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Ghosts Audiobook
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(3.01) - 4,033 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
In Henrik Ibsen's controversial play Ghosts, dysfunction and hidden pasts are suddenly and painfully exposed as wealthy widow Mrs. Alving prepares to open a new orphanage in memory of her seemingly beloved husband. Her treasured son Oswald's return from Paris and her relationship with old friend Pastor Manders are no longer the source of joy they once were, as secrets are turned into a frightening and desperate reality.
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"It's hard to imagine the kind of effect a play like this had on its audiences when it was first performed. The subjects dealt with are still the stuff of sidelong glances and judgmental gossip to this day, and Ibsen's sometimes annoying (to this modern reader, anyway) habit of never allowing his characters to come out and say anything clearly seems to me a testimony to the degree to which he was breaking taboos even by writing "Ghosts." But for all its Victorian stuffiness of expression and circumlocution, this is still a powerful and fascinating play to experience."
— Ben (4 out of 5 stars)
Ghosts Listener Reviews
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" My least favorite Ibsen play but it's still Ibsen. "
— Tajma, 1/31/2014 -
" As always, the sins of the father visit the son. "
— Bogdan, 1/27/2014 -
" A little masterpiece! A tight structure with many references to Oedipus... It's about art and incest - two very interesting subjects, I think! "
— Anne, 1/27/2014 -
" Not as good as A Doll's House, but a pretty good play in its own right. "
— Chandler, 1/11/2014 -
" Spare and dark. Genius. I love this play. "
— SmarterLilac, 1/11/2014 -
" Ibsen knows people- he is a real people person "
— Chris, 1/2/2014 -
" It was a really good play. A little melodramatic in parts, but you can see what Ibsen was doing. Very enjoyable. "
— Cathy, 12/28/2013 -
" Again, Ibsen is great at building up a sense of dread for the outcome of the play. In this case, though, it seemed kind of forced. "
— Ellee, 12/18/2013 -
" I loved the discussions of morality and the use of irony. "
— Daphne, 12/15/2013 -
" Interesting ideas. Character's were very real and very annoying. "
— Ryan, 12/6/2013 -
" Just reading this was unsatisfactory, need to see this on stage - asap. "
— Heleen, 12/1/2013 -
" IBSEN! "
— Sylvia, 11/21/2013 -
" A psychological play which steals you as you read. "
— Philsy, 11/21/2013 -
" Haunting, excellent, what more can a reader want? "
— Lena, 4/8/2013 -
" Much better than 'A Doll's House', dealing with some of the same themes in a more complex and morally ambiguous way. "
— Anna, 3/4/2013 -
" ...Bourgois drama "
— Francesco, 2/21/2013 -
" I would love to see this play produced. It has some potentially interesting visuals, and a good production could really bring out things I didn't see in the text. I don't even remember the exact details of the text but I remember the feeling of it, which may be more important in actuality. "
— Samantha, 8/12/2012 -
" a three act play about morals, past mistakes, guilt and freedom. I enjoyed Ibsen's other play Hedda Gabler way more than Ghosts, but still the play is quite interesting "
— Shuruq, 7/11/2012 -
" A dated understanding of the inheritability of sexual transmitted diseases, but nonetheless an outstanding presentation of the intricacies of human relationships. "
— Bruce, 7/9/2012 -
" important and timeless. A tough family drama. really really enjoyed it. in a bit of an Ibsen phase at the moment. loving it "
— Mark, 1/19/2012 -
" Ibsen s themes in most of the plays I read by him so far are recurrent.He tackles them,however,from different perspectives!! "
— Mohammed, 1/15/2012 -
" I thought too much was forced into such a short play. Too many topics with so few characters. Oh, and the end, terrible. So forced and overly dramatic. ugh. "
— Jen, 10/30/2011 -
" Just reading this was unsatisfactory, need to see this on stage - asap. "
— Heleen, 3/18/2011 -
" Excellently written, dark, controversial at time and now drama about all kinds of unpleasantries that affect peoples lives from 'dissipated lives' to euthanasia and using morphine to commit suicide cos of VD. I will explore Ibsens Ouvre. "
— Kate, 2/17/2011 -
" Again, Ibsen is great at building up a sense of dread for the outcome of the play. In this case, though, it seemed kind of forced. "
— Ellee, 1/27/2011 -
" A little masterpiece! A tight structure with many references to Oedipus... It's about art and incest - two very interesting subjects, I think! "
— Anne, 7/21/2010 -
" Haunting, excellent, what more can a reader want? "
— Lena, 5/25/2010 -
" The sins of the father destroy a young man's life. The pain from the boy's mother will break your heart. "
— MommaLaura, 1/6/2010 -
" "Strigoii" ... interesanta ... dar nu foarte! "
— Alex, 10/7/2009 -
" Yes I know it's a quite famous play of Ibsen but i gave it three starts probably coz I found it a bit terse. Maybe when I read it again I'll be able to appreciate it more! "
— Mahima, 10/4/2009 -
" This is definitely a darker piece. Digs into VD, incest, and whatnot. Takes some real fortitude to get through. "
— Timon, 9/17/2009
About Henrik Ibsen
Henrik Ibsen (1828–1906) was a major nineteenth-century Norwegian playwright, theater director, and poet. He is often referred to as “the father of prose drama” and is one of the founders of modernism in the theater. His major works include Brand, Peer Gynt, An Enemy of the People, Emperor and Galilean, A Doll’s House, Ghosts, The Wild Duck, and The Master Builder. Several of his plays were considered scandalous to many of his era, when European theater was required to model strict mores of family life and propriety. Ibsen’s work examined the realities that lay behind many façades, revealing much that was disquieting to many contemporaries. It utilized a critical eye and free inquiry into the conditions of life and issues of morality.