Little Eyolf (Mencken Translation)

In one of Ibsen’s most profound late-period plays, alongside classics like “The Master Builder” and “John Gabriel Borkman,” “Little Eyolf” delves into the life of Albert Allmers, a writer torn between his desire for literary immortality and the love for his handicapped son, Eyolf. Rita Allmers, his devoted wife, is consumed by an obsessive love for Albert, resenting any rival, be it Eyolf, Alberts literary aspirations, or his devoted sister Asta. The tragic death of Little Eyolf, possibly at the hands of the enigmatic Rat-Wife, sets off a psychological storm among the three adults, unearthing profound conflicts of love and hate, complex desires, and stark truths about their emotional voids in the face of lifes tragedies. This alternative translation, led by the renowned H. L. Mencken, captures the raw, colloquial essence of their tumultuous relationships.