Henrik Ibsen: A New Biography

It is difficult for 21st-century readers and theatergoers to comprehend fully the powerful impact that dramatist Henrik Ibsen (1828-1906) had on his own contemporaries. Even young writers in other countries felt the firm grasp of his influence: Dubliner James Joyce taught himself Dano-Norwegian so that he might read Ibsen's naturalistic plays in their original language. By restoring this seminal literary figure to his historical context, Oslo-based biographer Robert Ferguson -- himself a playwright -- helps us understand how a timid poet became an icon of artistic courage and integrity.