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kimswhims's review against another edition
5.0
A brilliant biography of 5 interesting and outstandingly intelligent women, writers and academics, who lived in this square near Oxford before it was bombed during WW2.
Highly recommended.
Highly recommended.
serena_hien's review against another edition
challenging
informative
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Infidelity, Mental illness, Misogyny, Toxic relationship, and Pregnancy
Minor: Suicide
jeo224's review against another edition
5.0
This was a glorious exploration of five women writers and thinkers. I loved it - and - this is also an era that I enjoy reading about. That said, I had read much of Woolf, but though familiar with two others (and not at all with the other two - although while reading was reminded of places when I had heard of them in Woolf's diaries), this book was filled with discoveries and has inspired some future reading projects, as well as a wistful longing to spens all my days reading, writing and researching. That will not happen, but I think most folk who love writing and ideas will find this of interest. The beginning also has great information about the architecture and planning of the squares which was inspiring as well.
schopflin's review against another edition
hopeful
informative
reflective
medium-paced
4.5
I really enjoyed this - I knew nothing of the lives of HD, Harrison and Power and loved reading about them and Sayers. I felt the Woolf chapter went on a bit but, as the author says, she is the subject with the most documentation. This is a very intelligent book and well worth reading.
jennybeastie's review
4.0
To be honest, it took me a while to get into this -- the introduction is far longer than it needs to be, and feels more like an apology or a synopsis entry to a dissertation.
Once the biographies started, I was drawn in more and more. I was particularly fascinated to learn about Hilda Doolittle/HD, Ilene Power and Jane Harrison, as I had never heard of any of them before. I loved learning more about Dorothy Sayers (even though I could wish she loved Wimsey more), and I think the Virginia Woolf section was wonderfully focused on her work -- I like how much it talked about what she was doing and how she was dealing with her mental health, rather than writing her struggles off. On the whole, I thought the premise was a little wacky -- connecting via a space, but the interconnections really are astonishing, and I found the strength of the subjects inspiring.
Audio Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Libro.fm.
Once the biographies started, I was drawn in more and more. I was particularly fascinated to learn about Hilda Doolittle/HD, Ilene Power and Jane Harrison, as I had never heard of any of them before. I loved learning more about Dorothy Sayers (even though I could wish she loved Wimsey more), and I think the Virginia Woolf section was wonderfully focused on her work -- I like how much it talked about what she was doing and how she was dealing with her mental health, rather than writing her struggles off. On the whole, I thought the premise was a little wacky -- connecting via a space, but the interconnections really are astonishing, and I found the strength of the subjects inspiring.
Audio Advanced Reader's Copy Provided by Libro.fm.