Canada's answer to Mark Twain and Charles Dickens, Stephen Leacock was a master of humor and characterization. His endearing portrayals of small-town life in Ontario and his memorable characters place him in the company of Canada's finest writers. This Norton Critical Edition of "Sunshine Sketches of a Little Town" uses the text of the 1912 first edition, second impression, the only edition that takes into account the corrections made between impressions. It is accompanied by explanatory annotations and textual emendations.
"Backgrounds and Contexts" includes a concise excerpt on "Sunshine Sketches" from the leading Leacock biography, as well as a selection of contemporary reviews from Canada, Britain, and the United States.
"Criticism" is comprised of two sections. The first presents eight scholarly interpretations, by Desmond Pacey, Silver Donald Cameron, W. H. Magee, Ina Ferris, Beverly J. Rasporich, Frank Birbalsingh, Gerald Lynch, and Glenn Willmont, selected for their contribution to critical discussion of the novel. The second brings together responses to the novel by esteemed Canadian novelists Robertson Davies, Guy Vanderhaeghe, and Mordecai Richler.
A Chronology and Selected Bibliography are also included.
About the Series: No other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the Norton Critical Editions. Each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. Careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. Each edition is printed on acid-free paperand every text in the series remains in print. Norton Critical Editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide.