Choice 评论

Rich and rewarding in its extensive documentation of the role and character of the numerous influential women in Ibsen's life, this valuable study re-examines claims about the well-known women and uncovers information about several long-neglected figures, including 19th-century Norwegian feminists. However, Templeton's main concern is to examine the female characters in the plays and to explore the contemporary debate about the playwright's relation to feminism. Citing Ibsen's statement that his work should be read as a continuous whole, the author (North Carolina State Univ.) provides a reading of the women in his plays from first to last. Her close textual analysis effectively supports her thesis that Ibsen's plays and his women characters are quintessentially feminist. She argues convincingly against the hostility, even condemnation, that characterizes much of the commentary on Ibsen's most well known female protagonists. The book concludes with a strong argument for the connection between Ibsen's women and Ibsen's modernism. Helpful notes and bibliography, along with numerous photos of women from Ibsen's life and of actresses in lead roles. Recommended for all collections. R. J. Lee; St. Olaf College