"The Ignatius Critical Editions" (published by Ignatius Press) 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.

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'.

The series is particularly aimed at tradition-minded literature professors offering them as an alternative for their students. "Ignatius Critical Editions Study Guides" are constructed to aid the reader to achieve a level of critical and literary appreciation befitting the works themselves.

Ideally suited for students or as a guide for teachers, the study guides serve as a complement to the critical essays already included in each title.