Leavis, F.R. (Frank Raymond), 1895-1978

Frank Raymond Leavis was a literary critic, educator, and author. He was born in Cambridge, educated at Cambridge University, and later taught there. He is chiefly remembered as an influential but controversial literary critic, who argued for the importance of literature, and approached criticism with standards of intelligence and morality. Many of his books grew from essays published in the journal Scrutiny, which he co-founded with his wife, critic Q.D. Leavis. His private life was often unsettled, and although he taught off and on at Cambridge for some thirty-seven years he was never made professor. His literary and critical theories have influenced a generation of writers.

From the description of Introduction, for MacDonald edition of Dombey & Son, 1964. (Pennsylvania State University Libraries). WorldCat record id: 60677984