A Room of One's Own

by Virginia Woolf (Author)

143 customer reviews

ISBN-13: 978-1614272779

ISBN-10: 1614272778

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2012 Reprint of Original 1929 Edition. Exact facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. "A Room of One's Own" is an extended essay by Virginia Woolf. First published in 1929, the essay was based on a series of lectures she delivered at Newnham College and Girton College, two women's colleges at Cambridge University in October 1928. While this extended essay in fact employs a fictional narrator and narrative to explore women both as writers of and characters in fiction, the manuscript for the delivery of the series of lectures, titled "Women and Fiction", and hence the essay, are considered non-fiction. The essay is generally seen as a feminist text, and is noted in its argument for both a literal and figural space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by patriarchy.

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Product Details

Paperback: 114 pages
Publisher: Martino Fine Books (April 4, 2012)
Language: English
ISBN-10: 1614272778
ISBN-13: 978-1614272779
Product Dimensions: 6 x 0.3 x 9 inches
Shipping Weight: 6.4 ounces
Average Customer Review: 4.3 out of 5 stars See all reviews (143 customer reviews)
Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #172,187 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- #89 in Books > Literature & Fiction > History & Criticism > Women Authors
- #108 in Books > Politics & Social Sciences > Women's Studies > Women Writers
- #227 in Books > Textbooks > Social Sciences > Gender Studies

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Customer Reviews

143

4.3 out of 5 stars

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166 of 170 people found the following review helpful

An Extraordinary Essay on Women and Fiction

By A Customer on November 8, 2000

Format: Paperback

In 1928, Virginia Woolf was asked to speak on the topic of "women and fiction". The result, based upon two papers she delivered to literary societies at Newnham and Girton in October of that year, was "A Room of One's Own", an extended essay on women as both writers of fiction and as characters in fiction. And, while Woolf suggests that, "when a subject is highly controversial-and any question about sex is that-one cannot hope to tell the truth," her essay is, in fact, an extraordinarily even-handed, thoughtful and perceptive reflection on the topic.
Woolf begins with a simple and enigmatic opinion: "A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction; and that, as you will see, leaves the great problem of the true nature of woman and the true nature of fiction unresolved." From this spare beginning, Woolf deftly explores the difference between how women had been portrayed in fiction, and how they actually lived in the world, during the preceding centuries. "A very queer, composite being emerges. Imaginatively, she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant. She pervades poetry from cover to cover; she is all but absent from history. She dominates the lives of kings and conquerors in fiction; in fact she was a slave of any boy whose parents forced a ring upon her finger."
The source of dissonance between how women were portrayed in fiction, and how they actually lived, was the fact that most fiction prior to the nineteenth century was written by men. As Woolf astutely points out, "[i]t was strange to think that all the great women of fiction were, until Jane Austen's day, not only seen by the other sex, but seen only in relation to the other sex.Read more ›

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83 of 83 people found the following review helpful

Accessible Woolf!

By Peggy Vincent on June 5, 2003

Format: Paperback

Some of Virginia Woolf's writing is difficult for the modern reader to plough through - loooong sentences, convoluted construction, excessive naval gazing (in fictional form). But A Room of One's Own, a very long essay about feminism, independence, writing, and becoming one's own person, is actually quite readable, quite educational, and quite wonderful. The reader, at least this one, feels she's in the presence of a great mind at work as it ruminates on and on about these topics in a somewhat rambling but engaging personal reflection. Although written in 1929, the situation for women artists hasn't changed all that much, so it's far from dated.
A must-read.

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76 of 83 people found the following review helpful

This is a requirement for any modern, intellectual woman.

By A Customer on October 11, 1998

Format: Paperback

In "A Room of One's Own," Virginia Woolf says that in order for a woman to write fiction, she must have money and a room of her own; I believe that to be, or to understand, an intellectual woman in this century, one must read this book. Unlike a sad number of feminist writers, Woolf does not make the mistake of tearing down the accomplishments of men in order to make room for those of women. Indeed, she speaks eloquently against just that danger throughout "A Room of One's Own," which is partly what allows it to stand not only as a feminist classic, but also as a classic piece of both literature and literary criticism. It is not often that an essay reaches creative heights great enough to establish itself equally as a work of art and an intellectual effort, but Woolf has done it here. She does not waste her words or her energy on destructive, angry prattling. She writes with a depth of humanity that challenges us to be better writers, better thinkers, and better people.

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32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

Witty and Intelligent Argument on Behalf of Female Writers

By "neeterskeeter27" on June 7, 2001

Format: Paperback

Virginia Woolf is a writer of intelligence and grace. A Room of One's Own is a skinny little treasure of a book with words and wisdom that will stay with the reader long after it is read. The essay contained in the book is the result of two papers that Ms. Woolf read to the Arts Society at newnham and Odtaa at Girton (England) in October of 1928. She was asked to speak about the topic of "Women and Fiction", and after doing so, she expanded her papers and later published them as this book.
Woolf begins the essay by writing, "I soon saw that [the subject of women and fiction] had one fatal drawback. I should never be able to come to a conclusion. I should never be able to fulfil what is, I understand, the first duty of a lecturer- to hand you after an hour's discourse a nugget of pure truth to wrap up between the pages of your notebooks and keep on the mantelpiece for ever. All I could do was to offer you an opinion upon one minor point- a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction... At any rate, when a subject is highly controversial- and any question about sex is that- one cannot hope to tell the truth. One can only show how one came to hold whatever opionion one does hold. One can only give one's audience the chance of drawing their own conslusions as they observe the limitations, the prejudices, the idiosyncrasies of the speaker."
It is in this straightforward and honest manner that Woolf writes about women and fiction. Although the speech was given and the book was published in 1929, all of its points are still important for women- and especially women writers and artists- today.Read more ›

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They told me it came with the audible version but ...

They told me it came with the audible version but really you have to by the audible version separately. It was such a rip off.

Published 3 days ago by L. Luszczak

Excellent essay. I am grateful to my friend who ...

Excellent essay. I am grateful to my friend who recommended it because of the writing, even if many of the issues (like the desirability of education for women) are now settled. Read more

Published 10 days ago by Craig Miller

Absolutely loved this. It was a difficult read at times ...

Absolutely loved this. It was a difficult read at times because I wasn't used to her style, but the message was wonderful. Every woman needs 500 a year and a room of her own!

Published 12 days ago by JaneR

Classic

A classic...the mind of Virginia Woolf sees her world and its attitude toward women for the farce that it was. Read more

Published 15 days ago by Gina Marcucci

Five Stars

Virginia Woolf is by far the craftiest of writers ever, and the annotation is comparably superb.

Published 1 month ago by Luar

Read it again

So much of this seems simply stated but is clear headed consideration of the complex.. It's a pleasure to read again. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Kindle Customer

Great book to further understanding of early feminism

Thought-provoking and providing a profound narrative of the unfairly inferior status of women at the turn of the century. Read more

Published 1 month ago by Eugene

Five Stars

Excellent Seller, Great item, love it.

Published 3 months ago by John

Very important content but not a light read.

Shouldn't be the first Woolf you read. I didn't take to this essay, it was a awkward read. Not that it was not well written, just presented in a manner that you need to pay a lot... Read more

Published 3 months ago by Ann M.

Two Stars

It was ok

Published 3 months ago by abcde