ON IBSEN

From the time of his earliest writings and interest in theater Joyce aligned himself with the great Norwegian dramatist, Henrik Ibsen. In 1900 he wrote an essay on Ibsen's drama, and the following year he cited Ibsen in opposition to the lack of quality in the Irish theater. Two years later he again wrote on an early Ibsen play. By the mid 1930s, however, his attitude towards the master had somewhat changed, as he briefly satirized the characters of Ghosts.In his introduction, Phillips explores why Ibsen so captured Joyce's young imagination, and why he wrote about him. For the first time ever, this book collects all the writings by Joyce on Ibsen, works which, while certainly not important in Joyce's œuvre, help to reveal Joyce's literary strategies and give new insight into his career.