- Paperback: 288 pages
- Publisher: OUP Oxford (13 Jan 2005)
- Language English
- ISBN-10: 0192802348
- ISBN-13: 978-0192802347
- Product Dimensions: 19.5 x 13 x 2 cm
- Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars See all reviews (4 customer reviews)
- Amazon Bestsellers Rank: 824,295 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
Virginia Woolf
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Review
this fine study...produces a fresh portrait of Woolf and her multi-faceted contributions to English letters. The book's presentation of modern British literary and cultural history makes it a rich resource for Woolf scholars and an illuminating introduction for students (Woolf Studies Annual, Volume 12 d )
Product Description
During Virginia Woolf's lifetime Britain's position in the world changed, and so did the outlook of its people. The Boer War and the First World War forced politicians and citizens alike to ask how far the power of the state extended into the lives of individuals; the rise of fascism provided one menacing answer. Woolf's experiments in fiction, and her unique position in the publishing world, allowed her to address such intersections of the public and the private. Michael H. Whitworth shows how ideas and images from contemporary novelists, philosophers, theorists, and scientists fuelled her writing, and how critics, film-makers, and novelists have reinterpreted her work for later generations. The book includes a chronology of Virginia Woolf's life and times, suggestions for further reading, websites, illustrations, and a comprehensive index.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
24 of 26 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
With a number of abortive attempts to complete either Mrs Dalloway (1925) or To The Lighthouse (1927) already behind me, it was with some trepidation that I embarked upon the study of Virginia Woolf for my English Literature (1900-1950) paper. Friends raved about her rejection of the traditional narrative form along with her poetic, impressionistic depictions of life. But I yearned for a more traditional narrative structure, or, in short, something that might be labelled "plot".
Failure of this paper looked imminent and inevitable, until a friend recommended this excellent book. Written in a concise, lucid, and highly engaging style, the author provides lively and interesting biographical information, as well as rigorously examining the historical and cultural contexts to Woolf's work. The book also contains a final chapter on the adaptation of Woolf's novels on film and stage, which I found especially helpful in thinking about the interpretation of Woolf's work today.
The author has succeeded admirably in condensing all the key information into just over two hundred pages, making it more than possible for students and interested parties to read the entire book. For those who are more time pressed, or who just need to locate information swiftly for an essay, the author structures the book so as to render it easy to locate relevant information: for example, there are clearly written and well-researched chapters focusing specifically on the literary scene, scientific contexts, and philosophical contexts. I also found the author's chronology of Virginia Woolf (laid out to set events from her life alongside the key historical and cultural background) extremely helpful: this encouraged me to look beyond the confines of individual novels and to obtain a richer picture of Woolf's world.
The book is written at such a level and in such a style that it will more than satisfy both those (like me) whose understanding of Woolf's aims were previously only very superficial (possibly even before embarking on reading her novels) as well as those who are already highly familiar with Woolf and her work, but who are seeking further detail and thought-provoking analysis from a highly-respected critic in this field.
This book captured my interest in Woolf, and convinced me that it was worth struggling with her work. I've now grown not just to appreciate the subtlety and richness of her novels but also to love her work - amazingly, I've also been inspired to read more of it for pleasure!
12 of 13 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
This book is an ideal way to step into the world of Virginia Woolf. Like many people, I became interested in her works after seeing "The Hours" and read "Mrs Dalloway." I found the novel stimulating and enjoyable but I realised that there was much that I was missing. I then read "The Hours" and the links are fairly obvious but I was interested in knowing more and trying to reach the depths of Woolf's work.
Well, this is the book that did that for me. It gives a detailed background for the Britain that Woolf was brought up in, her family history, the social, philosophical and scientific context that influenced her work.
It laid open many of Woolf's techniques, helped me understand that she was more than just a suicide, made me think about the different personas that we have, how time affects our lives.
I am now encouraged to read more Woolf with the impression that I will understand more, that I will be able to put words to those strange feelings that I have when reading a good novel.
There are many references to Woolf's different novels, taken thematically which help understand specific points. The book is not a complete critique of Woolf's life and work but is not meant to be. It is alos much more accessible than his previous work "Einstein's Wake".
I may well use this book as a kind of companion as I read more Woolf, something to refer to in moments of confusion. The one question that troubles me slightly is would it be better to read all of Woolf before or after this book? I'm not sure, so I'm going to do both.Hey, I've even recommended it to my mother!
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
I bought this book as a starting point for my paper on Woolf. I'd enjoyed a couple of Woolf's novels already, but had read them pretty uncritically. This book provided me with a helpful overview of the sorts of things that influenced Woolf's writing - I would definitely recommend it to other students beginning to study or thinking about studying Woolf.
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