New-York tribune., 1908-03-11
r.,o Commentaries on the Life and
Works of Ibsen.

-z.r COLLECTED WORKS OF HENRIK IBsEN.
Entirely revised and edited hy Mliliam sprne spr
h-5>1eed -54Tased literary Lives. Edited by w Rob
ertsoa NicolLD l2no. PIP Nj. zAE- Shaiies
Scribners Sons.
The Scribners have rendered good service To
american students of Ibsen in placing before
..e-, these tvvo publications. which embody all
81 5oc,lrnents for the defence in the of the
Norwegian drsmatist. The collected edition OF
AIS works 10 which We have more than once
-rade favorable reference volume after VOL
=, sas come out under Mr. krcher's aniable
s~srfces has now been completed. The biog-
-an7v composed by Mr.. Gosse makes an apt ad-
aitior 20 the popular series Of BRIEF Literary
lives Mr. Archer gives the plays with two
e~oer-ions. in chronological order. providing
trazsIations which he and his coIlaborators have
s75eavored TO make as close as possible. refrain
tre from the lazy and often misleading device
of r.araphrase. In a number of Introductory
esssvs he sketches the history Of each compost
zion This PREDATORY matter is so thorough
eo.nc and 50 frequently enlivened by personal
Sats relating TO Tbsen that the reader hardly
rceIed further liCht his career. Neverthe-
less. il Is handy to have all the facts gathered
-o-e-hcr in q consecutive narrative. and Mr.
crzse may well be read along with his fellow
enthusiast Between them they make Ibsen
character and WORK clear enough for it is TO be
assumed that any ore interested at all will be
qualified 70 make the proper deductions His
value to the world is. Of course. another ques-
ton. on which their pronouncements are
scarcely II be received as final
Ny Archer's campaign in support of lbsen
has 1.aa7 = labor OF love and TO that extent
-o--ain sz-,lratf7v must tinSe appreciation Of
,rp,a+ he has done 70 make the plays known in
4---I=-h Yet Il Is impossible not TO regret the
los cf all sense of proportion which he has
suffered through absorption in his task l
have exn-erienced no other literary emotion. he
saws. IA al comparable 10 the eagerness with
-.f=e. ever since 1874. l awaited each new play
- r,-eer-s or rhe excitement with which 1 tore
Of the wrapper q the posta; packets in which
-rs little PAPER covered books arrived from
,r--4--aeen. People who are old enough to re-
ra--aaer the appearance Of the monthly parts
- David Copperfield' OF -Pendennis' may have
eo-,a f-klins Of ny sensations Though youth
<ar s~5o~ VIII explain a good deal. il is little
5-@sgzlr u understand the emotion thus pro-
rls+-eH However. il may be dismissed as his
o0r affair like the bumps Of that functionary
about whom Charles Lamb showed such an en-
hsr-assinE curiosity a certain historic occa-
sion What cannot be 50 lightly regarded is
NJ A-1Ler's assertion that Ibsen's works have
7sken a practically uncontested place in world
exercise d sense of measure in their dealings
MIN world literature may respectfully submit
-la- Rr Archer overstates his argument That
= -re one drawback 10 the otherwise excellent
series or essays which he has prepared for his
edition of IIse-. he would have made that edi-
Ton even more attractive, and perhaps. more
Hrfr+ul If he had observed throughout the fact
that his Northern master does not by any means
occupy to-day an unchalenged position
The sworn panegyrists of Tbsen are singularly
hind 10 the fact that in this humorous world
rontiloaI assertion has ceased 10 carry any real
weight Why is it that they cannot perceive the
mere absur6ity Of talking about this skilful but
essentially prosaic playwright as though he
were E person OF supreme poetic genius? Mr..
Gosse talks about him as "one Of the most origi-
Ia and far-reaching imaginations which Eu-
Tope has seen for a century He declares that
Brand placed Ibsen at bound among the
greatest European poets Of his age" II is true
t1z1 Nj Gos=e has always had rather fOwery
| style H cannot say that when Ibsen was in
Z troubled state Of mind he found rest at Rome
n h must say THAI the dramatist sank with
iaeaable satisfaction into the arms OF its an
-gue repos-r The phrase might pass but
oae more Illustration Of Mr GOsse's pretty way,
tut The truth Is that Il is significant of the
i curious wrong -headedness which afflicts SO
/ % lEzeL EaUdElOTN COiIitEleAAdtOIS- iiI
I TIE attempt 10 throw kind Of glamour over
l what thsy are pleased to call his genius" they
obscure the circumstance that genius was. not
precisely what he possessed A Danish actress
Is euote5 in this biography saying that to
e beside I5seH was TO peer into gold mine
ard not catch q glitter from the hidden treas
rE' Was t1e treasure really there? We take
1--we 70 doubt It M Gosse cites the remark
aa1e made l. Ibsen by BTandes: You know
iaeTe are sound potatoes and rotten potatoes IN
ti5s world" and Ibsens reply: Il am afraid
lo1e Of The sound ones have come under my
111ce." M Gosse calls the remark cynical. 1t
p Is rather 5rrise the sort Of thing Of which
n4a Ct genius would be inCapa bic He would
IzFs 100 deep an insight into human nature.
TOO vide range Of thought and imagination,
Z Iake such z view Of the world
Comparing him with Bjornson, whose char
tcis-. he admits. was the more magnetic and
raore radiant Of the two MI Gosse neverthe-
sss protests that Ibsen vas citizen OF the