This Norton Critical Edition includes: The authoritative text of Light in August, established by Noel Polk in 1985 and accompanied by Melanie Benson Taylor’s preface and explanatory footnotes. A rich selection of background and contextual materials, thoughtfully and practically arranged to draw readers into the American South of Faulkner’s imagination. Topics include “The Writer’s World and Words”, “Reception and Influence”, and “Historical and Cultural Contexts”. Thirteen critical essays on the novel’s major themes. A chronology and a selected bibliography. About the Series Read by more than 12 million students over fifty-five years, Norton Critical Editions set the standard for apparatus that is right for undergraduate readers. The three-part format—annotated text, contexts and criticism—helps students to better understand, analyse and appreciate the literature, while opening a wide range of teaching possibilities for instructors. Whether in print or in digital format, Norton Critical Editions provide all the resources students need.