The Book of Margery Kempe: A Norton Critical Edition by Margery Kempe (Author), Lynn Staley (Editor)

ISBN: 9780393976397

Publisher ‏ : ‎ W. W. Norton & Company, November 10, 2000

Paperback, 328 pages

The text presented here remains as faithful to the original Middle English as possible, without sounding archaic.

Kempe's work is accompanied by an introduction, a map of medieval England, a Kempe lexicon, and explanatory annotations.

"Contexts" collects primary readings that illuminate The Book of Margery Kempe.  Included are excerpts from The Constitutions of Thomas Arundel, Meditations on the Life of Christ, The Shewings of Julian of Norwich, The Book of Saint Bride, and The Life of Marie d'Oignies by Jacques de Vitry.

"Criticism" includes nine varied interpretations of the autobiography, written by Clarissa W. Atkinson, Lynn Staley, Karma Lochrie, David Aers, Kathleen Ashley, Gail McMurray Gibson, Sarah Beckwith, Caroline Walker Bynum, and Nicholas Watson.