Customer Reviews

A Room of One's Own (Annotated)

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Susan Gubar writes the excellent introduction to this lovely annotated version of Woolf's A Room of One's Own. Even those who have read this book before will enjoy reading a scholarly annotated edition--the notes and introduction provide valuable insight into Woolf's life and times, and the specific conditions against which she rebelled.

There is no mistaking Woolf's writing style: intricate, introspective, convoluted and then again portraying ideas and situations with brilliant clarity and insight. She ponders the plight of women during her time and through history. Her main question asks why women, despite even those with exceptional talents of intelligence and character, have been abused and dominated by men and relegated to roles as mothers and servants to the men around them. Why are there not great female financiers, writers, academics, etc.? Or why are there too few of them? She searches in many corners such as history books and makes deplorable discoveries: early teen marriages, beatings, restrictions of all sorts, and despicable opinions of women in general by academics and men in other stations. In one instance she compares the plight of Shakespeare and his sister, both equally talented, and you can imagine the results. Her musings are gripping and interesting and at the same time she paints the quality of her physical surroundings quite vividly. This is a favorite book.

Critics might agree or disagree with Virginia Woolf, based on the degree to which they perceive her as threatening or unstable.

Whether Woolf is portraying a feminist view or not in her "A Room of One's Own"; she is outstandingly candid and honest about the way she's perceiving life.

I agree with a few great points that Woolf raised for example:

1. As Woolf puts it in her own words: "intellectual freedom depends upon material things". No one who's financially dependent can have the freedom to explore any intellectual versions.

2-One of most Woolf's fascinating opinions is her view of the subjective nature of truth. When a subject is highly controversial, no one can actually tell the truth, but simply defend her or his opinion and how they arrived at their opinion. Each person's reality simply depends on the circumstances and experiences they encountered, therefore, no reality is absolutely objective.
In that way, Woolf insinuates that all the truth she presented in her book is questionable, just a very interesting way of dealing with any controversial matter.

I strongly disagree that these points or ideas apply only to females. I think, they apply to every human being, but because of Woolf's own experience as a female, I believe she had to apply them to only females.

This book is very short and it expresses brilliant logic that I have not seen for a while. Virginia Wolf writes her case about women and writing. What it takes to be a woman artist and remain one. She argues very carefully, that woman artist needs means (read: money) and a room of her own where she can express herself without any interruptions from the outside world. While many male counterparts of her times argue that women have no character and are inferior to men, Virginia asks question on how come that almost two tousand years ago, Greeks were writing literary work that described women like: Cleopatra, Medea, Clytemnestra and Electra? These powerful female images have no characted and power? Anyone who read classics knows it is far from that. Virgina also argues from the works of early British female writers such as: Lady Winchilsea, Margaret Newcastle and Aphra Behn, that finest poetry was created by a women of noble birth married into a noble families. These women were educated, cultured, most had no children and had very understanding and supportive husbands or were single. They were lonely creatures who produced valuable work. Women of lower birth and less education, such as Jane Austen and Bronte sisters, were talented, but they wrote about the world they new about: middle class that was all around them. They were social observers who wrote in the crowded living rooms about people that were part of their own world. In addition, they did not produce poems, they produced novels primarily. Virginia argues that only the most perceptive of women are capable of producing remarkable poetry. She also draws similarity that it was male writers from the upper classes that created masterpieces. The exception was Keats, who was poor but who also dies young - since writing is exhausting both physically and emotionally. But she also argues that the finest of male voices who dedicated their lives to writing has sort of sensitivity that is unique to women. So the true writer is never he or she, it is a mix of both sexes. This is one of the most powerful feminist books I have ever read and I admire Virginia Woolf for having a courage to create it and share it with the public.

I really didn't know much about Virginia Woolf until 2005, when I ended up living with a dear friend who taught at a local college. Like most folks, I knew Woolf was a writer of the early 1900s and I'd seen the movie "The Hours" and that was the sum total of my knowledge.

One day, my dear friend handed me this book and said, "You'll like this."

I was intimidated. After all, it's Virginia Woolf and only really smart people can read Woolf's writings. But I decided to read what I could and glaze over the rest. I ended up tucking myself into bed with this book every night and reading it again and again and again.

Yes, Woolf was a Victorian-era writer and the prose is thick and heavy-laden with Victorian verbosity, but her powerful writing style shines through the complicated sentences and nuanced lexicon.

My very favorite part in this essay, originally delivered to college students, was where she wrote,

"...moreover, it is all very well for you, who have got yourselves to college and enjoy sitting rooms of your own to say that genius should disregard such opinions; that genius should be above caring what is said of it. Unfortunately, it is precisely the men and women of genius who mind most what is said of them."

After reading that, I felt that Ms. Woolf had reached through the decades and touched my very soul. For so many years, I struggled and struggled and struggled to stop caring what people thought or said about me and that single statement uttered and recorded by this amazing woman changed my life forever.

Virginia Woolf in her best form - personal but not self-centred, concentrated and ready to fight for what she believes is right. This long essay gives her views on the position of women in literature but offers also an overview of their role through centuries - from the imaginary Shakespeare's sister to her contemporaries. A must read for all readers regardless of sex!

One of the most important books written in the last century! A life changer and a book every woman should own.

This book is an ideal gift for any young person, but particularly for girls entering puberty. It is a guide to gaining and keeping control of one's goals and self-respect. The topics covered include a right to privacy, a good education and a modest income sufficient to allow for independence and nurture creativity. The author's voice is that of a friend or mentor, never heavy-handed or pompous, but wise and straightforward. Woolf never talks down to you, the reader; her writing is elegant and she assumes you care to be a woman of substance, not a drone.

Familiar with Virginia Woolf only from reputation, I picked up a copy of this book at an antique store. It sat on my nightstand for over a year before I opened the very short essay. Written almost 100 years ago, I related so well to her words, it's one of the few books I know I'll read again, and again. I've actually underlined sections - something I never do! Great for female writers and those who love them.

I think the title sums it up. I liked the book, but it could have ended sooner. The point was made one too many times.