The Common Reader - Second Series (1935) (eBook)

Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was an iconic English writer, a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device, and a central figure of the Bloomsbury Group. Woolf's work is characterized by its depth in exploring the inner lives of her characters, focusing on the psychological rather than external events. Born Adeline Virginia Stephen in London to a literary family, she began writing professionally in the early 20th century. Woolf's novels, such as 'Mrs. Dalloway' (1925), 'To the Lighthouse' (1927), and 'Orlando' (1928), have left an indelible mark on literary modernism. Her extended essay 'A Room of One's Own' (1929) remains a powerful feminist text, arguing for both literal and figurative space for women writers within a literary tradition dominated by men. 'The Common Reader - Second Series' (1935), a collection of essays, showcases Woolf's talents as a critic and highlights her interest in the lives and works of writers and the art of reading. Despite facing mental health challenges throughout her life, Woolf's contribution to literature and her explorations of class, sex, and empire in the context of her post-Victorian society have immortalized her as a key figure in the study of the modern novel.