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[ID: A slightly worn cover that contains several black-and-white portraits and photographs of renowned English authors labelled with their surnames. The title reads: "The Norton Anthology of English Literature". The subtitle reads: "Major Authors Edition". The authors are "M. H. Abrams", "E. Talbot Donaldson", "Hallett Smith", "Robert M. Adams", "Samuel Holt Monk", "George H. Ford", and "David Daiches". The spine contains the title, surnames of the authors, and the silhouette of a seagull, the W. W. Norton & Company logo. End ID]

The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Major Authors Edition

Abrams, M. H. / Donaldson, E. Talbot / Smith, Hallett / Adams, Robert M. / Monk, Samuel Holt / Ford, George H. / Daiches, David

W. W. Norton & Company / 1962 / Paperback

"In both format and editorial procedure, the editors' primary aim has been to enhance the intelligent delight of students in literature as literature. The book has been printed on paper of such quality that its contents are reduced to the bulk and weight of one of the longer modern novels, while its pages have been reduced to a size that permits verse to be read as it was intended to be read, in a single column, and with comfortable margins."

The deification of crusty-musty old white dudes was evidently alive and well during the mid-twentieth century, but, in fairness to the editors of this volume, they seem to have applied a tasteful aptitude to their selections. A door-stopper in the truest sense, this particular copy has been battered, bruised, and hastily annotated with the fervor that only an English major in the throes of academic mania could display. I genuinely look forward to one day reading this compilation of classic English writings endowed with histories, prefaces, explanations of grammatical stylings, and footnotes that provide context for the (more-or-less) modern-day reader.

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