Reviews

The Master Builder by Henrik Ibsen

ajmatchi's review against another edition

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dark emotional medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Plot
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

chairmanbernanke's review against another edition

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4.0

Deeply spiritual and psychological.

tuvakon's review against another edition

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4.0

Byggmester Solnes er et noe mer melankolsk Ibsen-drama, og det virker på meg som at Ibsen her kommenterer sin egen alderdom og skrivestil. Hovedpersonen, byggmester Solnes, har allerede nådd høydepunktet i sin karriere og føler seg gammel og ikke mottakelig for ungdommens nye ideer. Jeg leser dette som at Ibsen reflekterer rundt sin egen posisjon som forfatter i en tid preget av mye endring og modernisme. Rammefortellingen er noe kjedelig og forutsigbar, men interessante karakterer (i alle fall at han har inkludert en karakter fra tidligere i sin karriere). Litt overraskende slutt.

Jeg vil også bygge luftslott

thingtwo's review against another edition

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4.0

I really like Henrik Ibsen, and this is one of his best. I like the interplay between men/women; between expectation/reality; between husbands/wives/lovers. He captures it all—in a short play I look forward to watching on stage someday soon.

planetshannon's review against another edition

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3.0

Bumping this down to 3 stars after re-reading and watching an adaptation. I just am not a fan of this story or the characters, might end up being the only Ibsen play I haven't enjoyed (but I have three more to read before I can say for certain). We shall see.

boutycheeks's review against another edition

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4.0

from cheating scandals to demanding a kingdom, this short play contains the driving of a madman to his final build

chadinguist's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

jetjaguar124's review against another edition

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emotional mysterious reflective medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

kryptowright1984's review against another edition

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5.0

When I first read this play oh so many years ago, I was frustrated by its lack of specificity. Did our master builder burn down his house or not? Is his young lady friend magical or not? I want answers, Ibsen!

But now, with time, I've come to appreciate the essential weirdness of this play, and how its slipperyness plants in the shoes of its protagonist. We are in as dreamy of a world as he is, with nothing certain, so at the first glimpse of salvation, of course we too will agree with drastic measures that may or may not lead to our doom. Ibsen was a craftsman -- too mechanical for some people -- but in this play and his later Symbolist work, Ibsen proves that knowing what to leave out is just as important as what you put in.

turidt's review against another edition

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dark reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? No
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? No
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0