JOHN GABRIEL BORKMAN.
INTRODUCTION.
The anecdotic history of John Gabriel Borkman is
even scantier than that of Little Eyolf. It is true
that two mentions of it occur in Ibsen's letters, but
they throw no light whatever upon its spiritual antecedents.
Writing to George Brandes from Christiania,
on April 24, 1896, Ibsen says: "In your last letter
you make the suggestion that I should visit London.
If I knew enough English, I might perhaps go. But
as I unfortunately do not, I must give up the idea
altogether. Besides, I am engaged in preparing for
a big new work, and I do not wish to put off the
writing of it longer than necessary. It might so
easily happen that a roof-tile fell on my head before
I had 'found time to make the last verse.' And
what then?" On October 3 of the same year, writing
to the same correspondent, he again alludes to his
work at "a new long play, which must be completed
as soon as possible." It was, as a matter of fact,
completed with very little delay, for it appeared in
Copenhagen on December 15, 1896.
The irresponsible gossip of the time made out that Björnson discerned in the play some personal allusions to himself; but this Björnson emphatically denied.
