The Literary Criticism of F. R. Leavis

A comprehensive analysis and assessment of the many strands of Leavis's work, emphasising the basic unity of his ideas.

R. P. Bilan (Author)

9780521129244, Cambridge University Press

Paperback, published 4 February 2010

348 pages
21.6 x 14 x 2 cm, 0.44 kg

This book is an attempt at a comprehensive analysis and assessment of the many strands of Leavis's work, emphasising the basic unity of his ideas. The literary criticism needs to be understood in the context of his wider social concerns, and so this study begins with a discussion of his views on society and culture, explaining his critique of modern civilisation and the importance he attributed to the values of the cultural tradition and to the educated public who are the effective embodiment of those values. From here, Professor Bilan moves on to consider the basic ideas informing Leavis's criticism of both poetry and the novel. Attention is drawn to the kind of criteria that Leavis employed in his writings and, in particular, to the sense in which they can be described as 'moral'. Professor Bilan shows that Leavis's preoccupations persisted and evolved, and that the principle underlying them is not, as if often thought to be the case, a moral one, but rather a religious one, which is clarified in the closing argument of the book.

Part I. Society, Culture and Criticism: Introduction
1. Leavis's view of society: the past and the present
2. Language, literature and continuity
3. The educated public
4. The idea of criticism
Part II. Leavis's Criticism of Poetry and the Novel: 5. From poetry criticism to novel criticism
6. The basic concepts of Leavis's novel criticism
7. Judgements and criteria
Part III. Leavis on Lawrence: 8. Leavis's early writings on Lawrence
9. 'D. H. Lawrence: novelist:' The Grounds of Praise I
10. 'D. H. Lawrence: novelist:' The Grounds of Praise II
11. 'D. H. Lawrence: novelist:' Leavis's evaluation of Lawrence
Part IV. The Later Leavis: 12. Leavis's revaluation of T. S. Eliot
13. The religious spirit
Notes
Bibliography
Index.

Subject Areas: Literature: history & criticism [DS]