler, the daughter of an aristocratic general, has just returned to her villa from her honeymoon. Her husband is an aspiring, young, and reliable academic who continued his research during their honeymoon. Hedda has never loved him and married him because she thinks her years of youthful abandon are over. Jealousy, murder and controversy follows, providing us with much food for thought. Was Hedda a victim of circumstance or a manipulative villain?

Henrik Ibsen (20th March, 1828 – 23rd May, 1906) is often referred to as the father of realism and ranked just below Shakespeare as Europe’s greatest ever playwright especially as his plays are performed most frequently throughout the world after Shakespeare’s. He was Norwegian and although set his plays in Norway, he wrote them in Danish and lived most of his professional life in Italy and Germany. His affect on the theatre is still evident today and shapes the distinction of plays being art as opposed to entertainment since he broke down all previous traditions and explored issues, developed characterisation, revealed uncomfortable truths, challenged assumptions and brokedown facades in ourselves as well as society. These factors are clearly demonstrated in The Lady from the Sea, the lady being Ellida, the daughter of a lighthouse keeper who therefore grew up by the open sea and has a deep love for it. She married Dr Wangel who had two daughters by his former wife, Bolette and Hilda and they had a son who died as a baby. Her husband recognises the strains put on the marriage by the infant death and is concerned for Ellida’s mental health but more important to Ellida is the return of her former love who she had promised to wait for. She does decide between the two men and her reasons make for good reading in this symbolic play.