A Doll’s House

By Henrik Ibsen

Step into the groundbreaking drama of Henrik Ibsen's A Doll's House in this beautifully designed edition. This play follows the story of Nora, a woman who must confront the societal expectations placed upon her as a wife and mother. With a new introduction and insightful commentary, this edition is perfect for fans of classic literature.

• Provocative exploration of societal expectations and gender roles
• Raises thought-provoking questions about societal norms and individual identity
• A must-read for drama and feminist literature lovers
• Beautifully designed edition
• A compelling and timeless classic

• Language: English
• Publisher: Fingerprint Publishing
• Release date: Feb 1, 2021
• ISBN: 9789358560541

Book preview

ACT

I

[SCENE.—A room furnished comfortably and tastefully, but not extravagantly. At the back, a door to the right leads to the entrance-hall, another to the left leads to Helmer’s study. Between the doors stands a piano. In the middle of the left-hand wall is a door, and beyond it a window. Near the window are a round table, armchairs and a small sofa. In the right-hand wall, at the farther end, another door; and on the same side, nearer the footlights, a stove, two easy chairs and a rocking-chair; between the stove and the door, a small table. Engravings on the walls; a cabinet with china and other small objects; a small book-case with well-bound books. The floors are carpeted, and a fire burns in the stove.

It is winter. A bell rings in the hall; shortly afterwards the door is heard to open. Enter NORA, humming a tune and in high spirits. She is in outdoor dress and carries a number of parcels; these she lays on the table to the right. She leaves the outer door open after her, and through it is seen a PORTER who is carrying a Christmas Tree and a basket, which he gives to the MAID who has opened the door.]

Nora

Hide the Christmas Tree carefully, Helen. Be sure the children do not see it until this evening, when it is dressed. [To the PORTER, taking out her purse.] How much?

Porter

Sixpence.

Nora

There is a shilling. No, keep the change. [The PORTER thanks her, and goes out. NORA shuts the door. She is laughing to herself, as she takes off her hat and coat. She takes a packet of macaroons from her pocket and eats one or two; then goes cautiously to her husband’s door and listens.] Yes, he is in. [Still humming, she goes to the table on the right.]

Helmer [calls out from his room]

Is that my little lark twittering out there?

Nora [busy opening some of the parcels]

Yes, it is!

Helmer

Is it my little squirrel bustling about?

Nora

Yes!

Helmer

When did my squirrel come home?

Nora

Just now. [Puts the bag of macaroons into her pocket and wipes her mouth.] Come in here, Torvald, and see what I have bought.

Helmer

Don’t disturb me. [A little later, he opens the door and looks into the room, pen in hand.] Bought, did you say? All these things? Has my little spendthrift been wasting money again?

Nora

Yes but, Torvald, this year we really can let ourselves go a little. This is the first Christmas that we have not needed to economise.

Helmer

Still, you know, we can’t spend money recklessly.

Nora

Yes, Torvald, we may be a wee bit more reckless now, mayn’t we? Just a tiny wee bit! You are going to have a big salary and earn lots and lots of money.

Helmer

Yes, after the New Year; but then it will be a whole quarter before the salary is due.

Nora

Pooh! we can borrow until then.

Helmer

Nora! [Goes up to her and takes her playfully by the ear.] The same little featherhead! Suppose, now, that I borrowed fifty pounds today, and you spent it all in the Christmas week, and then on New Year’s Eve a slate fell on my head and killed me, and—

Nora [putting her hands over his mouth]

Oh! don’t say such horrid things.

Helmer

Still, suppose that happened,—what then?

Nora

If that were to happen, I don’t suppose I should care whether I owed money or not.

Helmer

Yes, but what about the people who had lent it?

Nora

They? Who would bother about them? I should not know who they were.

Helmer

That is like a woman! But seriously, Nora, you know what I think about that. No debt, no borrowing. There can be no freedom or beauty about a home life that depends on borrowing and debt. We two have kept bravely on the straight road so far, and we will go on the same way for the short time longer that there need be any struggle.

