Winesburg, Ohio (Norton Critical Editions)

Set against the backdrop of a fictional 1890s town, Sherwood Anderson's Winesburg, Ohio depicts the not-so-simple lives of its residents as seen through the eyes of George Willard, a young and observant resident. This Norton Critical Edition features the text of the first book edition, published in 1919, and includes Harald Toksvig's original map of the fictional Winesburg. Ample annotation is provided throughout.

The "Backgrounds" section includes five of Anderson's letters, which illustrate his ideas about the stories; memoirs in which he wrestles with the revision process; and eight reviews of Winesburg, Ohio by Anderson's contemporaries, among them H. L. Mencken and William Faulkner. "Criticism" collects six of the most illuminating assessments of the book published in the last three decades, providing a variety of perspectives from scholars such as Walter B. Rideout, Sally Adair Rigsbee, John Updike, Joseph Dewey, Kim Townsend, and David Stouck.

Additionally, a Chronology and Selected Bibliography are included in this edition, offering readers valuable contextual information and resources for further exploration of Sherwood Anderson's acclaimed work.

Overall, this Norton Critical Edition of Winesburg, Ohio offers readers a comprehensive and insightful analysis of this seminal American literary work, with a focus on the author's own thoughts and the critical reception of the text over time.

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