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The Norton Book of Personal Essays First Edition

by Joseph Epstein (Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 20 ratings
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Some fifty of the finest personal essays selected by the man often hailed as the "premier essayist of our time."

In this anthology of twentieth-century essays, some of our most-admired American and British writers express their lively, candid, entertaining, thoughtful, and--above all--various opinions. Topics range from Tangier to a lake in Maine, from racial conflict to sky diving, from the expectations we bring to travel to the athletics of the table. The essays are selected and introduced by Joseph Epstein, himself a leading contemporary practitioner of the form. Most prominent in each essay is the distinctive style of the essayist; style, as Epstein points out in his introduction, is not only what keeps literature alive but also a personal way of looking at the world.

Blending the profound and the buoyant, the traditional and the new, the expected and the surprising, The Norton Book of Personal Essays offers a basketful of delights sure to find a permanent place on readers' shelves. Mark Twain, Max Beerbohm, Virginia Woolf, Willa Cather, M. F. K. Fisher, F. Scott Fitzgerald, E. B. White, Oliver Sacks, H. L. Mencken, Truman Capote, and Flannery O'Connor are among the contributors to this volume. The chief principle of selection has been the pleasure that essays, operating at their highest power, always give.
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  1. ISBN-10
    0393036545
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0393036541
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    W. W. Norton & Company
  5. Publication date
    March 17, 1997
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6.1 x 1.6 x 9.3 inches
  8. Print length
    480 pages
  9. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Amazon.com Review

This amazing collection consists of talented writers approaching highly personal subjects. Dorothy Parker is not terribly pleased about turning 40. A. J. Liebling holds forth on having a good appetite. Zora Neale Hurston meditates on the color of her skin and what that means. Flannery O'Connor writes with introspection about raising peacocks on her farm. John Gregory Dunne discusses his feelings about adopting a daughter with his wife, Joan Didion. More than 50 selections can be found in The Norton Book of Personal Essays, and the roster of writers couldn't be more impressive.

From Library Journal

The appeal of personal essays stems in part from their directness, their "shameless subjectivity." As the editor of the American Scholar and the author of five collections of essays, Epstein is eminently qualified to select and introduce 53 personal essays written in English by well-known authors during the past century. They were chosen because he "found them interesting, touching, pleasing, amusing, delightful?above all, entertaining." The result is a potpourri of selections that vary widely in subject and style. Topics range from music, racism, and traveling to fathers, children, and childhood. Among the selections are Dorothy Parker's witty diatribe on reaching middle age and historian Barbara Tuchman's reflections about the curious letters she receives from her readers. While not all essays in this anthology will appeal to everyone, readers have a nice variety to choose from. Recommended for general literature collections.?Ilse Heidmann, San Marcos, Tex.
Copyright 1997 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company; First Edition (March 17, 1997)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 480 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0393036545
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0393036541
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.59 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6.1 x 1.6 x 9.3 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 20 ratings

About the author

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Joseph Epstein

Joseph Epstein

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JOSEPH EPSTEIN is the author of the best-selling Snobbery and of Friendship, as well as the short story collections The Goldin Boys and Fabulous Small Jews, among other books, and was formerly editor of the American Scholar. His work has appeared in The New Yorker, Harper's Magazine, the Atlantic Monthly, and other magazines.

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
4.6 out of 5
20 global ratings

Top reviews from the United States

B. K. Green
5.0 out of 5 stars Buy at once, read at leisure, enjoy at length--an anthology for a lifetime
Reviewed in the United States on September 11, 2015
Verified Purchase
Yes, a first-rate selection, and my favourite is Mark Twain's 'Italian without a Master.' But I searched the credits in vain for the source of the essay. I can only presume that the all-too human editor knows the essay verbatim and forgets whence it came and how he came by it. Twain may well be too notorious to warrant acknowledgement or exposure, but his notoriety can hardly be adduced to justify the editorial oversight, lapse, neglect, etc, etc., and certainly is no excuse for omitting the source from this fine book. Enough to make one grumble, growl, and google.
3 people found this helpful
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Emily Pasternak
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on February 4, 2016
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Good book, great service.
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L. Benton
4.0 out of 5 stars The Norton Book of Personal Essays
Reviewed in the United States on January 4, 2013
Verified Purchase
Brilliant. The volume covers some of the most engaging writers known for fiction and/or nonfiction. My only complaint is that I would have enjoyed seeing work by writers from non-Western countries. Some are represented here, but I believe they are naturalized citizens of the US.
3 people found this helpful
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Keith Owens
5.0 out of 5 stars Textbooks
Reviewed in the United States on October 26, 2014
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High school textbook, just what the teacher ordered
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David C. Stone
4.0 out of 5 stars Many of the Authors reviewed were not known to me.
Reviewed in the United States on March 22, 2014
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As usual, this is a well written book by my favorite author. Many of the writers reviewed are unknown to me ! I enjoyed the author's views of the writing.
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Stella Moreno
5.0 out of 5 stars HGHLY RECOMMENDED SERVICE.
Reviewed in the United States on June 7, 2009
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The book I purchased was timely delivered. The quality of the book was as described. Excellent condition. The price was great!
One person found this helpful
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Debra Purdy Kong
5.0 out of 5 stars Terrific Collection by Some of the Greats
Reviewed in the United States on March 13, 2013
I've always been a fan of the personal essay, and agree with editor Joseph Epstein's statement that the personal essay (or familiar essay) is a form of discovery; a way of sharing where one stands on complex issues, questions, and subjects. Personal essays can also be poignant reflections about love, regret and loss, or on something fun such as how to eat an ice cream cone.

The collection includes a wide range of topics from a fondly remembered general store, to turning forty, to reminisces of family members, friends, or a discussion of societal issues. The essays start with the oldest contributor, Mark Twain, born in 1835 and end with the youngest contributor, Amy Tan, born in 1952. It's an interesting way to present a collection because while the decades and topics differ greatly, the authors' skill in sharing thoughts so eloquently is a common thread.

I was delighted to come across stunning essays from writers I'd never read before. For instance, Willa Cather's "A Chance Meeting" is a gorgeous piece about a chance encounter with an older woman at a hotel, which turns into something quite special. Dorothy Parker's essay on turning forty is hilarious, as is L. Rust Hills' piece on eating an ice cream cone. F. Scott Fitzgerald, Truman Capote, Doris Lessing, Eudora Welty, and many others are also well worth reading. In fact, out of the 53 essays encompassing 468 pages, only two or three didn't interest me. If you're a fan of personal essays, this book is a must-read. You'll learn a lot from the greats.
8 people found this helpful
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C. Harper
5.0 out of 5 stars World-class reading
Reviewed in the United States on August 11, 2005
If this weren't so heavy, I would carry it everywhere. Jam-packed with brilliant, insightful writing. I defy anyone to read Mark Twain's ``Italian Without a Master'' (the first essay in this compilation) and NOT laugh out loud. David Sedaris's essays, much as I love them, are a pale imitation of this Twain masterpiece.
12 people found this helpful
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