Wieland, the story of religious delusions and horrific violence on the eve of the American Revolution, is the first gothic novel in America and a cornerstone of the Early American literary canon. A family living on an estate outside Philadelphia is visited first by a set of mysterious voices, seemingly coming out of thin air, followed soon after by an itinerant rustic named Carwin. Violence erupts when the family's young patriarch believes he hears God's voice demanding a human sacrifice as a sign of faith. Testing the limits of religious and literary authority in the new United States, Brown's novel has for more than two centuries kept readers debating questions of agency, accountability, and revolutionary politics as the story's moral chaos unfolds. The editor provides explanatory annotation throughout the volume. This Norton Critical Edition also reprints Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist, Brown's fragmentary sequel to Wieland. "Sources and Contexts" presents inspirations for Brown's work, including an account of the real-life Yates family murders, an excerpt from Christoph Martin Wieland's The Trial of Abraham, as well as religious and medical accounts of delusion, spontaneous combustion, and ventriloquism. Brown's outline for Wieland and his letter to Thomas Jefferson are also reprinted. "Criticism" includes contemporary responses to the novel from both the United States and the United Kingdom along with fourteen essential modern critical approaches. Recent contributors include Shirley Samuels, Christopher Looby, Nancy Ruttenberg, Laura Korobkin, David Kazanjian, Bryan Waterman, and Stephen Shapiro, among others. A Chronology and a Selected Bibliography are also included.

In addition to the definitive UVA text of Brown's seminal novel, this edition includes an introduction setting the work in its historical, literary, and intellectual contexts. Related texts include selections from William Godwin's Enquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793), Erasmus Darwin's Zoonomia; or, The Laws of Organic Life (1794), Benjamin Franklin's A Narrative of the Late Massacres (1764), and Thomas Barton's The Conduct of the Paxton-Men (1764), as well excerpts from Brown's own essays on somnambulism and the uses of history in fiction.

Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker (1799) is a novel by American author Charles Brockden Brown. Combining the suspenseful style of Gothic fiction with such thematic interests as consciousness, morality, and truth, Brown's novel shows the profound influence of European literature on his aesthetic while grounding the narrative in a distinctly American setting. Following the murder of his friend Waldegrave, the young Edgar Huntly devotes himself to uncovering the mystery of his death. While walking at night near the scene of the crime, Huntly sees a servant from a nearby farm named Clithero digging in the ground beneath a willow. Initially horrified at the man's strange behavior and disheveled appearance, Huntly soon becomes suspicious and decides to question Clithero. After realizing that the man is a sleepwalker, he confronts Clithero, who denies murdering Waldegrave but admits his guilt in murdering a man in his native Ireland. Disappointed but eager as ever to find his friend's killer, Edgar continues his search. When he wakes up in a dark cave, completely disoriented and on the brink of starvation, Edgar must fend off the merciless local wildlife and escape captivity by the Lenni Lenape tribe in order to survive. Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a harrowing work of mystery, horror, revenge, and survival which not only serves as a fine example of Gothic fiction, but as a detailed psychological portrait of settler colonial life. This early masterpiece of American literature, among Brown's other works, would inspire the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and countless other authors whose works employ elements of mystery, suspense, and horror. Brown's novel is perfect for readers looking for a terrifying tale with philosophical and psychological depth, as well as for those interested in the early days of American fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

One of the earliest American novels, Wieland (1798) is a thrilling tale of suspense and intrigue set in rural Pennyslvania in the 1760s. Based on an actual case of a New York farmer who murdered his family, the novel employs Gothic devices and sensational elements such as spontaneous combustion, ventriloquism, and religious fanaticism. The plot turns on the charming but diabolical intruder Carwin, who exercises his power over the narrator, Clara Wieland, and her family, destroying the order and authority of the small community in which they live. Underlying the mystery and horror, however, is a profound examination of the human mind's capacity for rational judgement. The text also explores some of the most important issues vital to the survival of democracy in the new American republic. Brown further considers power and manipulation in his unfinished sequel, Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist, which traces Carwin's career as a disciple of the utopist Ludloe. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.

