Ibsen's Hedda Gabler

When all is said and done, Ibsen's Hedda Gabler: Philosophical Perspectives is a book brimming with intriguing claims and (dis)associations. It is absolutely valuable reading for those who wish to continue to challenge their understanding of what might be Ibsen's most challenging play. * Ibsen Studies *
The book demonstrates philosophy's ability to reveal new meanings embodied in works of literature or deepen existing ones... the book offers a unique opportunity to think not only of how philosophy reveals new depths in the play but how the play... renews our ways of doing philosophy and opens the door to reflection on philosophical questions in aesthetics, ethics, and politics, such as the ways in which artistic representation shapes and redefines existing social and ethical norms. [The book] offers novel and stimulating studies of the play. [I]t will certainly be of interest to Ibsen scholars, providing fresh perspectives on the play by looking at the philosophical questions that it conjures...But precisely because it examines the play as the birthplace for such questions, the book has much to offer to nonspecialists as well—to students and researchers who are interested in the relationship between philosophy and literature more broadly. * The Journal of Aesthetics and Art Criticism *
Kristin Gjesdal (...) has collected ten essays from philosophers, literary scholars, and theatre historians who unpack Ibsen's Hedda Gabler through the lens of a range of philosophers (Nietzsche, Adorno, Plato, Hegel, and Kierkegaard) and philosophies (existentialism, nihilism, language, freedom, action, boredom, and aesthetics). (...) the contributors to Gjesdal's edited volume provide a plethora of inspiring insights into the work of a dramatist whose plays themselves have inspired performances then, now, and into the future.
Nothing is particularly novel or ground-breaking about this pairing of Ibsen and philosophy... This volume, however, goes far beyond Nietzschean commentary, and in my view succeeds in unpacking the depth and breadth of philosophical engagement the play allows for...There are many thought-provoking analyses contained in the volume...This book is an important contribution to the voluminous scholarship on Ibsen's play, if for no other reason than that it demonstrates the incredible range of philosophical approaches that Hedda Gabler invites. Beyond that, the individual chapters 'talk to' each other in a way that edited collections often do not...The breadth and variety of these chapters (which still enjoy some level of cohesiveness, perhaps due to Gjesdal's editorial efforts) make it a worthwhile addition to the library of any scholar of modern theatre and its intersections with philosophy. * The Modern Language Review *
Hedda Gabbler is a fascinating character and a powerful embodiment of modernity; and in collecting an impressive set of essays that tackle a wide range of philosophical questions provoked and addressed by this play, Kristin Gjesdal has performed a great service both for lovers of Ibsen and for anyone concerned with modernism and feminism. * Jonathan Culler, Cornell University *
A wide-ranging volume that presents a series of diverse philosophical openings from Plato, to Nietzsche, Kierkegaard, Adorno, Wittgenstein, and Butler onto what is one of the most engaging, challenging, and disorienting plays in the modern canon. All students of Ibsen's great play will find their reading enlightened, deepened, and troubled by these thoughtful and thought-provoking essays. * Jay Bernstein, Distinguished Professor of Philosophy, The New School *