nine of james's most important tales, including (new to the second edition) "in the cage," a tale that engages james's complicated attitudes toward gender, class, and the rise of information technology. "the author on his craft" again reprints james's critical essay "the art of fiction" and related passages from his notebooks, including a new passage on "in the cage." "criticism" has been entirely updated and includes ten new essays by critics who during the last twenty-five years have helped to establish the lines of debate about james's tales. 　　 about the series: no other series of classic texts equals the caliber of the norton critical editions. each volume combines the most authoritative text available with the comprehensive pedagogical apparatus necessary to appreciate the work fully. careful editing, first-rate translation, and thorough explanatory annotations allow each text to meet the highest literary standards while remaining accessible to students. each edition is printed on acid-free paper and every text in the series remains in print. norton critical editions are the choice for excellence in scholarship for students at more than 2,000 universities worldwide. 　　 about the author:christof wegelin is professor of english emeritus at the university of oregon. he is the author of the idea of europe in henry james and of articles on hawthorne, hemingway, and wharton, among others. henry b. wonham is associate professor of english at the university of oregon. he is the author of mark twain and the art of the tale and charles w. chesnutt, a study of the short fiction and editor of criticism and the color line.