Book cover of An Enemy of the People

Book description

“You see, the point is that the strongest man in the world is he who stands most alone.” -Henrik Ibsen, An Enemy of the People

An Enemy of the People is an 1882 play by Norwegian playwright Henrik Ibsen.

Ibsen wrote it in response to the public outcry against his…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

1 author picked An Enemy of the People as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

This is a play, a made-up story about a town in Norway a century ago. But the story couldn’t be more familiar. The protagonist is the medical officer who inspects the town’s baths, on which the livelihood of the inhabitants depend. He discovers that the baths are increasingly contaminated, and that money and time have to be devoted to fixing them. When he informs the community he expects politicians to act, and that he will be treated as a hero for saving the town. Nope. Newspapers revile him and accuse him of conspiracy, people insult him, and his life is…

If you love An Enemy of the People...

Book cover of These Blue Mountains

These Blue Mountains by Sarah Loudin Thomas,

A moving story of love, betrayal, and the enduring power of hope in the face of darkness.

German pianist Hedda Schlagel's world collapsed when her fiancé, Fritz, vanished after being sent to an enemy alien camp in the United States during the Great War. Fifteen years later, in 1932, Hedda…

Want books like An Enemy of the People?

Our community of 13,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like An Enemy of the People.

Browse books like An Enemy of the People

Book cover of Merchants of Doubt: How a Handful of Scientists Obscured the Truth on Issues from Tobacco Smoke to Climate Change
Book cover of Calling the Shots: Why Parents Reject Vaccines
Book cover of Democracy and Truth: A Short History

Share your top 3 reads of 2026!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

113

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like An Enemy of the People, you might also like...

Book cover of Whispers on the Wind

Whispers on the Wind by Elizabeth Revill,

Wales between the wars, a place of poverty and a world full of anguish. Yet, there is hope. Within family, within community, and most of all in the brave heart of one young girl.

Set in the lush Dulais Valley; Carrie is fated to a life of hardship and sorrow,…

Book cover of Otherworld: Nine Tales of Wonder and Romance from Medieval Ireland

Otherworld by Lisa M. Bitel,

These anonymous tales, composed over a thousand years ago in Ireland’s monasteries, tell us what happens when human and supernatural lovers cross the boundaries between our world and the Otherworld (síd). Set in a lost time of heroes, demi-gods, warrior queens, and druids of the Irish Otherworld (…

5 book lists we think you will like!