Jacob's Room (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) [Paperback]

Virginia Woolf (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 1, 1998 | ISBN-10: 0140185704 | ISBN-13: 978-0140185706

Jacob Flanders is a young man passing from adolescence to adulthood in a hazy rite of passage. From his boyhood on the windswept shores of Cornwall to his days as a student at Cambridge, his elusive, chameleon-like character is gradually revealed in a stream of loosely related incidents and impressions: whether through his mother's letters, his friend's conversations, or the thoughts of the women who adore him. Then we glimpse him as a young man, caught under the glare of a London streetlamp. It is 1914, he is twenty-six, and Europe is on the brink of war ! This tantalizing novel heralded Woolf's bold departure from the traditional methods of the novel, with its experimental play between time and reality, memory and desire.

Editorial Reviews

From Library Journal

Woolf's 1922 experimental novel here joins Dover's "Thrift" line of bargain classics. This is still a popular item in lit classes, so have a few extra copies on hand; this is the cheapest way to fill the demand.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Review

Impressionistic novel by Virginia Woolf, published in 1922. Experimental in form, it centers on the character of Jacob Flanders, a lonely young man unable to synthesize his love of classical culture with the chaotic reality of contemporary society, notably the turbulence of World War I. The novel is an examination of character development and the meaning of a life by means of a series of brief impressions and conversations, stream of consciousness, internal monologue, and Jacob's letters to his mother. In zealous pursuit of classicism, Jacob studies the ancients at Cambridge and travels to Greece. He either idealizes or ignores the women who admire him. At the end of the novel all that remains of Jacob's life are scattered objects in an abandoned room. (The Merriam-Webster Encyclopedia of Literature )

Woolf's 1922 experimental novel here joins Dover's "Thrift" line of bargain classics. This is still a popular item in lit classes, so have a few extra copies on hand; this is the cheapest way to fill the demand.
(Library Journal ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Reading level: Ages 18 and up
  
• Paperback: 192 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (February 1, 1998)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140185704
• ISBN-13: 978-0140185706
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5.1 x 0.6 inches
• Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.1 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (25 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #876,917 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882-1941) was one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century. An admired literary critic, she authored many essays, letters, journals, and short stories in addition to her groundbreaking novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

60 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Well Worth It, November 21, 2000

By 

M (USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jacob's Room (Dover Thrift Editions) (Paperback)

This is the first Virginia Woolf book I've read and I can see why she is ranked as a great writer. Her writing is very dense and the prose reads like poetry. She writes Jacob's Room in the stream of consciousness style, like Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man by James Joyce. The stream tends to meander all over the lot, so just go with the flow. The reader hears snippets of conversation and characters come and go. We learn about Jacob Flanders, but in little bits, here and there, the way you learn about people in real life. The reader never knows what's going on inside Jacob's head. You observe Jacob the way you would in real life: from the outside. Size him up for yourself.

The novel is set around World War I and Jacob Flanders (FLANDERS, as in Flanders' Field--World War I's killing field) is one of that Lost Generation. The novel is dark, questioning the futility of life, but the language is beautiful and the emotion is stabbingly true. Definitely read it, but have something more chipper around to read afterward, lest you brood too much.

24 of 24 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Woolf's first experimental novel, October 9, 2000

By 

Joy Kim - See all my reviews

This review is from: Jacob's Room (Paperback)

_Jacob's Room_ marks Virginia Woolf first truly experimental novel. It follows the elusive figure of Jacob Flanders, from his boyhood to college and finally off to the Great War.

It is a novel where plot and typical "defining" events are irrelevant. This is not a story about who dies, who lives, who loves, or who hates. This is a novel about interiority, about the effect Jacob has on those he meets. It is interesting to note that the character of Jacob Flanders was (in part) based upon Virginia Woolf's own brother, Thoby Stephen, who died quite young. While it is dangerous to overread the connection between Jacob and Thoby, it's highly probably that part of the novel's elegaic tone comes from it. Woolf's prose is typically lyrical, and she depends heavily upon interior monologue and stream-of-consciousness writing.

It's not an easy novel to read, especially Woolf novices, but I think fans of modern fiction will find the experience worthwhile. Better introductions to Woolf's works are _Mrs. Dalloway_ and _To the Lighthouse_.

19 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars 9, January 29, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Jacob's Room (Classic, 20th-Century, Penguin) (Paperback)

Virginia Woolf is one of my favorite authors and Jacob's Room is my second favortie Woolf book (The Waves being the first).

Jacob's Room is the highly impressionistic story of Jacob Flanders, a character based on Woolf's own brother. This is a coming-of-age story as we follow Jacob from the rocky coasts of Cornwall to the sun-drenched shores of Greece.

Anyone looking for a conventional story or plot won't find it here. Jacob's Room is Virginia Woolf during a highly experimental stage; a stage during which she was developing her pure stream-of-consciousness style.

Jacob's Room is for very "literary" readers. This is definitely not light and fluffy and it's definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea. Those who love good literature, however, will find Jacob's Room a pure poetic masterpiece of the highest order.