A Doll's House - Literary Touchstone Edition

This Prestwick House Literary Touchstone Edition includes a glossary and notes to help the modern reader contend with Ibsen's approach to complex human interactions and the relationship between the sexes. Norwegian-born Henrik Ibsen's classic play about the struggle between independence and security still resonates with readers and audience members today. Often hailed as an early feminist work, the story of Nora and Torvald rises above simple gender issues to ask the bigger question: To what extent have we sacrificed our selves for the sake of social customs and to protect what we think is love? Nora's struggle and ultimate realizations about her life invite all of us to examine our own lives and find the many ways we have made ourselves dolls and playthings in the hands of forces we believe to be beyond our control.

Customer Reviews:

Stunning Masterpiece

By Bill R. Moore - March 6, 2010

A Doll's House is the play that made Henrik Ibsen world famous; though it got substantial acclaim, much initial attention came from controversy - and some from outrage. However, time has sided with it, proving Ibsen's points and burying naysayers under a pile of narrow-minded hypocrisy; the play remains Ibsen's most popular and one of his most acclaimed, taking its high place in the world literary canon.

Often called the first feminist play, A Doll's is a savage critique of Victorian - I use the term loosely, Ibsen being Norwegian - society's treatment of women. It gives a vivid idea of just how repressed they were in everything from speech to employment; their very thoughts were persecuted as far as possible. We also see what form this took in the domestic sphere; patriarchy is lambasted and exposed as hollow, and male-female relations generally are thoroughly critiqued. The marriage institution is not spared Ibsen's unflinching eye, while motherhood and other related... read more

This is a suspenseful realistic play

By Israel Drazin - April 20, 2010

The critic H. L. Mencken described Henrik Ibsen's plays as "obvious thoughts in sound plays." There is "nothing mysterious in them; there is not even anything new in them." Ibsen offered reality. He was not interested in presenting "morals, lesson, symbols and that sort of thing." Yet, "he hit upon an action that was all suspense and all emotion." Mencken quotes Ibsen: "What I wanted to do was to depict human beings, human emotions, and human destinies, upon groundwork of certain of the social conditions and principles of the present day." While many people may agree with Mencken, others will say that Ibsen was trying to show what was the proper behavior that people should follow.

This portrayal of reality and what is proper behavior is seen in A Doll's House. It is realistic and, in addition, it is relevant, but the play also addresses what is proper. Ibsen portrays a husband and a wife. The wife is a "doll," beautiful, unsophisticated, childlike, well-meaning, but... read more

A Dolls House

By Amanda M. Coder - April 4, 2009

Classic tale of women's liberation. This book is a fabulous read and short enough for a young teen to grasp the concept. I would recommend this to any student.