Among My Peers

Peer Gynt (1941), Retold by E. V. Sandys [from the Play by Henrik Ibsen, with musical passages by Edvard Grieg]. Illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg. Printed by The Thomas Y. Crowell Company. [Inscribed with the Former Owner’s Name and Address: Miss Helen Rapp/ New Harmony/ Indiana]

I have always had a strange relationship with Peer Gynt, the man who goes to marry the Troll King's Daughter. Drawn by its folkloric elements, repelled by its bitter social satire, and intrigued by the bits of familiar music in it (like “In the Hall of the Mountain King”, or especially “Morning Mood” – which there are probably millions familiar with it who have no idea where it comes from), I’ve always felt it was something I should like. I found it to be a slippery beast hard to get a grasp on.

Well. While I was looking for books illustrated by Fritz Eichenberg I ran across this volume of Peer Gynt ‘retold’, no doubt for younger readers (say 11-16) as an easy introduction. It lacked a cover (though the cover illustrations are included inside) and was under $10. It runs to 115 pages and has at least a dozen Eichenberg illustrations.

It is a shame (considering that I bought the volume for the artwork) that I cannot find any good examples of the pictures to show here. Eichenberg has basically two styles: a grim woodblock that he uses for social commentary art, and a lighter style he uses for illustrating children’s books (rather like a simplified Frank C. Pape). Books I have illustrated by him are Mistress Masham’s Repose, Padre Porko, Tyll Ulenspiegel’s Merry Pranks, Till We Have Faces(!), Heroes of the Kalevala, and my Annotated Gulliver’s Travels includes some of his work. I am happy to welcome Peer Gynt into their number.