In addition to the definitive UVA text of Brown's seminal novel, this edition includes an introduction setting the work in its historical, literary, and intellectual contexts. Selections from William Godwin's Inquiry Concerning Political Justice (1793), Erasmus Darwin's Zoonomia or The Laws of Organic Life (1794), Benjamin Franklin's A Narrative of the Late Massacres (1764), and Thomas Barton's The conduct of the Paxton-men (1764) are included here, as are several of Brown's lesser-known but revealing writings on such subjects as somnambulism and the uses of history in fiction.

As it tells the story of Constantia Dudley, from her family's financial collapse to her encounters with a series of cosmopolitan revolutionaries and reactionaries, Charles Brockden Brown's Ormond; or The Secret Witness (1799) develops a sustained meditation on late-Enlightenment debates concerning political liberty, women's rights, conventions of sex-gender, and their relation to the reshaping of an Atlantic world in the throes of transformation. This edition of Ormond includes Brown's Alcuin (1798), an important dialogue on women's rights and marriage, as well as his key essays on history and literature, along with selections from contemporary writings on women's education and revolution debates that figure in the novel's background and in the charged atmosphere of the late 1790s.

Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker (1799) is a novel by American author Charles Brockden Brown. Combining the suspenseful style of Gothic fiction with such thematic interests as consciousness, morality, and truth, Brown's novel shows the profound influence of European literature on his aesthetic while grounding the narrative in a distinctly American setting. Following the murder of his friend Waldegrave, the young Edgar Huntly devotes himself to uncovering the mystery of his death. While walking at night near the scene of the crime, Huntly sees a servant from a nearby farm named Clithero digging in the ground beneath a willow. Initially horrified at the man's strange behavior and disheveled appearance, Huntly soon becomes suspicious and decides to question Clithero. After realizing that the man is a sleepwalker, he confronts Clithero, who denies murdering Waldegrave but admits his guilt in murdering a man in his native Ireland. Disappointed but eager as ever to find his friend's killer, Edgar continues his search. When he wakes up in a dark cave, completely disoriented and on the brink of starvation, Edgar must fend off the merciless local wildlife and escape captivity by the Lenni Lenape tribe in order to survive. Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a harrowing work of mystery, horror, revenge, and survival which not only serves as a fine example of Gothic fiction, but as a detailed psychological portrait of settler colonial life. This early masterpiece of American literature, among Brown's other works, would inspire the novels of James Fenimore Cooper, Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, and countless other authors whose works employ elements of mystery, suspense, and horror. Brown's novel is perfect for readers looking for a terrifying tale with philosophical and psychological depth, as well as for those interested in the early days of American fiction. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown's Edgar Huntly, or, Memoirs of a Sleepwalker is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Set during the epic Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793, Charles Brockden Brown's classic gothic novel Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the Year 1793 connects the outbreak with the upheavals of the revolutionary era and the murderous financial networks of Atlantic slavery. This edition of Arthur Mervyn offers selections from key contemporary texts as well as excerpts from Brown's own writings on slavery, race, and the uses of history in fiction.

Wieland (1798) is a novel by American author Charles Brockden Brown. Considered the first American Gothic novel, this a story of psychological horror and occult mystery based on the real-life James Yates Murders. The novel follows the Wieland family, whose father immigrated to the American colonies prior to the Revolutionary War in order to found a fanatical religious sect. Following his mysterious death, his children attempt to build normal, prosperous lives-Theodore marries his sister's childhood friend Catharine Pleyel, and together they have four children, while Clara begins to imagine a life with Henry, Catharine's brother. After several years, however, they begin to hear voices compelling them to do bizarre and terrible things. Amidst this inexplicable terror, a man named Carwin-who has the gift of multiple voices-appears, changing their lives forever. Wieland by Charles Brockden Brown is a masterpiece of horror and Gothic fiction with emotional depth and psychological intensity, and remains a landmark work of American literature. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown's Wieland is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

As it tells the story of Constantia Dudley, from her family's financial collapse to her encounters with a series of cosmopolitan revolutionaries and reactionaries, Charles Brockden Brown's Ormond; or The Secret Witness (1799) develops a sustained meditation on late-Enlightenment debates concerning political liberty, women's rights, conventions of sex-gender, and their relation to the reshaping of an Atlantic world in the throes of transformation. This edition of Ormond includes Brown's Alcuin (1798), an important dialogue on women's rights and marriage, as well as his key essays on history and literature, along with selections from contemporary writings on women's education and revolution debates that figure in the novel's background and in the charged atmosphere of the late 1790s.

