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meetmeinmalkovich's review against another edition
3.0
I've been going back and forth with how to begin this review.
This was not what I expected when I picked up this play, I'll be honest I expected a ghost story. But the idea of ghosts is more of an allegory of the burdened conscience of Mrs. Helene Alving that lurks around her home and occupies her mind.
The play starts out introducing Regina and her father Jacob Engstrand. Regina is the maidservant of Mrs. Helene Alving, whose husband has recently died. There is to be a memorial in Captain Alving's honor and the household is expecting Pastor Manders for a visit.
When the Pastor comes, however, more than just the memorial is brought up. In fact very little is said about the memorial, but a wealth of family secrets comes to the surface when Mrs. Alving pops off.
The bones of it is this: Captain Alving was a debaucher; drinking, smoking, and banging girls until way past his bedtime. He is survived only by his wife and his son, Oswald --OR SO THE PASTOR THINKS. Like I said, Good Ol Cappy Alving was a cheating bastard and shagged the maidservant before Regina and wouldn't you know it, it was Regina's own mother. So, indeed, Oswald and Regina are half brother & sister.
This is where this all gets hairy because of course the two aren't aware of their relation and of course they are affectionate. For the most part, Oswald stays in Paris and is a fancy painter come home to Norway after his father's death, but he seems to be just as bad as his father. Not a single time will Ibsen actually say the words, but Oswald has come home with syphilis -- which is bad for him because he thinks his life is over and all hope is gone when in fact he believed it to be just starting. And, of course, Mrs. Alving would never say a bad word against her son. She is practically obsessed with him.
The last parts of the play are really quite tragic. Oswald has gone off the edge and poor Mrs. Alving can't bear this. He wants to kill himself, and his mother is begging him not to. You can take a wild guess at what comes of Oswald in the end.
All in all:
Depraved husband + A maidservant half-daughter + The son who she is so unhealthily attached to = The ghosts haunting Mrs. Helene Alving.
--
I can't say I was over thrilled by this play. It was good indeed and reflects a lot on Ibsen as a person and as a writer. I've also watched the adaptation with Judy Dench and Michael Gambon and it wasn't half bad as productions go.
This was not what I expected when I picked up this play, I'll be honest I expected a ghost story. But the idea of ghosts is more of an allegory of the burdened conscience of Mrs. Helene Alving that lurks around her home and occupies her mind.
The play starts out introducing Regina and her father Jacob Engstrand. Regina is the maidservant of Mrs. Helene Alving, whose husband has recently died. There is to be a memorial in Captain Alving's honor and the household is expecting Pastor Manders for a visit.
When the Pastor comes, however, more than just the memorial is brought up. In fact very little is said about the memorial, but a wealth of family secrets comes to the surface when Mrs. Alving pops off.
The bones of it is this: Captain Alving was a debaucher; drinking, smoking, and banging girls until way past his bedtime. He is survived only by his wife and his son, Oswald --OR SO THE PASTOR THINKS. Like I said, Good Ol Cappy Alving was a cheating bastard and shagged the maidservant before Regina and wouldn't you know it, it was Regina's own mother. So, indeed, Oswald and Regina are half brother & sister.
This is where this all gets hairy because of course the two aren't aware of their relation and of course they are affectionate. For the most part, Oswald stays in Paris and is a fancy painter come home to Norway after his father's death, but he seems to be just as bad as his father. Not a single time will Ibsen actually say the words, but Oswald has come home with syphilis -- which is bad for him because he thinks his life is over and all hope is gone when in fact he believed it to be just starting. And, of course, Mrs. Alving would never say a bad word against her son. She is practically obsessed with him.
The last parts of the play are really quite tragic. Oswald has gone off the edge and poor Mrs. Alving can't bear this. He wants to kill himself, and his mother is begging him not to. You can take a wild guess at what comes of Oswald in the end.
All in all:
Depraved husband + A maidservant half-daughter + The son who she is so unhealthily attached to = The ghosts haunting Mrs. Helene Alving.
--
I can't say I was over thrilled by this play. It was good indeed and reflects a lot on Ibsen as a person and as a writer. I've also watched the adaptation with Judy Dench and Michael Gambon and it wasn't half bad as productions go.
erioo's review
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
ebunk's review against another edition
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
redbeanm0chi's review
challenging
dark
tense
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Who said old books are boring and uneventful? nOt mE
This story is wild from start to end and everyone has some dirt on their boots and a skeleton in the closet.
So I get why it’s a classic, but the script format didn’t do it any favours for me and the story wasn’t super compelling.
This story is wild from start to end and everyone has some dirt on their boots and a skeleton in the closet.
So I get why it’s a classic, but the script format didn’t do it any favours for me and the story wasn’t super compelling.
books_and_cappuccinos's review against another edition
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
gasalajla's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
fast-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
5.0
julianelie's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
anderskoehl's review against another edition
challenging
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5