Ignatius Press has just launched a new series called the Ignatius Critical Editions. Just like the Norton Critical Editions (with which you may be more familiar), the Ignatius Critical Editions will take important classics and present them with annotations and critical essays — from a traditional (orthodox) Catholic perspective. This year, Ignatius Press will release Shakespeare’s King Lear, Mary Shelley’s Frankenstein, and Emily Brontë’s Wuthering Heights.

According to Ignatius Press,

The Ignatius Critical Editions represent a tradition-oriented alternative to popular textbook series such as the Norton Critical Editions or Oxford World Classics, and are designed to concentrate on traditional readings of the Classics of world literature. Whereas many modern critical editions have succumbed to the fads of modernism and post-modernism, this series will concentrate on tradition-oriented criticism of these great works. Edited by acclaimed literary biographer, Joseph Pearce, the Ignatius Critical Editions will ensure that traditional moral readings of the works are given prominence, instead of the feminist, or deconstructionist readings that often proliferate in other series of ‘critical editions’. As such, they represent a genuine extension of consumer-choice, enabling educators, students and lovers of good literature to buy editions of classic literary works without having to ‘buy into’ the ideologies of secular fundamentalism. The series is particularly aimed at tradition-minded literature professors offering them an alternative for their students. The initial list will have about 15-20 titles. The goal is to release three books a season, or six in a year.

I think this goal is quite laudable — not to mention necessary.

The series is edited by professor and accomplished author, Joseph Pearce, who was recently interviewed by the Ignatius Insight blog:

Ignatius Insight: How did the Ignatius Critical Editions [ICEs] come about?

Pearce: The idea for the Ignatius Critical Editions arose from the frustration I felt at the pernicious nonsense that is published as “criticism” in the standard critical editions of great works of literature. Specifically I was annoyed at the plethora of feminism, “queer theory” and “gender studies” that is seemingly omnipresent in mainstream editions. I resented ordering these editions as set texts for my students at Ave Maria University. Why should my students be affronted with this rubbish? Such were my thoughts and this was the genesis of the idea for the ICEs.

Ignatius Insight: What is the main purpose of the ICEs? What particular need or niche do the books fill?

Pearce: It seemed to me that what was needed was a new range of critical editions in which tradition-oriented criticism would take precedence over the fads and fashions of postmodernity. Such a series would offer a real choice to Christian and other non-secularist professors and students. Thankfully, Father Fessio and his colleagues at Ignatius Press shared this vision and gave me the go-ahead for the series. I would add, however, that I hope that Ignatius Press’s customers will also buy these editions. They are an excellent way of becoming introduced to the great works of Christian culture, enabling them to read the text of the work with the assistance of an introduction and a selection of critical essays on the work by leading academics.

Ignatius Insight: How are the books for ICE being chosen? What are some future titles?

Pearce: We aim to publish six titles a year in the hope that we can have ICEs for most of the “Great Books” of western civilization in twenty or thirty years. It’s an ambitious project! At present, the plan is to publish two Shakespeare plays and four other works each year. The first three titles, launched this spring, are King Lear, Frankenstein and Wuthering Heights. The next six are Hamlet, The Merchant of Venice, Pride and Prejudice, The Picture of Dorian Gray, The Scarlet Letter and Huckleberry Finn. Other titles planned in the near future include Macbeth, Measure for Measure, The Romantic Poets, The Canterbury Tales, A Tale of Two Cities, Robinson Crusoe, Beowulf, The Consolation of Philosophy, and The Metaphysical Poets.

Ignatius Insight: Are you writing all of the commentary/introductions, or are others involved? What sort of format is being used?

Pearce: I have written the introductions to four of the first six editions but we will be finding the most appropriate scholars to write the introductions. This project is much bigger than any one individual. For example, I am honored to have enlisted the talents of Mary Reichardt, editor of the two-volume Encyclopedia of Catholic Literature, as the editor of The Scarlet Letter and Huckleberry Finn, and I have enlisted the gifted and widely-published medievalist, David Williams, as the editor of The Canterbury Tales, The Consolation of Philosophy, and Beowulf. The format consists of an original introduction, the full newly-annotated text of the work, and a selection of new critical essays. Some editions will also include a selection of older “classic” criticism.

More about the Ignatius Critical editions can be found on the Ignatius Press web site.