Nora [moving towards the stove]

As you please, Torvald.

Helmer [following her]

Come, come, my little skylark must not droop her wings. What is this! Is my little squirrel out of temper? [Taking out his purse.] Nora, what do you think I have got here?

Nora [turning round quickly]

Money!

Helmer

There you are. [Gives her some money.] Do you think I don’t know what a lot is wanted for housekeeping at Christmas-time?

Nora [counting]

Ten shillings—a pound—two pounds! Thank you, thank you, Torvald; that will keep me going for a long time.

Helmer

Indeed it must.

Nora

Yes, yes, it will. But come here and let me show you what I have bought. And all so cheap! Look, here is a new suit for Ivar, and a sword; and a horse and a trumpet for Bob; and a doll and dolly’s bedstead for Emmy—they are very plain, but anyway she will soon break them in pieces. And here are dress-lengths and handkerchiefs for the maids; old Anne ought really to have something better.

Helmer

And what is in this parcel?

Nora [crying out]

No, no! you mustn’t see that until this evening.

Helmer

Very well. But now tell me, you extravagant little person, what would you like for yourself?

Nora

For myself? Oh, I am sure I don’t want anything.

Helmer

Yes, but you must. Tell me something reasonable that you would particularly like to have.

Nora

No, I really can’t think of anything—unless, Torvald—

Helmer

Well?

Nora [playing with his coat buttons, and without raising her eyes to his]

If you really want to give me something, you might—you might—

Helmer

Well, out with it!

Nora [speaking quickly]

You might give me money, Torvald. Only just as much as you can afford; and then one of these days I will buy something with it.

Helmer

But, Nora—

Nora

Oh, do! dear Torvald; please, please do! Then I will wrap it up in beautiful gilt paper and hang it on the Christmas Tree. Wouldn’t that be fun?

Helmer

What are little people called that are always wasting money?

Nora

Spendthrifts—I know. Let us do as you suggest, Torvald, and then I shall have time to think what I am most in want of. That is a very sensible plan, isn’t it?

Helmer [smiling]

Indeed it is—that is to say, if you were really to save out of the money I give you, and then really buy something for yourself. But if you spend it all on the housekeeping and any number of unnecessary things, then I merely have to pay up again.

Nora

Oh but, Torvald—

Helmer

You can’t deny it, my dear little Nora. [Puts his arm round her waist.] It’s a sweet little spendthrift, but she uses up a deal of money. One would hardly believe how expensive such little persons are!

Nora

It’s a shame to say that. I do really save all I can.

Helmer [laughing]

That’s very true,—all you can. But you can’t save anything!

Nora [smiling quietly and happily]

You haven’t any idea how many expenses we skylarks and squirrels have, Torvald.

Helmer

You are an odd little soul. Very like your father. You always find some new way of wheedling money out of me, and, as soon as you have got it, it seems to melt in your hands. You never know where it has gone. Still, one must take you as you are. It is in the blood; for indeed it is true that you can inherit these things, Nora.

Nora

Ah, I wish I had inherited many of papa’s qualities.

Helmer

And I would not wish you to be anything but just what you are, my sweet little skylark. But, do you know, it strikes me that you are looking rather—what shall I say—rather uneasy today?

Nora

Do I?

Helmer

You do, really. Look straight at me.

Nora [looks at him]

Well?

Helmer [wagging his finger at her]

Hasn’t Miss Sweet Tooth been breaking rules in town today?

Nora

No; what makes you think that?

Helmer

Hasn’t she paid

Reviews for A Doll’s House

[jbgusa · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I remember finding the book quite interesting. Given how long ago I read it I don't remember much other than its conclusion, which strongly support the women's liberation agenda of the early 1970's as well as similar sentiments from the suffragist movement of its times.

[mbmackay · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I came across a reference to this play in Getting of Wisdom, an early 20th C coming of age novel and I followed the hint.I read little drama, and this was my first Ibsen.Published, and first played, in 1879, it shines a stark light on male/female relationships and power equations. It seems simple, now, but caused a storm when first released.A good read, and, for me, managed to convey a good understanding of how the play would look on stage.

