Drafted in the late 1790s and published posthumously in 1818, this intricate Gothic romance is arguably the most mysterious and imaginative work in Austen's oeuvre. This Norton Critical Edition is unrivalled in its contextual material and thorough annotation. Included are juvenile sketches that anticipate Northanger Abbey and selections from Wordsworth and Coleridge's writings that exhibit Austen's relation to her Romantic contemporaries. Thirteen critical examinations of the novel are collected from a wide range of voices and periods.