This Norton Critical Edition of Gaskell s first novel is based on the 1854 Fifth
Edition, the last edition corrected by the author. Contexts includes letters
related to Mary Barton s publication as well as Gaskell s reaction to her
harshest critics. Ten contemporary reviews reflect the dual nature of the novel
s critical reception: one group valuing its eye-opening moral energy and concern
for the suffering of the working classes and the other group taking Gaskell to
task for the deceptive implications of her perceived flawed reasoning. A section
featuring fifteen illustrations from the novel offers readers the opportunity to
explore narrative emphases.
Criticism