[ldvoorberg · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I wasn't sure how a stage play would translate to audio, but it works very well here. The sound is good and the characters all have distinct voices. The play is very dialogue driven, so I didn't feel like I missed anything that might have been gestured or performed but not spoken. Comings and goings are indicated with footsteps and doors, so it felt realistic and comprehendible. Good acting, too. And of course the story, particularly the final conversation, is strong enough to explain why this play is so well known. A woman who finally figures out she's just been a "doll, a plaything" for first her father and then her husband and needs to go out and figure out who she is: I can see that this was ground breaking at one time.

[marquis784-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I haven't read a play in some time so this was a nice break from a traditional novel.
I enjoyed the story which did drag a bit in Act II but almost necessary for the play to explain the circumstances contributing to the ultimate finale. I found the conclusion had me wondering how it would end and I was pleasantly surprised! From a historical standpoint, the story was brilliant!

[libraian_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I read quickly through the Project Gutenberg e-copy of this play to help my son with his upcoming English exam. It is a three act play, originally written in Norwegian in 1879 with all three acts set in the Helmer family's front living room.The play is set just before Christmas one year and Nora (Mrs Helmer) is happy that soon her husband is to be promoted and they won't have to scrimp and save so much. Torvald (Mr. Helmer) scolds her for being a spendthrift while at the same time he is unable to refuse her requests for money. Act I is a scene of domestic bliss even if the family is not very well off. Nora seems to be quite flighty, without a care in the world despite their three young children - but she has a secret she hasn't told her husband which comes back to haunt her at the end of the first act. Apparently this was quite a controversial play when it first came out because it showed that far from being pampered and talked down to by their husbands and treated like dolls who have no self-purpose, as Nora is by Torvald, women of that time could think and act for themselves although limited by the constraints of society and the law.Nora. What do you consider my most sacred duties?Helmer. Do I need to tell you that? Are they not your duties to your husband and your children?Nora. I have other duties just as sacred.Helmer. That you have not. What duties could those be?Nora. Duties to myself.Helmer. Before all else, you are a wife and a mother.One aspect of the play is the way Torvald and Nora have put each other up on the pedestals of what they imagine the other is but, as Nora points out, they have not really communicated with each other in all their eight years of marriage. The play (while especially driving home the way Torvald treats Nora like a child or a doll for him to spoil) is the build up to the revelation of Nora's secret and how they deal with discovering that those pedestals are not real.Helmer. I would gladly work night and day for you, Nora--bear sorrow and want for your sake. But no man would sacrifice his honour for the one he loves.Nora. It is a thing hundreds of thousands of women have done.Helmer. Oh, you think and talk like a heedless child. Honestly! It's hardly surprising that Nora reacts the way she does at the end of the play.Although she knows that what she did was illegal, Nora is proud that she could do something to save her family and it was not wrong of itself. Her secret, when there was little chance of it being discovered, has buoyed her up and kept her the happy heart of the family but Torvald tears that down with a few sentences that show (although he is not told - and doesn't bother to check - the necessity and circumstances that drove her to do what she did) that he doesn't understand his wife.I'm happy to see there is redemption for a couple of the other characters; I think it is partly because they do decide to confess to each other whereas I thought Nora and Torvald could have talked things through more. Of course, that would have spoiled the drama and thus the impact of Ibsen's play. But there is a glimmer of hope for them in the closing line.Ibsen based the idea for this play on something that happened to a friend of his; Laura Kieler was in financial difficulties and asked for his help which he refused and consequently she ended up in legal trouble. Ibsen felt guilty about this and wrote the play but Kieler, who went on to become a successful novelist, was not happy that he used her life story for it.4****

[mickyfine · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

In this audio version of Ibsen's classic play, Nora must face down the consequences of a choice she made years ago and the ramifications it has for her marriage and domestic life.Callista Flockhart sparkles as Nora and the other cast members set her off to advantage. I studied this play in high school English but I'd forgotten most of the details so the turn in the final act was wonderful to experience again. Recommended.

