Jonathan Warren, associate professor and former chair of 91亚色鈥檚 Department of English, is editor of a new and expanded Norton Critical Edition of Henry James鈥 classic gothic novella, The Turn of the Screw.
For 60 years, Norton Critical Edition has set the standard for critical editions of literary classics, providing invaluable resources to students, instructors and scholars. The three-part format 鈥 annotated text, contexts, and criticism 鈥 helps students to better understand and analyze the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors.
Jonathan Warren
Henry James鈥 The Turn of the Screw tells the story of a governess who takes a job caring for two orphans at a remote manor in the English countryside. After witnessing several supernatural occurrences at the estate, she becomes convinced that the children are being haunted by the ghosts of their former governess and valet. The classic novella continues to resonate with audiences and has inspired several adaptations since its publication in 1898. Last year, it served as the inspiration for the second season of Netflix鈥檚 hit 鈥楾he Haunting鈥 anthology series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as The Turning, a film directed by Floria Sigismondi.
The of The Turn of the Screw includes Warren鈥檚 authoritative edition of James鈥 novella with explanatory notes, textual history and an expansive critical introduction. The new volume鈥檚 revised and expanded contextual materials include: 鈥淛ames, the Ghost Story, and the Supernatural,鈥 鈥淛ames on The Turn of the Screw,鈥 鈥淥ther Possible Sources for The Turn of the Screw,鈥 and 鈥淎daptations and Illustrations.鈥 The Third Edition also contains 32 critical readings 鈥 16 of them new 鈥 chronologically arranged to illustrate the evolution of literary interpretations of the tale. Warren鈥檚 chronology of James鈥 life and a bibliography of further readings round out the volume.
The product of more than three years of work, the newest Norton Critical Edition of The Turn of the Screw encompasses research conducted at Yale, Harvard, Dartmouth, Cambridge, Oxford, the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Philadelphia Museum of Art, Duke, Colby, Hill-Stead Museum, UCLA, the New 91亚色 Public Library, University of Toronto and 91亚色.