ISBN0393928292

The 8th edition of the Norton Anthology of English Literature is edited by Greenblatt and contains "the major authors" only. This thorough overview of the genre ranges from 15 c. Anglo Saxon literature (including Seamus Heaney's translation of "Beowulf") to some contemporary British literature (including work by JM Coetzee and Salman Rushdie). The selections are good ones and do not seem to suffer from a single editorial point of view or tone (unlike the Penguin survey edition of modern literature that is, frankly, a complete downer). This Norton edition includes classics such as John Donne's "Meditation 17", Swift's "A Modest Proposal", Stevenson's "The Strange Case of Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde", an excerpt from Mary Wollstonecraft's "A Vindication on the Rights of Women", "Virginia Woolf's "A Room of One's Own" and so on (it might be a bit thin on the ladies but what is included is the good stuff). As an English teacher and probable reference freak, I am pleased with it.

This edition of the Norton Anthology should be required for any literate person to own and at least leaf through, if not completely consume. It's a terrific collection of the bests of English literature, with very insightful footnotes on each piece. A good purchase, and was a good choice for my professor, who assigned it as the text for an Eng. Lit course. The only problem was the size - this tome is a monster! Definitely not something to carry to the beach, or even on a plane.

Don't pick this book up if you want a Sunday read or something. This anthology is for serious minded academic folk who want to school themselves in writing from England. I can't imagine why you would get it if you were not a student.

In any case, it gives you many works, and all are preceded by very well written introductions, including information on the author's life.

I am considering keeping it even though my course is over.

I used this anthology for my Intro to Brit lit class. A great option as it begins with "Dream of the Rood" which is pre-Norman Conquest and continues to more modern times.

If you really love English literature or you just like reading, this book is great for just that purpose and much more. It is enthralling and provides a tidbit of history in order for the reader to understand different themes in a literary and historical context. It may also encourage you to do further research on any given topic. If you are an English teacher, this would be a good book to use. You will not be disappointed.