Peer Gynt

Henrik Ibsen

Publisher: CLXBX

Summary

Peer Gynt by Henrik Ibsen is a sweeping dramatic poem that blends folklore, fantasy, satire, and psychological insight into a timeless exploration of identity and ambition. First published in 1867, this imaginative and thought-provoking work stands as one of Ibsen's most celebrated creations, capturing the restless spirit of a man who spends his life fleeing responsibility while chasing illusions of greatness.

The story follows Peer Gynt, a charming yet reckless dreamer whose boundless imagination and inflated self-belief propel him on a lifelong journey of adventure and self-deception. From the rural landscapes of Norway to distant deserts and surreal realms of trolls and mythic beings, Peer's travels are as fantastical as they are symbolic. Along the way, he seeks wealth, power, admiration, and meaning—yet continually avoids commitment, honesty, and accountability.

At its heart, Peer Gynt is a profound meditation on the question: What does it mean to truly be oneself? Peer prides himself on his individuality, but his constant shape-shifting—adapting to circumstance, pursuing selfish desires, and evading consequences—raises doubts about whether he possesses any authentic core at all. Ibsen masterfully contrasts illusion with reality, fantasy with truth, and ego with integrity.

Interwoven with the grand and surreal episodes of Peer's adventures is the quiet, enduring presence of Solveig, whose unwavering love stands in stark contrast to Peer's restless wandering. Through this emotional counterpoint, Ibsen deepens the play's moral and philosophical dimensions, exploring themes of redemption, faithfulness, and the cost of a life lived without genuine self-knowledge.

Rich in symbolism and infused with elements of Norwegian folklore, Peer Gynt moves fluidly between satire and seriousness. Ibsen critiques romantic nationalism, societal ambition, and the human tendency toward self-delusion, all while crafting a dramatic work of poetic beauty and theatrical spectacle. The play's imaginative scope is matched by its psychological depth, making it both an entertaining adventure and a searching inquiry into the human condition.

Often performed alongside Edvard Grieg's iconic musical score, Peer Gynt has secured its place as a cultural landmark. Yet beyond its famous scenes and fantastical episodes lies a deeply human story about fear, longing, and the search for meaning.

Bold, imaginative, and philosophically resonant, Peer Gynt remains a powerful exploration of identity and accountability—an enduring reminder that the greatest journey is not across the world, but within the self.

Available since: 03/03/2026.

Print length: 179 pages.

Poetry & Theatre

Other books that might interest you

Pressure: The Original Play

David Haig

June 1944. One man's decision is about to change the course of history.
Everything is in place for the biggest invasion ever known in Europe – D-Day. One last crucial question remains: will the weather permit it?
While Scotsman Dr James Stagg, Chief Meteorological Officer for the Allied Forces, forecasts a storm, his rival, American celebrity weatherman Colonel Krick, predicts sunshine. As the world watches and waits, General Eisenhower, Allied Supreme Commander, must decide which of these bitter antagonists to trust. The decision will not only seal the fates of thousands of men, it could even win or lose the entire war.
An extraordinary true story, Pressure thrillingly explores the responsibilities of leadership, the challenges of predicting the future, and the personal toll of taking a stand.
First performed in 2014, the play was adapted for the screen by David Haig and Anthony Maras, directed by Maras, and starred Andrew Scott, Brendan Fraser, Kerry Condon and Damian Lewis. This tie-in edition was published alongside the film's release in 2026, and features Haig's original play, along with an exclusive introduction, insights from the filmmakers and colour production photographs.

Show book

Rhyme A Dozen A - Evenings - 12...

William Wordsworth, George...

‘A dime a dozen’ as known in America, is perhaps equal to the English ‘cheap as chips’ but whatever the lingua franca of your choice in this series we hereby submit ‘A Rhyme a Dozen’ as 12 poems on many given subjects that are a well-rounded gathering, maybe even an essential guide, from the knowing pens of classic poets and their beautifully spoken verse to the comfort of your ears. 
 
