Persuasion: A Norton Critical Edition Paperback – Big Book, 24 July 2012

It was in perfect condition.

While it's true that Norton editions are highly acclaimed for their scholarly notes and erudite critique on the contents, for some reason the publishers have chosen a typeface for this book that is so miniscule and compact, it's extremely difficult to read! Surely, the whole idea of committing something to print is for it to be legible, otherwise there's not much point, in my opinion. Publishing books is Norton's daily business and has been so for many years. How can they have got it so very wrong in this case then? That's why I'm only awarding two stars instead of five. Vintage Classics has produced an edition that's certainly kinder on the eye, albeit without the scholarly notes.

I found this volume to be very helpful in presenting Persuasion by Jane Austen to my book club. The text was a bit difficult to read because of the font used, but this book contained the original ending as well as the revised one. There were also a number of critical articles included which discussed the book's aspects from a scholar's point of view which were very useful --especially one which discussed Austen's work as presented through the movies that have been made on the various Austen novels.

A tight, tense, romantic balancing act. Austen's sharp eye for the nuances of human character are beautifully drawn. The essays in this edition are helpful in understanding the author's writing. I especially appreciated the addition of the "original ending."

Well packaged and thoroughly enjoyed the novel. The level of critical analysis is very eloquent and of an outstanding standard