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leonormsousa's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
TRIGGER WARNINGS
classism, misogyny, sexism
REVIEW
I was expecting to love this book but the truth is: I’m not sure I have what it takes to be a Virginia Woolf reader… After my failed attempt at reading The Waves (20 pages in and I decided to leave it for the future), I went with A Room of One’s Own because 1. it’s non-fiction so I guessed the writing would be more straightforward and 2. so many people have been recommending it to me. In the end, although I really did enjoy the book, I can’t help but feel that I’m missing skills to fully grasp and appreciate it (and that’s the reason why I settled on not attributing a rating to this read). While I delighted myself in the more “direct” parts of the book, where she indeed explained the presence of women in literature, I admit I felt a bit bored when reading about her walks, and her meals. I kept feeling like they were there for a reason (which I understood more or less in the end) but I honestly didn’t see a point in them being so long and descriptive. I will give her that her writing was quite beautiful but that wasn’t enough to really grab me. In summary, reading A Room of One’s Own felt a bit like a rollercoaster: there were sections where I was glued to the page, learning about a topic that speaks so much to me, and then moments where I felt no interest at all in what I was reading. I will be giving this book another try, but I feel like I need to expand my skills as a reader before diving into Virginia Woolf again.
classism, misogyny, sexism
REVIEW
I was expecting to love this book but the truth is: I’m not sure I have what it takes to be a Virginia Woolf reader… After my failed attempt at reading The Waves (20 pages in and I decided to leave it for the future), I went with A Room of One’s Own because 1. it’s non-fiction so I guessed the writing would be more straightforward and 2. so many people have been recommending it to me. In the end, although I really did enjoy the book, I can’t help but feel that I’m missing skills to fully grasp and appreciate it (and that’s the reason why I settled on not attributing a rating to this read). While I delighted myself in the more “direct” parts of the book, where she indeed explained the presence of women in literature, I admit I felt a bit bored when reading about her walks, and her meals. I kept feeling like they were there for a reason (which I understood more or less in the end) but I honestly didn’t see a point in them being so long and descriptive. I will give her that her writing was quite beautiful but that wasn’t enough to really grab me. In summary, reading A Room of One’s Own felt a bit like a rollercoaster: there were sections where I was glued to the page, learning about a topic that speaks so much to me, and then moments where I felt no interest at all in what I was reading. I will be giving this book another try, but I feel like I need to expand my skills as a reader before diving into Virginia Woolf again.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Classism
tinyjude's review against another edition
informative
reflective
medium-paced
3.0
Some points were interesting and relevant even today, but others... were rather not it. It is very clear she is writing from a privileged and white position, so bear that in mind
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racism, and Classism
jenniferpalmblad's review against another edition
informative
inspiring
reflective
slow-paced
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Ableism, Homophobia, Misogyny, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexism, and Classism
amymcphrsn's review against another edition
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Racial slurs and Classism
marissasa's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-paced
3.0
Although nothing groundbreaking and nothing I haven't heard before, I do try to read and appreciate having read about feminism and the ways in which women have to navigate the patriarchal society that we have been confined to. This set of essays from Woolf gave me insight into what being a female author in the 1920s and earlier was like, surrounded by nothing but praise and acclaim for male writers like Shakespeare and Tolstoy whose works focused on typically masculine interests like war and sport, while women were not just looked down upon for pursuing literature but actively barred from entry into the field due to the lack of resources, education, money, and ability - hence the need for a room of one's own. It also gave me insight into the values of Woolf herself, and in her acknowledgment that the everyday lives of average women were largely unrecorded because they were not as relevant to the male writers of the time. From her enjoyment and recording of the small activities and things she sees as she goes about her day while thinking about what to say on women and fiction, to the idea that people's differences including their gender identities have great value because they contribute to the sum of human experiences in the world, I could see why she wrote Mrs. Dalloway and why she stresses the importance of being true to oneself more than anything else in both writing and in life.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny
Moderate: Classism