01 - A Rhyme A Dozen - 12 Poems, 12 Poets, 1 Topic - Evenings- An Introduction 
02 - Evening Star by Edgar Allan Poe 
03 - It Is A Beauteous Evening by William Wordsworth 
04 - Evening by Paul Laurence Dunbar 
05 - Sweet Evenings Come and Go Love by George Eliot 
06 - Evening Song by Willa Cather 
07 - How The Old Mountains Drip with Sunset by Emily Dickinson 
08 - Summer Evening by John Clare 
09 - Bright Star by John Keats 
10 - Evening in England by Francis Ledwidge 
11 - Written Near a Port on a Dark Evening by Charlotte Smith 
12 - Evening Song of the Thoughtful Child by Katherine Mansfield 
13 - An Hymn to the Evening by Phyllis Wheatley

Show book

Washed Over - Or Things Dedicated

Reinfred Dziedzorm Addo

When examining his own poetry Reinfred Dziedzorm Addo often finds he is merely a conduit for the words, the inspiration source itself being a force or another being. In acknowledging a poem’s inspiration source, he calls the resulting work a ‘dedicada’, meaning something written in dedication or in recognition of another. 
A debut full poetry collection, Washed Over expands upon Addo’s chapbook The Dedicadas and is a journey through a space filled with a breadth of forces and beings active in one’s existence. Identity, chaos, autumn colors, exile, people learning from the universe itself...these and other dedicadas make this collection an exploration of the experiences of someone washed over by life’s many inspirations.

Show book

When Robert Burns came to Tea...

Bridget Nolan

In this second collection of poetry, Bridget Nolan explores the human experience in some unexpected ways. Her ability to stir emotions provokes thought, triggers laughter and occasions tears.From the comical title poem ‘When Robert Burns came to Tea’ to the heartbreaking ‘Why would I Imagine?’ Bridget presents a collection of stories in poetic form. In her varied style, she conveys a myriad thoughts and feelings: the joy of love; the pain of a continuing sense of loss; the embarrassment of a hospital visit and the comfort of the natural world are all woven into the narrative of this diverse collection. This anthology celebrates the human condition in all its shades of dark and light.

Show book

Unladylike - A Mythopoetic...

Regina Louise, Nita Gage

Unladylike: A Mythopoetic Reclamation of Love is a lyrical and unflinching exploration of identity, survival, and self-return. Blending memoir, poetry, and myth, Regina Louise invites readers into an intimate landscape where the personal becomes archetypal and the body holds memory, truth, and transformation.
Through a series of evocative and emotionally precise pieces, the collection traces the subtle and overt ways women are conditioned to abandon themselves in pursuit of love, belonging, and safety. What emerges is not only a reckoning with that inheritance, but a courageous reimagining of what it means to come home to oneself.
Rooted in lived experience yet expansive in its reach, Unladylike moves between tenderness and ferocity, grief and reclamation. Louise writes from the thresholds—where silence breaks, where longing reveals its cost, and where a new language of self-worth begins to take form. Her voice is both deeply personal and universally resonant, offering readers a mirror for their own unspoken truths.
This collection is not only a body of work—it is a map, a praxis. A cartography of becoming that honors the complexity of healing while refusing the narratives that diminish it. With clarity, compassion, and power, Unladylike asks what it means to choose oneself fully, and what becomes possible when we do.
For readers of contemporary poetry, memoir, and transformational writing, this book offers both witness and invitation: to remember, to reclaim, and to re-author the story of love.

Show book

Virtual Sentiments - Between...

Hala Mamdouh AlJazi

You open the chat. No name. No history. Just "He" and "She."Typing… Then nothing. Then everything.And suddenly, you're not reading a book—you're stepping into a hidden world that feels like your own. Virtual Sentiments is a spellbinding mosaic of lives connecting in the glow of a screen. Each page introduces new characters, new conversations, and a fresh emotional battlefield. Every texting thread is a love story, a farewell, a whispered prayer, or a scream between the lines—so intimate, they slip under your skin and pluck the strings of your emotions.Love begins and ends. Marriages unravel. Trust is betrayed. Hope flickers through the shadows of loss, depression, and haunting memories. Secrets are confessed, fears confronted, destinies reshaped. And when despair nears, "He" and "She" find refuge in God, anchoring their every step.Strangers become soulmates and soulmates become ghosts. In the spaces between "sent" and "seen," wisdom waits.This book doesn't tell you everything.It dares you to feel everything.Who are they?Why does it hurt so beautifully to listen to them?And what if every message you read… was actually a reflection of your own story?Turn the page. The next message is for you.But once you open this chat, you may never see life the same way again.

Show book