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.

The text of this Norton Critical Edition is that of the first book edition, published in 1919, and includes Harald Toksvig s original map of the fictional Winesburg. Ample annotation is provided throughout.

"Backgrounds" 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. A variety of perspectives is provided by Walter B. Rideout, Sally Adair Rigsbee, John Updike, Joseph Dewey, Kim Townsend, and David Stouck.

A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are included.