Peer Gynt - with original colour illustrations by Arthur Rackham (eBook)

In 'Peer Gynt,' Henrik Ibsen unfolds a tapestry of poetic imagination, embedding satiric undertones beneath the epic journey of its eponymous protagonist. Crafted in expressive verse, this five-act play stands as a literary pillar in Ibsen's oeuvre, emblematic of his departure from conventional theatre into the exploration of individual consciousness and societal critique. Within its pages, the reader encounters the Norwegian temperament personified, as Peer, the quintessential anti-hero, meanders through life with grand illusions and a knack for self-deception. With the addition of Arthur Rackham's original colour illustrations, this edition of 'Peer Gynt' presents a visually enriched experience, harmonizing Ibsen's textual ingenuity with visual splendor, all the while maintaining accessibility through a functional and detailed table of contents.

Henrik Ibsen, the towering figure of 19th-century Norwegian letters, brought a revolutionary candor to dramatic narrative and is heralded as 'the father of realism.' The intricate character of Peer Gynt is perhaps an amalgamation of Ibsen's own introspections and his observations of the Norwegian ethos—an interplay of individual aspiration and communal flaw. This interweaving of autobiography with cultural reflection is testament to Ibsen's stature as a playwright and poet with a keen eye for the human condition, and a deft ability to weave it through the fibres of allegorical storytelling.

Scholars, enthusiasts of classic theatre, and readers engaged by the psychological complexities of human nature will find in 'Peer Gynt' a work worthy of study and admiration. Ibsen's masterful command of language invites reflection on the folly of ambition untethered from reality, while Rackham's illustrations add a layer of interpretive depth. This edition, then, is not merely a read, but a comprehensive excursion into the converging realms of literature and art, offering an immersive experience to those seeking to unravel the enigmatic tapestry of one of Norway's most enigmatic figures, woven by one of its finest writers.