[readingover50 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Somehow, I never read this when I was in school. It seems the sort of book that teachers make you read.

All of the characters in the play are flawed. The way Helmer is so quick to condemn Nora, and then a few minutes later tells her he forgives her. Why would he think she would forgive him for saying so many horrible things? And for so much of the play, Nora seems to delight as being seen as a silly, flighty woman. This makes her speech at the end a little confusing. If she resents being treated that way, why act that way?

This was a quick read. I read it all in about one hour. I enjoyed reading it. The play gave me a lot to think about.

[jonfaith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Our home has been nothing but a playroom.


What a wonderful surprise! I didn't expect to be so moved. The honesty is scalding. My reading as of late has focused on language: an exploration of poetics and the resonance of such. Ibsen acted as a sort of antithesis to that approach and the experience was all the more satisfying. Remarkably modern, We find Nora a wife and mother—who out of interest for her husband she has blurred the lines of propriety. This incident bobs to the surface the trials involved afford her an unexpected perspective.

[wellreadcatlady · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It's a pretty good play, I totally get the mixed feelings people get from this play, the people who tend to dislike it are the ones who felt Norah didn't grow in the play, that the ending was a cop-out and she was still being immature. While the people who liked it tend to see that she grew and was able to leave. Either way I think because the ending is so open and not told completely it leaves room for a lot of interpretation and to me that's a good play because it makes you think. It's well written and very dynamic, but not in a obvious way.

[justagirlwithabook · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

 This book was alright. I had to read this while studying English for undergrad. It was a required text for my American Lit class that I hated more than anything that year. I was happy that it was short (ha!) and that it was soon over. We got the point that the main character was a spendthrift and after that, I was bored and ready for it to all end.

[ajbraithwaite_1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

I was surprised by this: it was a lot more readable and interesting than I expected it to be. It's also very thought-provoking: I can't decide whether Nora's actions are completely convincing, but I've been thinking about the play ever since I finished it, which must be a sign of an excellent piece of writing.

[jms001 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

A play better worth seeing.

This was one of those books/plays that I was told was on a top 100 list, and so I decided to finally give it a try this time. Plus, it's been so long since I read a play, I figured, "Why not?" It's a short read, and I probably would have been finished with it in less than a day if I had the time. The characters are easily introduced, and the plot speeds along and thickens at a moment's pace. Needless to say, you'll go through the whole roller coaster of emotions that the characters go through at a much quicker pace than them.

Plays sometimes read well, but I felt that this one could have been much more enjoyable if I were to watch a stage adaptation of it. There are many more nuances that can be expressed by the actor, and simple stage directions simply don't do it for me when reading. I'll try to add my own artistic interpretations of what the actors would do in my head, but then I'm preoccupied with that instead of focusing on the story at hand. Alas, it wasn't meant to be.

There are great themes within the play, but the most obvious was the focus on feminism and our character's struggle for identity, and the disillusionment of marriage on both parties. Should I desire, I could write a lot more about the themes, provide some quotes, and have an essay ready for a future class. But instead I will end my review here.

An easy yet in-depth read, best for lovers of plays.

