Reviews

Hedda Gabler by Henrik Ibsen

klarasandlin's review against another edition

4.0

4.5 ⭐️ Before reading this play I had little to no expectations. I had heard of the author and the title but I did not know what was to come. As the story progressed I found enjoyment in the controversial, ruthless, but honest main character since we do not find female leads like her in many other works of fiction. Ibsen managed to create a character who is so hard to like yet making it impossible to not get intrigued. Since I had learnt background information about the playwright and the themes that often occur in this works I was not surprised by the play of events. However, that did not lessen my enjoyment. In a way, expecting tragedy increased the special nature of this play. I fully understand why people all over the world continue to read Hedda Gabler as well as other works by Ibsen. The writing, the themes, the nuances and the deeper meaning create the uneasy yet interesting atmosphere.

elliemh's review against another edition

dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

3.75

zhoriii's review against another edition

dark emotional funny reflective fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character

3.5

sidharthvardhan's review against another edition

4.0

Ibsen's plays are full of characters unhappy with the life they are socially expected to live and feel a wish to break away from it. A Doll's House is about a woman that chose to break away from such a life upon being disillusioned about it while Ghosts is about a woman who regrets missing the opportunity when she had a chance. Here, we have a woman who is tempted to break away from socially expected life but is afraid of scandel. There is thus this frustration which doesn't leave her much to find happiness in happiness of others, like George's aunt.

This frustration at being unable to do so shows in wrong ways. Like someone who, being angry at a person he/she can't harm, takes it out on inanimate objects or his subordinates; she takes to manipulating life of others.

Hedda thus becomes a dislikeable character from her very first words. She is manipulative, bullish and narcissistic (I have a strong crush on her). There are references even from days before she married, to her need to control life of others and not let herself be vulnerable even for love. What follows the marriage is history ... or well at least the plot of play. George's being easily controllable might be why she married him.

Not as good as A Doll's House or Ghosts, still it has a lot of what makes Ibsen one of my three favorite playwrights along with Shakespeare and Beckett.

alexandra52's review against another edition

mysterious reflective tense fast-paced

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

5.0

xandersan's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

intrepidthespian's review against another edition

medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

I was so much more impressed with this play than I thought it would be. Language still holds up all these years later, and of course the story is still so compelling.

dnietoperafan's review against another edition

3.0

I quite enjoyed this play. I don't really have much of an opinion of it. I just had a good time reading it, even though it wasn't my favourite.

l0vbug's review against another edition

dark sad tense medium-paced

4.0

m_h_dahl's review against another edition

dark sad slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0