First published in 1899, McTeague was a literary sensation. Its ultra-realistic portrayal of the rise and fall of a simple-minded dentist and his grasping, greedy wife was controversial for its candid depiction of sordid behavior right at the edge of insanity. It remains a searing indictment of human weakness and selfishness in a rapidly evolving America.

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First published in 1899, McTeague was a literary sensation. Its ultra-realistic portrayal of the rise and fall of a simple-minded dentist and his grasping, greedy wife was… Развернуть 

When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy Aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to determine her own fate, does not hesitate to turn down two eligible suitors. She then finds herself irresistibly drawn to Gilbert Osmond, who, beneath his veneer of charm and cultivation, is cruelty itself. A story of intense poignancy, Isabel's tale of love and betrayal still resonates with modern audiences.

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When Isabel Archer, a beautiful, spirited American, is brought to Europe by her wealthy Aunt Touchett, it is expected that she will soon marry. But Isabel, resolved to determine… Развернуть 

As Moll Flanders struggles for survival amid the harsh social realities of seventeenth-century England, there is but one snare she is determined to avoid - the deadly snare of poverty. On the twisting path that leads from her birth in Newgate prison to her final prosperous respectability, love is regarded as worth no more than its weght in gold; and such matters as bigamy, incest, theft, and prostitution occasion but a brief blush before they are reckoned in terms of profit and losss. Yet so pure is her candor, so healthy her animal appetites, so indomitable her resilience through every vicissitude of fortune, that this extraordinary wench emerges as far more than a prototype of the mercantile mind. In "Moll Flanders" Defoe added a fresh dimension to the art of writing. "We seem to see Defoe's characters through the crytal-clear medium of his style with perfect verisimilitude, as real as if we saw them in a mirror that was so flawless that it was invisible, " writes Kennth Rexroth. Virginia Woolf ranked "Moll Flanders" as "among the few English novels which we can call indisputably great."

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As Moll Flanders struggles for survival amid the harsh social realities of seventeenth-century England, there is but one snare she is determined to avoid - the deadly snare of… Развернуть 

Julian of Norwich is among the most intriguing religious visionaries in Christian history.

Carefully edited for the undergraduate reader, this Norton Critical Edition includes an informed introduction, focusing on Julian’s theology and preparing students to understand the complex, controversial themes of the text, particularly Julian’s solution to the problem of evil in Revelation XIII and XIV. Paragraph divisions have been organized to emphasize the thematic units of each chapter, and the sentences have been punctuated for clarity.

The text included is a Middle English edition, based on the Paris manuscript (1580–1650) of the long text, with language akin to Chaucer’s and therefore more accessible than other Middle English editions.

"Contexts" includes contemporary texts that help students better understand Julian’s originality, including selections from works by Margery Kempe, Augustine, Aelred of Rievaulx, and Walter Hilton.

"Criticism" brings together interpretations that address the themes and style of the Showings by Sandra McEntire, Lynn Staley, B. A. Windeatt, and David Aers, among others.

A Selected Bibliography is also included.

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Julian of Norwich is among the most intriguing religious visionaries in Christian history.

Carefully edited for the undergraduate reader, this Norton Critical Edition includes… Развернуть 

Robert M. Adams’s celebrated translation of Utopia has been meticulously revised for the Second Edition of this Norton Critical Edition as have the accompanying annotations.
"Backgrounds" is designed to assist student readers in an appreciation of Utopia by shedding light on the different points of view contemporary with More’s work. Included are new selections from Saint Benedict and Tasso, as well as a medieval satire on the land of Cockayne. "The Humanist Circle", a carefully chosen selection of letters, includes another important contribution by Erasmus.

"Criticism" includes five new thought-provoking essays by Alistair Fox, Edward L. Surtz, G. R. Elton, Northrop Frye, and Robert M. Adams. Also new are selections from two modern anti-utopias or quasi-utopias―Aldous Huxley’s Brave New World and B. F. Skinner’s Walden Two―plus a selection from Edward Bellamy’s once futuristic but now almost contemporary Looking Backward, which may be compared and contrasted with More’s masterpiece.

An updated Selected Bibliography is also included.

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Robert M. Adams’s celebrated translation of Utopia has been meticulously revised for the Second Edition of this Norton Critical Edition as have the accompanying annotations.… Развернуть 

The Norton Critical Edition of Macbeth, Shakespeare's terrifying depiction of a man and woman's fall into evil, derives from the First Folio (1623), the only authoritative text of the play. The edition includes an introduction, annotations, and textual notes.

A rich “Sources and Contexts” section provides readers with an understanding of Macbeth’s origins from earlier texts, specifically the works of the Roman playwright Seneca, the Tudor historian Raphael Holinshed, and a medieval drama The Slaughter of the Holy Innocents and the Death of Herod. The contexts for the play include contemporary debates on predestination vs. free will (Martin Luther vs. Erasmus), witchcraft as fiction or fact (Reginald Scot vs. King James I), the ethics of regicide (an Elizabethan homily vs. Juan de Mariana, S.J.), and a treatise on equivocation (Henry Garnet, S.J.). This edition also features adaptations--Davenant's moralistic Macbeth, some travesties, and Welcome Msomi's recent South African retelling, uMabatha.

Seventeen carefully chosen essays represent four hundred years of critical and theatrical interpretations, from the early observations of Simon Forman and Samuel Johnson to the Romantic readings of Samuel Taylor Coleridge, William Hazlitt, and Thomas De Quincey, to recent essays by Janet Adelman and Stephen Orgel. Sarah Siddons and Derek Jacobi remember performing Macbeth, and Peter Holland surveys film interpretations.

A Selected Bibliography is also included.

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The Norton Critical Edition of Macbeth, Shakespeare's terrifying depiction of a man and woman's fall into evil, derives from the First Folio (1623), the only authoritative text of… Развернуть 

The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most beautiful plays and, conversely, his ugliest. Juxtaposed within the same conceptual frame are heavenly and musical harmonies, romantic love, materialism, and racism. This Norton Critical Edition has been carefully edited to make The Merchant of Venice, its surrounding history, and the history of its critical reception and rewritings accessible to readers. The text of this edition is based on the 1600 First Quarto, with light editing and substantial explanatory annotations by Leah S. Marcus.

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The Merchant of Venice is one of Shakespeare's most beautiful plays and, conversely, his ugliest. Juxtaposed within the same conceptual frame are heavenly and musical harmonies,… Развернуть 

The text of this Norton Critical Edition is that of the First Folio, printed in 1623. Additions and emendations adopted from the First Quarto (1622) appear in the Textual Notes that follow the play. Othello is accompanied by detailed explanatory annotations. "Sources and Contexts" reprints the sixteenth-century story by Giraldi Cinthio that Shakespeare used for the plot of Othello and for many of its details. Edward Pechter's essay provides context for readers through its discussion of the play's central topics—Moors, Turks, Venetians, marriage and domesticity, fathers and daughters, and female sexuality. Seventeen wide-ranging interpretive essays are reprinted. Contributors include Samuel Johnson, William Hazlitt, T. S. Eliot, Kenneth Burke, Lynda E. Boose, Mark Rose, and Patricia Parker. An annotated Selected Bibliography is also included. About the series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.

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The text of this Norton Critical Edition is that of the First Folio, printed in 1623. Additions and emendations adopted from the First Quarto (1622) appear in the Textual Notes… Развернуть