This Second Norton Critical Edition of one of Henry James's most important novels is that of the New York Edition (1908). In a sense, there are two distinctly     separate Portraits--the 1880-81 first edition and the New York edition, which James extensively revised. The editor has meticu-lously prepared a list of textual variants, enabling comparative reading of the novel. Nina Baym, F. O. Matthiessen, and An-thony ]. Mazzella provide differing perspectives on ]ames's revi-sion process.     "Henry James and the Novel" culls autobiographical excerpts from James's other writings--his Notebooks; the intentionally autobiographical A Small Boy and Others and Notes of a Son and Brother; and the travel books Italy Revised, A Roman Holiday, and Roman Rides.     "Ccmtemporary Reviews and Criticism" provides both chrono-logical and critical perspective on The Portrait of a Lady. Four re-views from 1882 outline the novel's initial critical reception.Seven important essays from the period 1954-91 provide varied critical responses by Dorothy Van Ghent, William H. Gass, Lau-rence B. Holland, Charles Feidelson, Louis Auchincloss,William Veeder, and Millicent Bell.     "Biographical Aids" includes judiciously chosen secondary works on James from the wealth of material published yearly.