Jonathan Warren, associate professor and former chair of York University’s Department of English, is editor of a new and expanded Norton Critical Edition of Henry James’ 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 – annotated text, contexts, and criticism – helps students to better understand and analyze the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors.
Henry James’ 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’s hit ‘The Haunting’ anthology series, The Haunting of Bly Manor, as well as The Turning, a film directed by Floria Sigismondi.
The Third Norton Critical Edition of The Turn of the Screw includes Warren’s authoritative edition of James’ novella with explanatory notes, textual history and an expansive critical introduction. The new volume’s revised and expanded contextual materials include: “James, the Ghost Story, and the Supernatural,” “James on The Turn of the Screw,” “Other Possible Sources for The Turn of the Screw,” and “Adaptations and Illustrations.” The Third Edition also contains 32 critical readings – 16 of them new – chronologically arranged to illustrate the evolution of literary interpretations of the tale. Warren’s chronology of James’ 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 York Public Library, University of Toronto and York.