A Doll's House - Henrik Ibsen

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25 of 25 Ciao users found the following review helpful

twingkelingstar

Member since 10/03/2008

Reviews written: 20

It's a Dolls Life 24/05/2008

User recommends the product

Advantages complex characters
Disadvantages felt a bit suffocated whilst reading

A Doll House was the first of Ibsen's plays to create such a HUGE sensation and I think it is now perhaps his most famous play. It is my favourite Ibsen play. At the time when it was published, the play was highly controversial due to it's blatent criticicism of the standard Victorian marriage. About the author Henrik Johan Ibsen was a Norwegian playwright of the late 19th century. He brought to the European stage a whole new order of moral analysis that was placed against a very traditional middle-class background and developed with economy of action, powerful dialogue, and gusto thought ... more
15 of 15 Ciao users found the following review helpful

irachx

could you live in a dolls house? 25/01/2011

User recommends the product

Advantages good plot, reflects society at the time
Disadvantages studying it is tedious

I remember reading this play in college and had to do a piece of coursework based on this play as part of my English Literature course. Whilst having to study the play, I did not really enjoy this play. Whilst I do love to read and pick out points and themes and tiny aspects to analyse, I just found that this play seemed one dimensional. (My first impression was that this play was basically about a immature women's inferior role in a life where women are seen merely as housewives) however I was recently clearing out my room and I found this play, (admittedly not in a very good state quality ... more
18 of 18 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Joeyjoe

Living in a Doll's House. 24/05/2004

User recommends the product

Advantages A great feminist play written by a man.
Disadvantages none,

When Ibsen created a Doll’s House he aimed to create it in a certain way. This structure was known as the well made play. Here are some examples of the format of the well made play and by looking at this list it is clear that A Doll’s House is of that nature. The Well Made Play 1) The plot during a well made play is usually based upon a withheld secret, often about the hero or main character and when it is revealed, the story line changes. 2) The initial exposition of the revelation provides information about the action before the play but also about the future, the secret. It ... more
7 of 7 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Colzie

Intelligently executed 26/03/2001

User recommends the product

Advantages A better understanding of Victorian thought
Disadvantages n/a

This play was a pioneer of its time. It was created in the Victorian age, where women where submissive to their husbands, and children only spoke when spoken to. However, this play explored these themes and dealt with them with great care and thought. The central character of the play is Nora, a wife of a soon to be Bank manager. She has a hidden secret which slowly becomes extracted as the play evolves, creating ongoing dramatic tension throughout the play. The secret involves her borrowing money from a loan shark, (Krogstad), and repaying the money over time. As she is about to make the ... more
10 of 10 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Telute

The opinion is better than the play 20/10/2000

User doesn't recommend the product

Advantages It's short
Disadvantages he plot, characters, writing etc

The titel only applies because of the plays absolutly abysmal nature. Do not even bother reading this play. It is one of the most boring things I have ever had the misfortune to read. While I will conceed that it is a feminist play and hence the forerunner of womens lib I cannot excuse the utter boredom it induces in the reader. The plot revolves around the fact that Nora, wife of Torvald, has borrowed money without her husbands permission and by forging his signature. The money is borrowed from a man called Krogstad, who loses his job at Torvalds bank and demands that Nora gets him reinstatd ... more
6 of 7 Ciao users found the following review helpful

MagicKitten

The little skylark 22/11/2000

User recommends the product

Advantages Good message and critcal of theatre at the time- the late 19th century
Disadvantages Can be annoying and not the most thrilling play ever written

I studied this for my A level English Literature exam, and I'm still not sure if I like it or not. On the one hand it's got a good message; Ibsen was criticising melodrama of the time and the poor position of women in society. It is certainly one of the first feminist plays and Ibsen's message comes across clearly, despite the criticism of it at the time. He was certainly very brave in writing this play, as he knew it was considered shocking and unthinkable. However, the play is sometimes weak in places. Nora as a character appears somewhat 2-dimensional for the first part of the play, and the ... more
2 of 4 Ciao users found the following review helpful

super_jimbo

a great play 14/12/2000

User recommends the product

Advantages a great play if performed well
Disadvantages the film version is terrible

This is undoubtedly one of the greatest play's ever written, Ibsen draw's on what he perceived as the ill's of society in his time and as a result has created a play that is more accepted and appreciated by today's society than it was by his contemporary audience. At the time there was such an outcry about the end of the play (I won't spoil it for you) that Ibsen was eventually forced into writing an inferior, weaker ending. If however you can get hold of a copy of his re-written finale then it is worth it if you wish to see deeper into his society. Ibsen's time, when public image was ... more
1 of 2 Ciao users found the following review helpful

MrMusic2000_uk

Surealist Master Piece 30/07/2000

User recommends the product

Advantages Totaly changed public opion, femanist classic
Disadvantages Not a good air-port book - quite deep

I actually studied this book for my A-level English lit. course and I must admit the first time I read it I wasn’t impressed – nothing much happens and it’s quite dull – but then when I re-read it I started to pick up on the true story of the book – basically it was written just before ‘Feminism’ took off in Norway and deals with the struggle of Nora as she tries to become a ‘free woman’ and no longer a ‘toy doll’ to Helmer her husband. The whole play in a true surrealist fashion is set in the Helmer family house and major incidents happen off stage or before the play is set – like most ... more
2 of 3 Ciao users found the following review helpful

Kitty-Margolis

One of the first feminist plays 07/11/2000

User recommends the product

Advantages Tackled conventional views of society and promoted role of women and attacked the melodrama of the period
Disadvantages Can appear quite dull and with little action and sometimes a little unrealistic

I have studied this for my A-level English lit course and although I didn't initially enjoy it, after seeing it i ralised it's impact. Ibsen skillfully attacks the subservient role of women and their treatment by society and he also attacks the melodrama of his period. The result is a play which uses the characterization of Nora as his focus for criticism and he uses a naturalistic method of writing to criticise melodrama. At first the characters seem rather 2 dimensional and not particularly developed and Nora can be annoying. However, as the play progresses Nora develops and evokes more ... more
0 of 2 Ciao users found the following review helpful

performeress

Ibsen's A Doll's House- Realism with a Twist 03/09/2009

User recommends the product

Advantages The surprise ending is empowering for women.
Disadvantages If you like happy endings, it might be best to give this one a miss.

I first read this play when I was studying my undergraduate degree in drama at university. If you're a drama buff and you haven't read this play, it's an essential read and one you shouldn't overlook as part of your ongoing theatre education. As well as being entertaining with some really endearing characters, 'A Doll's House' is an excellent example of a Well Made Play. Well, it would be if it weren't for the ending which goes against the usual happy, neat conclusions that are traditional of a well made play. But the not so happy, not so 'well made' ending is one of the reasons I like this ... more