Carwin the Biloquist (1798, 1805) is a story fragment by American author Charles Brockden Brown. A prequel of sorts to the novel, Wieland, Carwin the Biloquist provides backstory for the character of Carwin, a man with the uncanny ability to perfectly mimic any voice. Carwin the Biloquist is an unfinished story that traces the life of Carwin before meeting the Wieland family. Having discovered his power at a young age, Carwin first manipulates his family before striking out on his own, eventually meeting a wealthy man named Ludloe who encourages his intelligence and curiosity, but remains unaware of his biloquism. The two travel to Europe, where Carwin learns of Ludloe's membership in an occult society before setting out to discover its secrets. Carwin the Biloquist by Charles Brockden Brown is a masterpiece of horror and Gothic fiction with emotional depth and psychological intensity. With a beautifully designed cover and professionally typeset manuscript, this edition of Charles Brockden Brown's Carwin the Biloquist is a classic of American literature reimagined for modern readers.

Wieland; or The Transformation (1798) ties revolutionary-era Gothic themes to struggles over the politics of Enlightenment on both sides of the Atlantic. This edition of Wieland includes Brown's Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist and writings on Cicero, as well as his key essays on history and literature, and selections from contemporary German and other texts that figure in the novel's background and in the charged atmosphere of the late 1790s.

On Wieland; or the Transformation : "An impressive edition . . . the most thoroughly satisfying historical and literary contextualization for the novel that I've ever encountered. Shapiro and Barnard offer a rich transatlantic artistic and ideological context that helps pull the whole novel into coherent focus. The footnotes to the novel are incredibly thorough, helpful, and interesting. . . . This Hackett edition of Wieland [is] the freshest and most topical of those now available." --Dana D. Nelson, Vanderbilt University On Ormond; or, the Secret Witness : "Philip Barnard and Stephen Shapiro have produced an awesome edition of Brown's Ormond by providing copious explanatory notes and helpful documentation of the essential historical context of feminist, radical, egalitarian, and abolitionist expression. Oh, ye patriots, read it and learn!" --Peter Linebaugh, University of Toledo On Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the Year 1793 : "This new edition of Arthur Mervyn far exceeds any previous version of this remarkable American novel. Through exhaustive archival research, the editors have produced a reliable text constructed within the intellectual, cultural, political, and religious contexts of a society informing Brown's efforts to capture and preserve the formation of the early republic for generations of readers and cultural historians. This vital text is essential reading for anyone interested in the origins of the United States." --Emory Elliott, University Professor, University of California-Riverside On Edgar Huntly; or, Memoirs of a Sleep-Walker : "This is now the edition of choice for those of us who teach Brown's fascinating Edgar Huntly . Barnard and Shapiro explore the relevant historical, cultural, and literary backgrounds in their illuminating Introduction; they skillfully annotate the text; they provide useful and up-to-date bibliographies; and they append a number of revealing primary texts for further cultural contextualization. This edition will help to stimulate new thinking about race, empire, and sexuality in Brown's prescient novel of the American frontier." --Robert S. Levine, University of Maryland

Wieland; or The Transformation (1798) ties revolutionary-era Gothic themes to struggles over the politics of Enlightenment on both sides of the Atlantic. This edition of Wieland includes Brown's Memoirs of Carwin the Biloquist and writings on Cicero, as well as his key essays on history and literature, and selections from contemporary German and other texts that figure in the novel's background and in the charged atmosphere of the late 1790s.

Set during the epic Philadelphia yellow fever epidemic of 1793, Charles Brockden Brown's classic gothic novel Arthur Mervyn; or, Memoirs of the Year 1793 connects the outbreak with the upheavals of the revolutionary era and the murderous financial networks of Atlantic slavery. This edition of Arthur Mervyn offers selections from key contemporary texts as well as excerpts from Brown's own writings on slavery, race, and the uses of history in fiction.