Night and Day (Penguin Twentieth-Century Classics) [Paperback]

Virginia Woolf (Author), Julia Briggs (Editor, Contributor)

Book Description

ISBN-10: 0140185682 | ISBN-13: 978-0140185683 | Publication Date: January 1, 1996

Katharine Hilbery is beautiful and privileged but uncertain of her future. She must choose between becoming engaged to the oddly prosaic poet William, and her dangerous attraction to the lower-class Ralph. As she struggles to decide, the lives of two other women - women's rights activist Mary Datchet and Katharine's mother, struggling to weave together the documents, events and memories of her father's life into a biography - impinge on hers with unexpected and intriguing consequences. Virginia Woolf's light, delicate second novel is both a love story and a social comedy, yet it also subtly undermines these traditions, questioning a woman's role and the very nature of experience.

Editorial Reviews

Review

'Together these ten volumes make an attractive and reasonably priced (the volumes vary between L3.99 and L4.99) working edition of Virginia Woolf's best-known writing. One can only hope that their success will prompt World's Classics to add her other essays to the series in due course.' Elisabeth Jay, Westminster College, Oxford, Review of English Studies, Vol. XLV, No. 178, May '94 --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

From the Inside Flap

Woolf here portrays her elder sister Vanessa in the character of Katharine Hilbery - the gifted daughter of a distinguished literary family, trapped in an environment which will not allow her to express herself. Looking at the questions raised by love and marriage, Night and Day paints an unforgettable picture of the London intelligentsia before the First World War, with psychological insight, compassion and humour. --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 496 pages
• Publisher: Penguin Classics (January 1, 1996)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0140185682
• ISBN-13: 978-0140185683
• Product Dimensions: 7.7 x 5 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 12 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.6 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (100 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,413,087 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

55 of 61 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars One of the greatest books I've read, June 8, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night And Day (Harvest Book, Hb 263) (Paperback)

Woolf portrays the fascinations of self-discovery through relationships with other people, and she also looks into the intricacies of love--are we aware of love? What is the importance of love in a person's life? Does one need it to be happy? Taking a peek into the answers of these questions along with adding delightful humor that made me laugh out loud made this book terrific. The characters are interesting and you can choose for yourself whether or not you like them. I would definitely recommend this book--its many levels are enjoyable for all ages and both sexes!

46 of 51 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great book, December 23, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Night And Day (Harvest Book, Hb 263) (Paperback)

Virginia Woolf does such a wonderful job of revealing the many facets of an individual. In this book, she applies that task to couples in love. It is a marvel that she not only identifies the many nuances of a glance, a word, a movement, but that she also conveys them to the reader in a perfect sentence. This book, unlike some of her others, seems written to appeal to a broader audience. It is "easier" than some of her other fiction, but is by no means a bore for Woolf fans.

35 of 38 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Great writing, October 23, 2003

By A Customer

This review is from: Night And Day (Paperback)

As in the other Virginia Woolf books I have read, what strikes me first and foremost is the wonderful writing. The descriptions are phenomenal, starting with the surroundings and continuing with the character's facial expressions. Some of the passages are pure poetry and the characters are beautifully and consistently drawn out. Oddly, although we know that Katharine is beautiful, we do not get a description of her, or of any other person in the story, with the exception of William Rodney.

Woolf became a little heavy when it went into the minds of the characters who are in crises, but as one reaches the end of the book, all is forgiven.

An excellent read!