This Norton Critical Edition includes:
- The first edition text of the novel (dated 1818, but likely issued in late 1817), accompanied by Rae Greiner's revised and expanded explanatory footnotes.
- The two canceled chapters that compose the original ending of Persuasion.
- A rich selection of background material--all but one item new to the Third Edition--centering on the British navy, slavery, and colonialism as well as Persuasion's initial reception.
- Fourteen critical essays--all new to the Third Edition--centering on the novel's major themes.
- A chronology of Austen's life and work and a selected bibliography.