[sgemmell-1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Ibsen's novel is a critique of the 19th century marriage norms. Nora lives to serve her husband, Helmer, however, she resorts to deceit in order to help him and then lives in fear of Torvald's negative judgment of her actions. Torvald controls every aspect of Nora's life; what she eats, what she buys, how she raises the children, what she thinks, and what she does. Nora dutifully complies and denies her own desires. Torvald uses demeaning nicknames for his wife, and treats her as if she were a child. Nora seems disinterested in her children who are cared for by a nanny. Through the characterization and dramatic action, Ibsen creates a picture of the Helmer household as one of dolls in a doll's house. Torvald views his wife and children as possessions that serve to elevate his ego and reputation. Christine serves as a foil for Nora and Christine becomes Nora's model modern woman. Throughout the drama, Nora is blackmailed by Krogstad so that she will convince Torvald to keep Krogstad employed at the bank. When Krogstad is fired, he reveals that he will send Torvald a letter that explains the loan that Nora took out in order to pay for a trip to Italy. Eventually, Torvald reads the letter and harshly admonishes Nora. Nora prepares to leave the house and Torvald immediately forgives her and explains that a man forgives when he truly loves a woman. Nora maintains her resolve to leave and find out her own identity. Torvald and some readers cannot fathom why Nora would not take her children along with her. This resolution makes the drama controversial in Ibsen's day and still in modern society. Nora can be compared and contrasted to Chopin's characters Mrs. Summers in "A Pair of Silk Stockings" and Mrs. Mallard in "The Story of an Hour." I also like to discuss how a marital relationship can confining for men. Both Rip Van Winkle and Walter Mitty are husbands who have much in common with Nora Helmer.

[sasham-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

I'm not sure if this is a commentary on women, or how women are treated by society at that time, or just the fact that this particular woman is a dingbat and her husband is a condescending twat.
Basically she took out a loan (in order to fund a holiday for her husband who was working himself to death) and forged her father's signature on the document (as a woman she could not apply for a loan by herself) she is repaying it fine but the guy who gave her the loan is threatening to expose her lie (pretty dumb move dating the document 3 days AFTER her dad died! - she isn't the sharpest of minds).
Now her hubby is becoming manager of the bank that gave the loan and wants to fire the guy who gave the loan to her because sometime in the past he did something dodgy along similar lines(the husband even says he does his job fine and if this was done today it would totally be grounds for unfair dismissal lawsuit). She tries to convince hubby to not fire him but hubby goes on a rant of how evil people breed more evil people and it is always because the mother was lacking in morals. She then decides the only option she has left is to kill herself (no overly dramatic of anything - she has the decision making skills of a hysterical 12 year old).
In the end hubby finds out what she has done and tells her that while he will permit her to live in the house she will no longer be trusted and will not be allowed access to her own children because of the whole moral corruption she will cause them!
The guy bribing her has a change of heart and gives her the incriminating document. Hubby is happy and suddenly everything is fine! Because NO ONE WILL EVER KNOW and therefore he's suddenly fine with everything.
Then in the last page she grows a spine and tells hubby to shove it and announces she will be moving into her dad's old house so she can learn to be an adult rather than the child she has always been treated as - the only time I could start to respect her and then it ends!
I am left confused as to what the point of the whole thing was...

[killerx-2 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Well that was ugly.

[ctpress_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A very subtle, complex play that begins with ordinary everyday events, but slowly secrets are revealed from the past that turns out to threaten the marriage between Thorvald and Nora Helmer. This play have been endlessly analysed and discussed and one can understand why. It challenges the norms and roles of marriage (at least in that day and age) - there are no easy “solutions” and no heroes or villains in this story. Who is right and who is wrong.The main character Nora is “trapped” in a marriage with a husband who doesn’t love and support her the way he should. Yet, Nora herself is a problematic character - her secretive and thoughtless forgery of the signature - the way she pretends all the time - what should we say about her role as a mother? She doesn’t seem to be that connected to her children. How can she leave them - and yet, how can she stay? What will/should Nora do? And are Thorvald really beyond reach? Can we detect a change in him in the last part of the play?

[sealford_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is, in my opinion, one of the most important women's rights books ever written. I am by no means a modern feminist, but I really did enjoy this book back when I read it in high school. I liked the ending climax, though it was quite a bit bittersweet.

[tiffanyak_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I actually read an online version of this text provided by my teacher as part of my Introduction to Drama course, so this is not the same version I'm writing about, but is the same work. This is probably the most famous Problem Play ever written, and is a rather fun read as well. It definitely deals heavily with the position of women in society at the time, and offers a great glimpse of society in general at the time the play was written.

