Book Recommendation for National Book Lover’s Day

Happy National Booklover’s Day! Wherever you are in the world today, I hope you are taking some time to read and enjoy your favorite book!

No blog on classic literature would be complete without going into the companies who actually take the time and effort to keep the classics we love in print decade after decade. 

There are several companies who do this and do it very well. Today, we’re going to be looking at W. W. Norton, specifically the Norton “Critical” Edition. 

Back when I majored in English, Norton Critical Editions and Anthologies were the backbone of our studies. I still have my copy of Frankenstein from when I was in college, and I’ve since added quite a few more. 

What makes these so special? Let’s take a look! 

Anatomy 

Each Norton Critical Edition has at least three major parts: the text, background texts, and contemporary criticism. We’ll get into each of those in a bit. Minor elements include a timeline for the author and a bibliography. 

Some editions, like Frankenstein, have extra content such as essays on teaching the text in a classroom and specific revisions made between the first and third editions. 

Others, like Middle English Lyrics have extensive footnotes and side notes to help you get a basic understanding of the text itself. In this case, there’s also a comprehensive list in the back of the original source for each poem, who wrote it, and when it was written. 

Edition-Specific

One of the things that sets Norton Critical Editions apart is are very edition-specific. Now, that’s not to say that other publishers aren’t, only that Norton makes an especial point of it when it really may affect how you interpret the text. 

Frankenstein, for instance, went through revisions between printings. In this case, you have an introduction from Percy Shelley himself in the 1818 edition, introducing his wife’s work and, some say, trying to pass it off as his own. There’s also evidence to suggest Percy Shelley himself edited the story at one point. Evidence shown in one essay in the Norton Critical Edition I have. 

For the third edition of Frankenstein, however, you have Mary Shelley’s own words and they put a slightly different spin on the story than her husband did. It affects how you see the events in Frankenstein pretty drastically. 

We actually discussed this at length in one of my college classes, focusing on how Percy Shelley saw it as a confirmation of his male-centric culture when Mary Shelley was actually criticizing it. Most of it was based on the stark differences between the two introductions.

Why would you want if you’re just a casual reader? Well, think of it as back-pocket information. You may not want all that information. Now. But you may want it later. There are ideas present in Frankenstein that span across several genres, and the edition you read (especially of the introduction) may be the key to understanding Frankenstein in its different facets. 

These are classics. They are meant to be read and re-read over your lifetime, not just for a school assignment. So, don’t dismiss getting a Norton Critical Edition because you think you won’t have an interest in the extra information. 

Critical and Historical Backgrounds

Most Norton Critical Editions have additional material in the back to provide you with context. This can range from the author’s earlier works, to newspaper articles written at publication, to contemporary critics putting their two-cents worth in.

Learning the context of these works is just as important as reading them because sometimes the original work no longer makes sense in our own world. Take, for instance, The Book of Margery Kempe. Margery Kempe’s life is about as far removed from our own world as you can imagine. 

Not only was the English Language itself completely different, the mindset was different. We like to think of the Medieval period as a repressive and rigid world, but those presumptions get challenged when you read works from medieval woman who were able to have extraordinary lives. 

For instance, Norton has included excepts from the works of two other medieval women were weren’t ranking members of society: Julian of Norwich and St. Bright of Sweden. Margery Kempe actually met Julian of Norwich at one point. There’s also a contemporary historical source from Thomas Arundel, Archbishop of Canterbury during Margery’s lifetime. 

You could do your own research in this area, it’s certainly possible with the internet age. But who has time to do that? I’m a book blogger and even I barely have time to put in the kind of academic-level research for truly serious study. Norton has already done some of the legwork for you, so why not take advantage? 

Contemporary Criticism

The final major section in a Norton Critical Edition are essays from academics, or what in the business world we call “thought leaders.” These are people who have taken the time to examine a specific aspect of the work in question. Now, some viewpoints can change over time, but you also get exposed to a wider range of idea from people who are actually in study. 

Now, if you’re a casual reader the value of these viewpoints is to help you interact with the text AND to develop your own ideas about what you are reading. 

Think of it like getting a university-level education at your own pace and comfort. Without the crippling student debt or the 20-page essay due in two weeks with at least 10 cited sources. 

In some cases, such as in Frankenstein, you may actually end up getting an excerpt from a critical source that’s a classic in its own right. There’s an excerpt from Madwoman in the Attic by Sandra Gilbert and Susan Gubar in my edition and it was a bestseller in its own day. Even when I was in college, it was still well-respected by everyone, whether or not they were feminists. 

Another reason you may want the contemporary criticism is with works which are in archaic forms of English such as Middle English Lyrics. Most of us, unless we’re really keen, need a little extra help to decipher what’s going on. In this particular edition, you get additional information on how the lyrics would have been performed, the pronunciation, and even the content. 

Let’s face it most of us don’t spend our days contemplating poetry. We’re a prose-forward society. 

Adding Norton Critical Editions to your own library….

Adding these to your library is EASY. Many students don’t keep their Norton Editions after they graduate, or even past the semester in which they’ve used them. I’ve found mine in my local used bookstore, through Thriftbooks.com, Amazon, and more and I’ve paid less than $10 for each one. In fact, I still have the prices written in most of them: $7.

Can’t find a used copy? 

At full price, these are much more expensive than, say, a Barnes and Noble Classic, or a Penguin Classic. On average you’re looking at the $20-$25 range or higher. But, the value for money is excellent, especially if it’s a classic you REALLY like or from an era where you have a keen interest. 

Mentioned in today’s post: 

Please note, W. W. Norton and Company did not sponsor any part of today’s content. I’ve been using Norton Critical Editions since my college days for my own reading pleasure and can happily recommend their products for anyone’s bookshelf.

If you’re interested in finding the specific editions in this post, I’ve listed them for you below.

Frankenstein by Mary Shelley, J. Paul Hunter, ed. W. W. Norton and Company, 1996. 

Middle English Lyrics, Selected and Edited by Maxwell S. Luria and Richard L. Hoffman, W. W. Norton and Company, 1974. 

The Book of Margery Kemp by Margery Kempe, translated and edited by Lynn Staley, W. W. Norton and Company, 2001. 

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