A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf
|
List Price: Our Price: $2.71 You Save: $10.29 (79%) Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days Buy Used: from $0.01 (click here) Category: Book See more book details and other editions |
|---|
Book Reviews of A Room of One's Own
Book Review: What Every Woman Writer Needs....
Summary: 4 Stars
This essay taken from a lecture that Virginia Woolf gave to students in England during 1928 is an essential reading for writers and feminists alike.
During the 1920's women writing literature were still struggling for a voice without prejudice. Virginia Woolf emerged as one of the first feminist voices ready to speak out against the silenced history of women writers and historians. In this book she argues that any woman serious about writing must have 500 pounds per year and a room of her own in which to capture a few moments of silence and restore her voice back to power without the pull of all her "womanly" responsibilities. Woolf seems to believe that one of the only true literary voices, one that wrote without anger, fear, or prejudice was Shakespeare and that his works have lasted because of the extension of this idea. Woolf discusses Brönte and leans towards a woman writing with anger the seeps forth in her words and of Austen she expresses appreciation for what she must have endured in order to publish her works in a male dominated industry. Woolf clearly criticizes writer's that allow their gripes to appear in their works rather than their true talents. She appears hopeful that the future holds another Shakespeare and that inevitably it will be a woman who writes so extraordinarily this time around.
Woolf shows herself to be one of the first true feminists our society had during her lifetime. She unabashedly criticizes a society dominated and silenced by men who felt it their duty to protect women from their own fear. Her critique of professors who openly claim women to be inferior is turned towards them as men concerned instead with being superior. She insists that the enlargement of men like Napoleon and Mussolini as well as the many wars society has experienced is purely because the light that is contained within women has been allowed to be dimmed by male domination. Woolf is saddened and disgusted by the fact that history and literature represented women so poorly in the past refusing to offer a woman as being anything more than a lover to a greater man. She also indicates that the suffrage movement probably contributed towards males feeling challenged by something far inferior to their inflated superiority. Her words are quite strong for a woman of her era but also fairly futuristic in thought.
Woolf writes of many intelligent guidelines for any writer in this book. She offers a suggestion that one should write with an androgynous mind allowing both the softness of the feminine and the power of the masculine to come forth in words. A writer must not fear another's opinion but instead believe so forcefully in one's words that criticism cannot cause dishonesty of talent. And of course she is resolute in the fact that a writer needs a room of one's own to come to his or her center and in order to bring forth greatness without prejudice.
Book Review: Virginia Woolf: an advocate and speaker for women
Summary: 4 Stars
A Room of One¡¦s Own is an essay, which is ¡§based upon two papers read to the Arts Society at Newnham and the Odtaa at Girton¡¨ in 1928.Virginia Woolf, an advocate and speaker for women, gives a really good and important lesson to females. She challenges the norm and tradition of the patriarchal society. By questioning the phenomenon of the society, Woolf clearly points out the insufficient opportunities for women and the deprivation of talented women in different ways, especially in education and work. For the essay, Woolf invents Shakespeare¡¦s sister, Judith, and tells us the life of Judith. She shows us that society overlooks the talent of women; thus, a lot of intelligent women are not recognized in the world. She urge people to open their eyes, take a serious look at women and praise them for their talents. The other important message that Woolf brings to women is about freedom and the ways to strive for it. Adequate income and a room of one¡¦s own are the two essential factors for a woman to earn freedom. These basics can free women from getting nothing but children. Women can have more choices besides staying at home and doing housework; life will be different if one has her own space. I think Woolf¡¦s Essay is indeed a timeless lecture for every woman. As a woman, I think we should use our knowledge to strike for freedom and opportunities for ourselves and our next generations, just like Virginia Woolf challenges the norm and system of the society.
Book Review: Women and literature
Summary: 4 Stars
Her argument goes: "Intellectual freedom depends upon material things." The intellectual freedom of writing books, good books, depends on a person's ability to acquire income and to have their own space, undisturbed and unashamed. Virginia Woolf suggests that she is an amateur in this matter, and, due to her lack of formal education, finds it difficult to properly research the topic. However, she proves herself competent in making a coherent argument that is convincing, though her conclusions are no longer very surprising. It is difficult to argue against her, to say that women, who have had substantially lower incomes than men and have faced many stigmas and prejudices are not disadvantaged in producing works of literature or art or in making intellectual contributions.As I said, her argument is no longer new. Most people probably do not have to read this book in order to agree with her main thesis. But she does make a few interesting points about the role of women in literature and what the effects of increased freedom for women might be. For the method of the argument alone this book has value: "...one cannot hope to tell the truth. One can only show how one came to hold whatever opinion one does hold." She does not ask you to agree, but only to understand why she thinks what she does.
Book Review: Insightful but Out of Date
Summary: 4 Stars
When I read this book the first time I was enthralled. We really take for granted the position our mothers and grandmothers worked so hard to ensure for us. I forget how close in time we are to when women couldn't vote or attend male universities. Virginia Woolf was provided a room of her own to be able to create the work that has become so influential in twentieth century writing. In an ideal world everyone would be allowed to artistically express themselves without having to be in the "real world." I know that since I graduated from college and have been working 40-50 hour work weeks, I am less inclined to read or write. I don't feel like I can let that be my excuse, though, just because it would be easier to write if I could spend all my time doing it. The request that women have money and a room seems very upper-middle-class and out of touch with the way life was even in Woolf's time.
In spite of those criticisms, I am so glad I read this book. It made me feel empowered as a woman and a writer. This is a must read for anyone trying to understand the history of feminism.
Book Review: A feminist classic
Summary: 4 Stars
Woolf's "A Room of One's Own", a collection of papers Woolf delivered for the literary societies of Girton and Newnham in 1928, stands as an all-time classic of the feminist movement.The thesis of the essays consists of the simple statement that womens' literature would be on par with that of men, if women had had the same levels of income, privacy, and experience as their counterparts. Woolf's main illustration of this principle was a hypothetical sister to Shakespeare, who, even with the same talents as her brother, would have never had the chances to display her talents to the world.
This book is actually rather apolitical, dealing directly with the arts. It is very positive, and is not accusitory towards men. It is straightforward and brief, and brings its point across quickly. For its time, it was an excellent and radical short work, but over the last 70 years it has lost some of its relevance to the modern reader, as its thesis has gradually been proven true.