An Enemy of the People

By Arthur Miller and Henrik Ibsen

A Penguin Classic

When Dr. Stockmann discovers that the water in the small Norwegian town in which he is the resident physician has been contaminated, he does what any responsible citizen would do: reports it to the authorities. But Stockmann's good deed has the potential to ruin the town's reputation as a popular spa destination, and instead of being hailed as a hero, Stockmann is labeled an enemy of the people. Arthur Miller's adaptation of Henrik Ibsen's classic drama is a classic in itself, a penetrating exploration of what happens when the truth comes up against the will of the majority. This edition includes Arthur Miller’s preface and an introduction by John Guare.

For more than seventy years, Penguin has been the leading publisher of classic literature in the English-speaking world. With more than 1,700 titles, Penguin Classics represents a global bookshelf of the best works throughout history and across genres and disciplines. Readers trust the series to provide authoritative texts enhanced by introductions and notes by distinguished scholars and contemporary authors, as well as up-to-date translations by award-winning translators.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Penguin Group
• Release date: Nov 17, 1977
• ISBN: 9781101664971

Arthur Miller

Arthur Miller was born in New York City in 1915. After graduating from the University of Michigan, he began work with the Federal Theatre Project. His first Broadway hit was All My Sons, closely followed by Death of a Salesman, The Crucible and A View from the Bridge. His other writing includes Focus, a novel; The Misfits, first published as a short story, then as a cinema novel; In Russia, In the Country, Chinese Encounters (all in collaboration with his wife, photographer Inge Morath) and 'Salesman' in Beijing, non-fiction; and his autobiography, Timebends, published in 1987. Among his other plays are: Incident At Vichy, The Creation of the World and Other Business, The American Clock, The Last Yankee, and Resurrection Blues. His novella, Plain Girl, was published in 1995 and his second collection of short stories, Presence, in 2007. He died in February 2005 aged eighty-nine.

Reviews for An Enemy of the People

[bookomaniac-1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Sterkste maatschappelijke toneelstuk van IbsenThema: -dubieuze democratie-manipulatie in naam van publieke opinie-ideaal en eigenbelangOp eind te moraliserend

[zangasta · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

Having once seen a snippet of Steve McQueen play the main role in a movie adaptation An Enemy of the People, for a long time I wanted to read this.Boy was I disappointed when I did! The bit I recall McQueen speaking wasn't even in this, the original.Yuck!

[aliceanna-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

A truly magnificent play. The speeches by Dr. Stockmann in Act 4 were simply brilliant. I was worried in Act 5 that the play would turn into tragedy and Dr. Stockmann would sell his soul to the devil. Instead, his heroism increased tenfold. A beautifully written -- not predictable, unexpected and truly the stuff that plays should be made of.

[maxernst11 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Sterkste maatschappelijke toneelstuk van IbsenThema: -dubieuze democratie-manipulatie in naam van publieke opinie-ideaal en eigenbelangOp eind te moraliserend

[aulsmith · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a play about a man of principles who stands up against the town he lives in. I suspect that the Arthur Miller adaptation, which is what I have, is somewhat more histrionic than the original Norwegian, since Miller did his version in the middle of the McCarthy period. I thought it was a good play that got at the emotional push and pull of not toeing the line that everyone else thinks is important.

[blake.rosser · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A simple and somewhat exaggerated tale of one man's struggle to proclaim the unpleasant truth to his community, and the ostracism that entails. Important, especially having been translated and adapted around the McCarthy era.

[chibitika-1 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Excellent mystery.

[justine_3 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Robert Langdon and the illuminati. Very readable.

[delphica · Rating: 1 out of 5 stars]

(#34 in the 2003 Book Challenge)Millie, pass me my smelling salts! This book was so infuriating that I almost had a febrile seizure (the upside of that would be that maybe I could then be featured in an Oliver Sacks book as a rare case of bad-writing-induced-brain-damage). The sad thing is that buried within this horror of a book is a really decent puzzle-mystery. In fact, I got so caught up with the puzzle-solving parts that I almost considered the book redeemed, and then there was an admirable plot twist toward the end, BUT then there was another plot twist that was so completely banal that it dragged the book back into the black pit of vileness.Grade: D- (I would give it an F, but the puzzle part was quite impressive)Recommended: Only as an instrument of torture

[sirsangel_1 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

At times it seemed a bit fanciful, but mostly it was a good read. Liked it far better than Dan Brown's Davinci Code.

I'll come back to edit review later for more.

[spiritedtruthseeke-1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

better than DaVinci Code, IMHO

[kristelh_15 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Action filled story of the Illuminati. Nothing special.

[engpunk77 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Because I loved the Da Vinci Code so much, I decided to try this one out. I read the first page early in the evening and couldn't stop reading until I finished (forgoing sleep and all)! I read for 16 straight hours! I LOVED it! Immediately after, I went to the bookstore to buy any other books by Dan Brown!

[conceptdawg · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

It has a great mix of action, historical facts, and technological information. It reminded me a great deal of Michael Crichton’s older novels such as Terminal Man. The suspense of A&D is compelling and the characters are quite enjoyable. I really didn’t want to put the book down once I started it, and it’s been a while since I could say that about a book.It’s certainly not on the level of Paradise Lost but this book is definitely worth a read. Better than Da Vinci Code, in my opinion.

