Ibsen: The man and his work

by Edvard Beyer, Matthew Wells (Translator)

The artistic development of the great Norwegian dramatist is probed, examining the roots of his social and political criticism and his relationship to the Norwegian and European literary tradition

223 pages, Paperback

Published January 1, 1978

Reviews

[Odile]

Beyer's oeuvre-overview focuses mainly on Ibsen's works, with some small excursions into biographical data. To treat an oeuvre of this importance in a 200 page book is no small feat, but I think Beyer managed to pull it off quite well. A handful of pages are dedicated to each of Ibsen's plays, tracing out most of the more important lines of analysis and meaning of these works.

Despite the need to be brief in such a work, Beyer gives a good overview of why Ibsen's works are often quite timeless and of continuing relevance.

[Ali]

I loved the way he analysed the plays and wrote about Ibsen's life at the same time, without making it tedious or convoluted. Definitely worth reading for any Ibsen lovers out there !