Frankenstein: Norton Critical Edition The Classic Fairy Tales: Norton Critical Edition

Joshua Beall from Rutgers University highly recommends this Norton Critical Edition of Frankenstein for teaching an intro-level course in comparative literature. He found this edition to be extremely helpful in showcasing a variety of critical approaches towards a single text. Specifically, the article on radical science allowed him to compare Frankenstein to Alasdair Gray’s Poor Things. Beall plans to continue using this edition in the future.

The Norton Critical Edition of Frankenstein includes the 1818 first edition text of the novel, which is introduced and annotated by J. Paul Hunter. It also features three maps, eight illustrations, and a wealth of source and contextual materials organized thematically to facilitate classroom discussions. The topics covered include “Sources, Influences, Analogues,” “Circumstances, Composition, Revision,” and “Reception, Impact, Adaptation.” Additionally, there are eleven critical essays on Frankenstein’s major themes, six of which are new to the Third Edition. A chronology and selected bibliography are also provided.

Norton Critical Editions have been used by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, setting the standard for undergraduate readers' apparatus. The three-part format of annotated text, contexts, and criticism helps students better understand, analyze, and appreciate the literature while offering a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Both in print and digital formats, Norton Critical Editions supply all the necessary resources for students.

Mary Thompson from the University of Sussex in the United Kingdom praised this edition as a “wonderful critical edition” with high-quality essays that she plans to use in her Brit Lit II survey course. Dr. Antonio Gonzales from the University of Castilla–La Mancha in Spain also commended the selection of relevant articles, informative notes, and interesting materials in this magnificent edition of Frankenstein.

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