"Northrop Frye's Anatomy of Criticism (1957) is widely regarded as a masterpiece of literary theory. The product of years of reading and reflection, the book's value extends far beyond its impact on criticism as a whole; ultimately, it can be viewed as a quintessential defence of liberal learning by one of the twentieth century's most distinguished critics. In this volume, editor Robert D. Denham presents the notebooks to the Anatomy, which can be considered almost as a set of blueprints for Frye's groundbreaking treatise." "Dating from the late 1940s to 1956, the notebooks document the struggle Frye underwent in developing a structure for his work. This process involved incorporating previously published essays and generating new material that would maintain the continuity of his argument. This fully annotated volume contains seventeen holograph notebooks, each illuminating some aspect of the grand structure that eventually emerged. Examined together, the notebooks offer an intimate picture of Frye's creative process and a renewed appreciation of his monumental contribution to literary scholarship."--Jacket.