J. Paul Hunter – författare

What did people read before there were novels? Not necessarily just other “literary” works, according to this fascinating study of the beginnings of the English novel. To understand the origins of the novel as a species and to read individual novels well, we must know several pasts and traditions—even non-fictional and non-narrative traditions, even non-“artistic” and non-written pasts—that at first might seem far removed from the pleasures readers find in modern novels.

This Norton Critical Edition includes:The 1818 first edition text of the novel, introduced and annotated by J. Paul Hunter.Three maps and eight illustrations.A wealth of source and contextual materials, thematically arranged to promote classroom discussion. Topics include “Sources, Influences, Analogues”, “Circumstances, Composition, Revision” and “Reception, Impact, Adaptation”.Eleven critical essays on Frankenstein’s major themes, six of them new to the Third Edition.A chronology and a selected bibliography.About the SeriesRead by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format—annotated text, contexts and criticism—helps students to better understand, analyse and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.

This collection of authoritative essays represents the latest scholarship on topics relating to the themes, movements, and forms of English fiction, while chronicling its development in Britain from the early 18th century to the present day. Comprises cutting-edge research currently being undertaken in the field, incorporating the most salient critical trends and approachesExplores the history, evolution, genres, and narrative elements of the English novelConsiders the advancement of various literary forms – including such genres as realism, romance, Gothic, experimental fiction, and adaptation into filmIncludes coverage of narration, structure, character, and affect; shifts in critical reception to the English novel; and geographies of contemporary English fictionFeatures contributions from a variety of distinguished and high-profile literary scholars, along with emerging younger criticsIncludes a comprehensive scholarly bibliography of critical works on and about the novel to aid further reading and research