Join a book club that is reading A Room of One's Own (The Virginia Woolf Library)!
A Room of One's Own (The Virginia Woolf Library)
In this classic essay, Virginia Woolf takes on the establishment, using her gift of language to dissect the world around her and give voice to those who are without. Her message is a simple one: women must have a steady income and a room of their own in order to have the freedom to create.
BUY THE BOOK
Community Reviews
As I am pretty much interested in gender studies, especially feminism(sociology and politics)It may seem like it doesn't contain many contemporary take-ups on feminism, especially in the field of creating art but by no means it is irrelevant in this day and age. I was mesmerized by the 2nd chapter, some specific concepts she presented here which I am very much fond of would be -
1. Refuting why any 'Women' couldn't have written plays like William Shakespeare in that age
2. Why any intellectual creation should be sexless/androgynous "man-womanly," or "woman-manly,"
3. Exploration of critics calling Austen, Gaskell, and Bronte sisters' works 'Shallow', 'carnal', 'mundane'(reminds me of VS Naipaul saying no woman has written anything so far that has suppressed his level of genius. Narcissistic much eh??)
1. Refuting why any 'Women' couldn't have written plays like William Shakespeare in that age
2. Why any intellectual creation should be sexless/androgynous "man-womanly," or "woman-manly,"
3. Exploration of critics calling Austen, Gaskell, and Bronte sisters' works 'Shallow', 'carnal', 'mundane'(reminds me of VS Naipaul saying no woman has written anything so far that has suppressed his level of genius. Narcissistic much eh??)
As an English Major, Virginia Woolf was required readings throughout the 4-year Bachelor degree program. However, I quickly fell in love with all things written by Woolf. Her writing is thoughtful, engaging, while being extremely disruptive. Whoever loves thoughtful literature this is an author for you!
Despite Woolf's typical writings, this novel demonstrates the creative process of evoking many thoughts of deep reflection, troubling thoughts that may disappear as quickly as they appear.
This is a brilliant essay about writing and feminism, and it made me feel like cheering on Woolf. That said, I struggled with the fictional elements inside of the nonfictional essay.
Favorite quotes:
“Possibly when the professor insisted a little too emphatically upon the inferiority of women, he was concerned not with their inferiority, but with his own superiority. That was what he was protecting rather hot-headedly and with too much emphasis, because it was a jewel to him of the rarest price.”
“They start the day confident, braced, believing themselves desired at Miss Smith's tea party; they say to themselves as they go into the room, I am the superior of half the people here, and it is thus that they speak with that self-confidence, that self-assurance, which have had such profound consequences in public life and lead to such curious notes in the margin of the private mind.”
“The history of men's opposition to women's emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself.”
Favorite quotes:
“Possibly when the professor insisted a little too emphatically upon the inferiority of women, he was concerned not with their inferiority, but with his own superiority. That was what he was protecting rather hot-headedly and with too much emphasis, because it was a jewel to him of the rarest price.”
“They start the day confident, braced, believing themselves desired at Miss Smith's tea party; they say to themselves as they go into the room, I am the superior of half the people here, and it is thus that they speak with that self-confidence, that self-assurance, which have had such profound consequences in public life and lead to such curious notes in the margin of the private mind.”
“The history of men's opposition to women's emancipation is more interesting perhaps than the story of that emancipation itself.”
See why thousands of readers are using Bookclubs to stay connected.