The Great Tradition

The Great Tradition is a significant work of literary criticism by F.R. Leavis, published in 1948. In this book, Leavis reassessed English fiction, identifying Jane Austen, George Eliot, Henry James, and Joseph Conrad as the preeminent novelists of the past. He argued that these authors exemplified a "reverent openness before life" in their work. D.H. Lawrence was presented as their sole successor. Leavis, a prominent figure among the Cambridge critics, emphasized seriousness and moral depth in literature, believing that literary criticism should be intertwined with a broader critique of life. His quarterly journal, Scrutiny, co-founded with his wife Q.D. Leavis, was instrumental in establishing rigorous critical standards.12