The Norton Anthology of English Literature: Volumes, Editions and Who It's For
How the Norton Anthology of English Literature is organized, what the A to F volumes cover, the difference between the full, Shorter and Major Authors editions, and whether an older edition will do.
Last updated September 2026
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The Norton Anthology of English Literature is the standard textbook for university survey courses on writing in English. It covers the Middle Ages to the present. It was first published in 1962 under general editor M. H. Abrams. It has been revised many times since, most recently under Stephen Greenblatt in the eleventh edition, published by W. W. Norton & Company.
This guide explains how the volumes are split, which edition to buy, and whether it suits a reader outside a classroom. It's part of our Greek mythology books hub, next to the English literature guide, which links an edition.
TL;DR: the full anthology comes in six period volumes, A to F, often sold as two packages. There are also Shorter and Major Authors editions. Buy whatever edition your course names. For self-study, a used older edition is fine. You'll still want full editions of any novels.
How the Norton Anthology of English Literature is organized
The full edition is split by period into six volumes. Each one has its own editors. Each has a long introduction to the period, plus author introductions and footnotes throughout.
- Volume A: The Middle Ages. Beowulf, Chaucer, medieval drama and romance.
- Volume B: The Sixteenth Century and the Early Seventeenth Century. Spenser, Shakespeare, Donne and their contemporaries.
- Volume C: The Restoration and the Eighteenth Century. Dryden, Swift, Pope and Johnson.
- Volume D: The Romantic Period. Blake, Wordsworth, Coleridge, Byron, Shelley and Keats.
- Volume E: The Victorian Age. Tennyson, the Brownings, Dickens, the Brontes and Hardy.
- Volume F: The Twentieth and Twenty-First Centuries. Yeats, Joyce, Woolf, Eliot and later writers.
Volumes A to C are sold together as Package 1. Volumes D to F form Package 2. That matches the usual two-semester survey course.
Full, Shorter and Major Authors editions
- The full edition (six volumes). The most complete selection. This is what most two-semester courses use.
- The Shorter edition. A trimmed selection in fewer volumes, for one-semester courses.
- The Major Authors edition. Focuses on a smaller group of central writers, with more space for each.
For a general reader, the Major Authors edition is often the best single buy. It keeps the famous writers and drops many minor ones.
Why it's excerpts rather than complete works
Covering more than a thousand years in six volumes means hard choices. The anthology prints complete poems, plays and short works. But it can only fit parts of long novels and long poems. That works for a survey course.
For reading novels, you'll want a full edition alongside it. Our British literature guide suggests which novels to read in full.
Who the anthology suits
Students in a survey course are the main audience. The anthology is built to work with a teacher. Readers studying on their own can still get a lot from it, especially for poetry.
The period introductions are clear. The footnotes explain old words and references on the same page. Readers who mainly want novels will be happier with single annotated editions.
Buying an older edition of the Norton Anthology of English Literature
Most of the texts don't change between editions. So a used older edition is a smart budget choice for self-study. The main differences are newer selections, updated introductions and page numbers.
If a course requires a specific edition, buy that one. Mismatched page numbers make assigned readings hard to find. Check the volume letters on any listing. Sellers often sell a single volume under the general series title.
Verdict
The Norton Anthology of English Literature is a well-edited course textbook. It's sold as six volumes, two packages, a Shorter edition or a Major Authors edition. Buy the exact edition a course asks for. For self-study, a used Major Authors edition plus full copies of the novels you want is the best value.
Questions people also ask
How many volumes does the Norton Anthology of English Literature have?
The full edition has six volumes. They run A to F, one per period, from the Middle Ages to today. Norton also sells them as two packages: A to C, and D to F. You can also buy a Shorter edition or a Major Authors edition. Both use fewer, thicker books.
Which edition is current?
The eleventh edition is current. Stephen Greenblatt is the general editor. The tenth edition came out in 2018. Course reading lists usually name the exact edition and volume letters.
Can I read the Norton Anthology without taking a class?
Yes. It's a good guided tour of poetry and short works. The period introductions and footnotes are clear. It's a poor way to read novels, since it can only excerpt them. Pair it with full editions of the novels you want.
Is an older edition good enough?
For self-study, yes. The poems and plays don't change. A used ninth or tenth edition costs far less. For a course, check first. Page numbers and some selections change between editions.