The Indianapolis journal. [volume] (Indianapolis [Ind.]) 1867-1904, 1897-06-21
NEW PUBLICATIONS.
John Gabriel Borkman, Henrik lb-
sens Latest Drama.


Fbsen's drama John Gabriel BorkMan
translation by William Archer, has been is
sued by Stone & Kimball New YORK; IN
their geographically attractive Green
Tree series. Like the first of his works,
1.-The Dolls House. to which attention was
directed in this country 1t is the drama OF
a family all the actors being bound to each
other by ties of blood or marriage. A very
disagreeable family it is, too. John Gabriel
Borkman, the heaG, or once the head OF the
house. was a bank president who became a
defaulter and served a term in prison.
After his release he lived for eight years in
the same house with his wife, though never
meeting her. Mrs. Borkman had never
loved her husband, and he had loved her
twin sister, Ella Rentheim, but because an
influential man who could aid him IN ms
business transactions also wished to marry
her he gave her up and married the other.
Although he used other people money
without scruple, he made an exception IN
the case of this sister-in-law, who con-
tinued to cherish a secret affection for him,
and when the crash came her securities
remained intact 1t was through her
bounty that Mrs Borkman was enabled to.
live and that the husband had d refuge
when he left prison. So convinced was he
of his great commercial talents that he re-
NAMED in voluntary retirement ana aDSo-
lute idleneSS for eight years waiting IOf
the managers of the bank to come TO MIN
and ask him to take charge or their puSi-
ness again-a very improbable SITUATION 10
any otner than an lbsen. The son OF the
couple had been i'll care OF the aunt IN ms
carrier years and she wished to Withdraw
hun entirely from the influence Oh MS
parents For eight years however, ne Ddu
been with his mother and That lady, VINO
suffered intensely through her broken prloe
of family ana her lost social StanulnS, ndu
resolved that the young man should devote
his life to restoring the family name ana
fortunes The action OF the drama taxes
place in one evening, and is brought ABOUT
by a visit of the aunt, who hopes TO lhd9ce
the SON Erhart, to come with ner. Inc
several members of the family are brought
together for the first Tune in years; the Wne
and the sister have very CnpledSdnl III
teryieW; the sister and Gabriel Borhman
also nave a talk, in which the woman learns
for the first time why her sister was CHOSEN
instead of herself to be Mrs. Borkman. AT
this point she rises to what the author evil
IDENTIFY intends to be tragic helgnlS ana
charges him with having committed the uh-
pardOnable sin--with having killed the rove
life in her 1t would be more Impressive
to the reader if the characters We're Tess
like puppets. 1t requires distinct eHort 70
invest them with even Sllght measure ot
reality and even this partial semplahce Oh
probability fades when the text Is not apel-
red by ina gination For though Mr. lpseh
has dramatic power and his situations are
handled with great literary Skill ne ldlIs 70
instill life into the creations OF MS praln;
neonle in real life might speak ana act as
these personages do, but there is no con-
Vincing proof of 1t IN ms %
their language and behavior. AS purely
intellectual product the tale mas an inter
est. as a representation Of human QUANTITIES
il is Observation-Disclosures to say dreary.