Book description
The four plays in this volume, written late in Ibsen's career as a
dramatist, move away from his earlier preoccupation with people at odds
with society to instead explore the inward struggle with their own
thoughts, feelings and dreams. The Master Builder (1892) depicts a
powerful man whose illusions collapse in the face of a young woman's
courageous common sense. In Rosmersholm (1886), an idealist is forced to
question his beliefs and confront terrible truths about the past, while
Little Eyolf (1894) portrays a man's self-deception, which brings both
tragic repercussions for his family and new hope for their future. And
in John Gabriel Borkman (1896), a dying woman returns to reclaim the
affections and loyalty of her nephew, resulting in a bitter struggle
with her sister.
Henrik Ibsen was born at Skien in Norway in 1828. He was one of the
earliest writers to dramatise the individual's alienation from
society. Although never fully appreciated during his lifetime, he has
since come to be recognised as one of the greatest dramatists and the
'Father of Modern Drama'.
Translated by Una Ellis-Fermor
