Dr. Stockmann attempts to expose a water pollution scandal in his home town which is about to establish itself as a spa. When his brother, the mayor, conspires with local politicians and the newspaper to suppress the story, Stockmann appeals to the public meeting—only to be shouted down and reviled as 'an enemy of the people'. Ibsen's explosive play reveals his distrust of politicians and the blindly held prejudices of the 'solid majority'.

Winner of the National Book Award Medal for Distinguished Contribution to American Letters

"The McCarthy nightmare had begun. . . . Miller was under suspicion for Communist activities. . . . The blacklist seeps into the core of his adaptation. . . . It's a skillfully crafted work . . . a reminder of what has happened, what can happen, and what must never happen again."
-John Guare, from the Introduction

"Miller has released the anger and scorn of the father of realism."
-Brooks Atkinson, The New York Times