The first volume of Virginia Woolf’s The Common Reader is an engaging collection of literary essays addressing those who read for pleasure, rather than for academic purposes, as she reflects on literature, culture, and the art of reading.
Through these essays, Woolf explores the works of both well-known and obscure writers, from the classical genius of Homer and the nuanced wit of Jane Austen to the emotional depth of Russian novelists like Tolstoy and Dostoevsky. She also discusses the lives and minds of Samuel Johnson, George Eliot, and Michel de Montaigne, among others, revealing her keen appreciation for their contributions to literature.
Essays Include:
- The Common Reader
- The Pastons and Chaucer
- Montaigne
- Defoe
- Jane Austen
- ‘Jane Eyre’ and ‘Wuthering Heights’
- George Eliot
- The Russian Point of View
First published in 1925, The Common Reader is as much an exploration of Woolf’s own thoughts and experiences as it is a critique of the works she discusses, blending scholarly insight with personal reflection in a way that is both engaging and accessible.
About the author
Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) was an English writer, born in South Kensington, London. Known for her feminist writings and pioneering work with the narrative style of stream of consciousness, Woolf is widely considered to be one of the most influential modernist writers of the 20th century. Some of her most famous works include Mrs. Dalloway, 1925, To the Lighthouse, 1927, and A Room of One’s Own, 1929.
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