A Doll's House: Commercial facts
13 lenses on commercial facts for A Doll's House by Henrik Ibsen. Count lenses are exact for our text. AI lenses are our reading and cite only quotes that passed a word for word check.
Jump to: L1 L2 L3 L4 L5 L6 L7 L8 L9 L10 L11 L12 L13
L1. Total word count. Count
1879, 26,786 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L2. Chapter count and average length. Count
1879, 26,786 words. See the full lens on the book page.
L3. Length against modern norms for the genre. Both
26,786 words. Modern plays often runs 15,000 to 30,000 words, so this is in the usual range today. These ranges are rough trade norms, not rules.
At roughly 26,800 words, the play is short for a full-length drama by modern standards but typical for a three-act play of its era. It is shorter than most contemporary novels but longer than a short story.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3
L4. First published as a serial or a volume? Research
1879, 26,786 words. See the full lens on the book page.
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L5. Serial instalment breaks and how each ends. Both
Act I ends with Krogstad's threat and promise to expose Nora, leaving the secret vulnerable. Act II ends with the letter posted and Nora dancing in desperation, the moment of exposure imminent. Act III ends with Nora's departure, the marriage dissolved.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3
L6. Sales and reviews in its day. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L7. Adaptations: film, TV, stage, count and type. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L8. Sequels and series. Research
Facts from outside the text (sales, serial history, adaptations, sequels, most quoted lines). Coming in a later phase, with sources and dates.
L9. Modern books in the same mould (comps). AI
Modern plays in the same mould include Caryl Churchill's Top Girls and Lucy Kirkwood's The Children, which examine women's agency and social constraint. Novels like Hanya Yanagihara's A Little Life explore moral reckoning and authenticity.
L10. Who it would be shelved for today. AI
The play would be shelved for readers interested in feminist drama, classic theatre, moral philosophy, and domestic realism. It appeals to those studying gender, marriage, and social convention.
L11. Content notes. AI
Content notes: abandonment of children, emotional abuse, suicidal ideation, financial crime, illness and death.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3
L12. A modern pitch line and blurb. AI
A woman discovers her marriage is built on lies and her role as a dutiful wife is a prison. When her secret is exposed, she must choose between duty and authenticity, leading her to abandon her family and walk out into an uncertain future.
Scenes (numbered through the play): Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3
L13. Title style against genre norms. AI
The title is direct and symbolic, naming the central metaphor rather than using a phrase or abstract concept. This style is typical of nineteenth-century drama, which often used concrete titles to signal the play's central image.
Ask A Doll's House a question about its craft (free beta)
Answers cite chapter and paragraph, and every quote is checked against the text. (3 free questions a day).
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