[leslie398 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Maybe 3½... I found the second act dragged a bit, but the third and final act was amazing. Nora's revolt was tremendously satisfying to me, in particular after Torvald goes into his self-righteous rant.

[ariesblue · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Nora a woman who comes to understand that her marriage wasnt as she supposed it to be , an illusion, and that her husband is a very different person from she once believed him to be..when he cant undergo one of the hardships in their life for her sake ....

She leaves her husband and her children because she feels it is for their benefit..
her husband accused her of being a "child-wife"she feels that he was right, that she is a child who knows nothing of the world. Since she knows so little about herself or society, she feels that she is an inadequate mother and wife.....

her last words was that they could become a man and wife once again, but only if a miracle occurred.......

i liked the last scene....

[hadriantheblind · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A good play, fun to imagine as a play instead of how I usually handle books.

[sweetbriarpoet · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Well-written dialogue, and a speedy read. I find it cliche because I have been usurped by classic literature with the same theme (or even more modern literature such as [Revolutionary Road].) But, I am sure it was great for its era. I find the main characters a bit dull- though something really intrigues me about the Doctor. A classic for everyone to read.

[pocketmermaid · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Read for school in my World Lit class. But I remember loving it from my high school drama class. I loved Ibsen even then. Coming back to to this play years later was wonderful, because I got to examine it from an adult perspective. I will always defend Nora and her decision. She is a victim of her time period, yet she is not to be pitied.

[hantsuki_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

I could not believe two things after I read this play. I could not believe that a 19th century male playwright wrote this play with the kind of ending he did and that this play is actually based on a true story. This just confirms that nothing is original (and nothing really is original; when you pick a pen and start using language to communicate your thoughts, you're not being original because other people have used that word before, but I digress). That is not to say I did not enjoy this play. I actually enjoyed it during my second read during my sophomore year of college as opposed to my first year when I had nearly no background on analyzing literature because I can hardly give credit to my English teachers in high school for teaching me how to analyze literature. (Who actually learns anything in high school anyway? But I digress again.)Ibsen wrote this play and various other plays to criticize the Norwegian middle class people who were hypocrites. He addressed social issues, such as women's role in society, as well as Darwin's theories about the passing of genetics from parents to children. This play covers those theories a lot, as you can see with Dr. Rank who genetically inherited a disease from his father because of his own sinful nature. That sub-plot emphasizes Nora's decision to leave her children for fear of them inheriting her bad nature, which is completely understandable.One thing that needs to be understood here is Ibsen was not a feminist, but a realist. Just because he ended the play with Nora leaving her husband, her duty to her husband, and her duty to her children behind does not mean he thought every woman should behave as such if they do not get what they want. Ibsen was also observing social issues of men and women in general, which is why I like that guy. This play sparked so much controversy, and it remains one of his highly known plays, but I think more people should start analyzing other things besides the feminist issues that are obviously noted in this play.