[knittygritty_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

If you have not read "DaVinci Code" yet, this a great book to read first. It will give you a good idea as to the author's general story line. As a Christian, I was not offended in any way by the story. The descriptions of the Vatican & Vatican City were fascinating.

[jrosenfeld_8 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Angels & Demons was a thrilling book that I seriously could not put down. The suspense and mystery of the story kept me wanting to read more and more until I figured it out. There were many twists which kept the story interesting and unpredictable and I could not believe the last twist. The book was truly a work of art. I have never seen such incredible storytelling as Dan Brown does here and I doubt I'll see it again for a long time.This book is a must read.

[truncoxx · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

There was much more of a plot in this book than in The Da Vinci Code. Therefore, even if you did not entirely enjoy The Da Vinci Code, I would still recommend this book. Unlike The Da Vinci Code, it is more focused on plot than facts and trivia. It has a very good mystery and suspense plot that keeps you guessing until the very end. I enjoyed reading it and although not all of the information is correct, some of it is interesting.

[naisy_4 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

After reading the Illustrated Edition of the DaVinci Code I had to purchase the same for Angels and Demons. I liked this book almost as much as the D. Code and once again was completely drawn in by the references to history, people and places. I love having the pictures available to me while I am reading about these people and places as I'm able to make better connections with the plot of the story. Of course Langdon's character was very similar and there is a female companion for his escapades once again. The only part I really didn't like was the survival of the camerlengo from the helicopter - that was not believable.

[lynnmariee644 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

The best of Dan Brown's novels

[madamejeanie · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Well, the world could have come to an end today and I'd have still finishedthat book! Between taking the dog to be groomed, cleaning the living room,and putting up new window coverings, I managed to finish the thing. All Ican say is MY GOD! What a roller coaster ride that was! It was superb!I've already told Frank that if he doesn't read anything else this year,he's got to read this one. Just open it up, get comfortable, and hang onfor the duration.Wow. 5 isn't high enough, is it? LOL

[cecilturtle · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

A great discovery of Rome throughout the ages with a strong historical and religious context. Brown has a real knack for combining intellectualism with fast-paced action. I really enjoyed the book until the last few chapiters where the twists and turns became really outlandish, bizarre and over-the-top.

[stipe168 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

not too interesting, maybe the first dan brown book you read becomes your favorite. i liked da vinci code, and this one felt like old hat. i would, however, someday like to read the edition with pictures, because it would be cool to see the art, etc they're actually talking about.

[ruthm2010 · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

This is a very fast-moving plot describing a race against time across Rome. It kept me interested right to the end however I was a little disappointed that it didn't quite live up to all the hype.

[vhoeschler · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Completely ridiculous!!! The only redeeming quality of this book is it takes you on a modest tour of Rome, a city I LOVE. However, the writing is so melodramatic and the ending just blatantly insulting to one's intelligence, that I finished this book with a giant roll of the eyes and promptly opened a bottle of wine to erase the memory of what I'd just read.

[stefano_18 · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

Reading this book gave me the same kind of debased pleasure I get from eating an entire bag of Doritos at one sitting when my wife is not around: even as you recognize how absurd the plot is it is loads of fun nonetheless. It's like Brown has managed to turn the disbelief that other authors need you to suspend into a completely irrelevant issue. The cartoonish gore of it all is particularly obvious in those part of the dialog that are supposedly spoken in Italian. Nobody in Italy ever spoke like that and it is clear that such parts were kept as far as possible from a copy editor. But for this reason they stand out as a badge of recognition for the resolute unwillingness to even approximate reality. This is a fantastic rethorical device and should be seriously considered considered by others: reproduce a foreign language not as it is but as it might be reconstructed by a reader educated enough to ask for the touch of authenticity but not educated enough to be able to evaluate it (much like outside China Chinese restaurants serve food that conforms more to the local patrons' expectations about Chinese food than to Chinese tradition).

[stensvaag_1 · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

Terrible writing. Utterly ridiculous plot. I'm ashamed to have read the whole thing, and even more ashamed to have become so lost in it that the house could have burned down around me, and I wouldn't have noticed!

[kaelirenee · Rating: 3 out of 5 stars]

This is my favorite of Brown's books. But like all his books, the background, history, and theories are all interesting. The plot is predictable and the character development is abysmal, though. Still worth reading the paperback-a good beach book.

[mauveberry · Rating: 4 out of 5 stars]

Once I started reading, I couldn't put it down. I finished it in 2 days. I liked this book better than the Da Vinci Code. I felt like the Da Vinci Code had a few spots that were too slow, but this book was pretty much non-stop action. Of course this is not the best literature out there, but I would recommend it if you're looking for a fun and light read. I saw the movie before reading the book, so I didn't find it troublesome that pictures of the statues were not in the book.

[jayne_charles_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

I'm probably in the minority, but I quite like Brown's writing style: it's simple and direct and it gets the job done. This is a straightforward read, rather bloodthirsty in places, and the church probably won't like it. I guessed who was behind events quite early on, but I congratulate the author for effectively convincing me I was wrong until right at the very end.

[spywall · Rating: 2 out of 5 stars]

WORST ENDING EVER!!!