[writestuff_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A Doll’s House is a play written by Henrik Ibsen and published in 1879. The play is written in three acts, and takes place in the home of Torvald and Nora Helmer. It is Christmastime and the household is getting ready for the holiday. In Act I, the reader learns that Nora has committed a crime: a year before, with Torvald ill and needing a trip to Southern Italy to heal, Nora procured a loan without her husband’s knowledge and by forging her father’s signature. She has been faithfully paying off the loan, even working a bit in order to raise the funds to do so. Now, it appears that she will be out from under this financial burden and no one will be the wiser. But, as the play continues, there is a turn of events. A loan officer threatens to reveal Nora’s crime to her husband, perhaps even to seek legal action against her. Nora seeks assistance from her friend, Christine, and the two attempt to use their womanly wiles to get out of the difficult situation. The end of the play proves to be scandalous for the times -and I won’t reveal it here. Suffice it to say, that Ibsen’s play caused an uproar in Victorian society and many performances of it were changed to reveal a more conservative ending.I found this to be an interesting book. It is very short (less than 100 pages) and certainly reflects the writing style and sensibilities of the times. Torvald is quite demeaning and paternalistic towards Nora, calling her cutesy names such as “sweet little skylark” and insults her ability to handle money by referring to her as “featherhead.” He is controlling – dictating what she can and cannot eat, and what she should wear to a party. Initially, Nora plays along with all of this. She appears to be a bit of an airhead and does not seem to have an ounce of sense about her. But, gradually her character is revealed to be someone who is much stronger willed and intelligent than she first appears.A Doll’s House is considered to be classic feminist literature. Written at a time when women were still considered to be the property of their husbands, having no money of their own and prohibited from dealing in business without the consent of their husbands – the play takes a liberal stance on the role of women in society. Specifically, it looks at the emancipation of women from the control of men.Money is one means by which power is obtained – and in Ibsen’s play, that idea becomes central. Nora appears to be completely under the control of her husband who stands to become very wealthy when he is promoted to a top position in a bank. Ibsen allows Nora to regain some of her autonomy through her ruse to obtain a loan – and then further empowers her by giving her the means to pay back the money. By putting money into Nora’s hands, Ibsen turns the table on tradition and allows a woman character to enjoy her own independence. In 1879, this would be a revolutionary idea.Henrik Ibsen was a Norwegian poet, playwright, and theater director. His plays were controversial, often placing women characters in a position to question Victorian society’s moral dictates. Many critics have considered Ibsen the greatest playwright since Shakespeare.I read this play for A Year of Feminist Classics project which is discussing the play this month. To join in the discussion or learn more about Ibsen and A Doll’s House, visit the dedicated blog for the project.Readers who are interested in feminist literature will want to add this classic to their reading list.

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Verhaal van Nora Helmer die heimelijk een grote som geld heeft geleend toen haar man ziek was. Ze vervalste daarbij de handtekening van haar vader. Haar man Torvald is intussen hersteld en is bevorderd tot bankdirecteur. Hij wil de bankbediende Nils Krogstad ontslaan wegens wangedrag; maar dat is uitgerekend de persoon bij wie ze geld heeft geleend. Nils chanteert Nora. Na veel omwegen komt de waarheid aan het licht. Torvald laat zijn vrouw onmiddellijk vallen, maar draait plots weer bij als er een uitweg wordt bedacht zodat er niets openbaar komt. In een vurig slotpleidooi neemt Nora afstand van haar liefdeloze man.

[crazyjster · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

The good thing was...it was VERY quick to read, other than that...who cares about the story. It was lame. I can't believe people paid money to sit through that on Broadway. There was no excitement what so ever. It was like watching what goes on in many households on stage. Evidently the big deal was that it happened in an earlier time period when it was less socially exceptable...big deal.

[markbstephenson · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I read this with interest as a bachelor. After 22 years of marriage rereading it convinces me that it is an inspired masterpiece. I hope my children will read it at some point- preferably before they marry!

[bookworm12_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A woman, Nora, borrows money to save her husband's life without his knowledge. Later, the man she borrowed from blackmails her and she is terrified that her husband will discover what she's done. Nora is a fascinating character. She is clever and resourceful and at the same time she seems desperate to please her husband, no matter what it takes. She hides her unhappiness from everyone, even herself. She likes to encourage his believe that's she's a frivolous creature. Her husband, Helmer, is condescending and pious. He has fury inducing lines like, "I should not be a man if this womanly helplessness did not just give you a double attractiveness in my eyes." There marriage is more a playful charade than a partnership. When circumstances push her to step out of her comfort one she finds a strength she didn't realize she had.

[391_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I really, really enjoyed this play. Though it does border on the melodramatic at times (understandable, given that the world was just beginning to move out of the romantic period and realism still hadn't fully taken off), the heartbreaking realizations Nora makes and her ultimate decision regarding her future mark a change in the Western canon from the generic 'wife/mother' archetype to living, breathing, viable characters. Her journey from inactive doll to a decisive thinker is just startling, even when read now without the proper repressive context.