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A Room of One's Own
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
"But, you may say, we asked you to speak about women and fictionwhat has that got to do with a room of one's own? I will try to explain." So begins what is widely regarded as the foundation text of feminist literary criticism, Virginia Woolf's A Room of One's Own. Probably Woolf's most readable and entertaining book, it was based on papers delivered at Newnham and Girton Collegesthe two women's colleges at Cambridge University. Never losing sight of her undergraduate audience, Woolf provides a brief history of women's writing in English, a scathing account of the subtle and not so subtle ways in which women have been discouraged from writing, and a recommendation for how to change matters: "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction." In the process, Woolf takes on women's economic disadvantages, the underfunding of women's education, the discouragement of women from certain kinds of (lucrative) work, the ways in which women are socialized into suspicion of each other, and how women participate in their own systemic oppression. Yet, in spite of these weighty subjects, A Room of One's Own remains throughout funny, light-hearted, engaging for the novice reader while still offering "nuggets" to the worldy-wise. It is, above and beyond all else, a very model of essay writing. This Broadview edition provides a reliable text at a very reasonable price. It contains textual notes but no appendices or introduction.
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mjtwo
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

10-11 Mar 24 (audiobook)
A masterpiece. Woolf lectures to female undergraduates about female authors and surmises the very practical reasons there was no female Shakespeare. A surprisingly funny and entertaining look at women‘s place in literature and, by extension, society (via a very white English lens.)
Read by the amazing Tilda Swinton. I immediately ordered a hard copy of this (and some of Woolf‘s other texts) to re-read.
Highly recommend.

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IndoorDame
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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#12Booksof2023 My pick for May is this slim little nonfiction classic. I thought I knew what to expect with this one, so I‘d put off actually picking it up for far too many years, but it was so much more, and surprised me in the best way. Lines from it are still running through my mind, and like most of my top reads this year it‘s one I‘ll definitely reread. @Andrew65

Andrew65 Love it when a book has this effect. 3mo
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IndoorDame
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Eggs Perfect 👍🏼 😴 7mo
45 likes1 comment
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IndoorDame
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

Just suffused with powerful quotes I want to remember. Woolf clearly saw the systemic reasons there were so few women writers and artists throughout history, and what it would take to begin to change that.

Cathythoughts Lovely picture ❤️ 10mo
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IndoorDame
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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There‘s just so much of women‘s history that I don‘t know! Clearly I‘ll have to seek out this woman‘s work.

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IndoorDame
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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This is what happens as soon as they let the teachers loose from school. We spend all morning in bed in our pjs reading about how oppressive it is to be made to teach small children the alphabet.

Ruthiella 😂😂😂 10mo
Cuilin 😆 Enjoy, pj book mornings are the best. 10mo
dabbe Is there a sweet kitty under there? 💙🐾💚 Enjoy many other mornings just like this! 10mo
See All 8 Comments
IndoorDame @dabbe there is a Cedric hidden under there! And thank you!!! 10mo
IndoorDame @Cuilin ❤️❤️❤️ 10mo
dabbe @IndoorDame Hello, Sweet Cedric! Keep lovin' up your mommy! 💙🐾💚 10mo
Sparklemn I have a Cedric, too! But he's a ginormous orange tabby. 10mo
IndoorDame @Sparklemn Cedric‘s are the best!!! 10mo
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rachelk
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

Why is there no female Shakespeare? Nearly 100 years ago Woolf pointed out that writing requires conditions historically unavailable to women. While many were kept from the literary pool due to societal norms, the fact was that education, use of libraries, unencumbered time and a room to write in were unusual for women prior to late 1800‘s, though after this time a deeply embedded sexism was still prevalent.

This is a feminist masterpiece.

SamAnne This book had such an impact on me in my 20s! Reading the Adrienne Rich biography with #sundaybuddyread detailing how women were treated differently at Harvard/Radcliffe, even into the 70s. Women weren't allowed in some libraries and other places. 12mo
rachelk @SamAnne I wish I‘d read it in my 20s! It‘s absurd that I didn‘t. Now, I did read some Adrienne Rich in my 20s. I bet her biography is interesting. (edited) 12mo
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Bibliobear
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.“

Remembering Virginia Woolf on her birthday.

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Magdalenka
Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.”

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morgangrilliot
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
Pickpick

this>>

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CogsOfEncouragement
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

Superb. So much truth. It is an amazing thing to read what was written nearly 100 years ago and have it remain incredibly relevant.

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CogsOfEncouragement
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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#FirstLineFridays
But, you may say, we asked you to speak about women and fiction - what has that got to do with a room of one‘s own?

EvieBee The fire looks so inviting! 2y
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tenar
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Take a walk, have a luncheon, and re-examine history with Virginia Woolf in A Room of One‘s Own.

Despite holding awfully lofty ideals on writing, Woolf here takes a grounded look at the realities of (note: white) women‘s lives, from her 1920s to Shakespeare‘s day. She advocates for women‘s financial independence and, perhaps, even basic income! I‘m enjoying her nonfiction, as she is fabulous company, with her love of literature and sparkling wit.

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Mitch
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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We just put the finishing touches to ‘the snug‘ today - the little reading room of my dreams. The best bit - a door I can close to seal off the world! 🎉

Ddzmini Love it 🥰 2y
Cupcake12 I love this room ❤️ 2y
Lcsmcat So cozy! 2y
See All 22 Comments
LeahBergen Gorgeous! 2y
StaceGhost I love it! What a great retreat 2y
LiteraryinLawrence Oooh, lovely! Enjoy it! 2y
brittanybooks Perfection!! 2y
Bklover Lovely! And so cozy! 2y
TrishB Lovely ♥️ 2y
UwannaPublishme So breathtaking! And I love your cozy new reading chair! 😍 2y
mrp27 😍😍😍 2y
LibrarianBanana Beautiful! 😍 2y
Chelsea.Poole Oh, what a perfect nook 🤍 (edited) 2y
5feet.of.fury Oooh beauutiful! 2y
Sparklemn So warm and cozy! 2y
Gissy Lovely!! 📚😍❤️❤️❤️ 2y
CoverToCoverGirl What a wonderful reading room! 🤩 2y
staci.reads What a dream of a room 😍 2y
MaureenMc How lovely! 🥰 2y
Cathythoughts Beautiful 😍 2y
catebutler It looks absolutely dreamy. 💫 2y
CoffeeNBooks Wow! That looks like such a wonderful reading room! 2y
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Cazxxx
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind”

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Reviewsbylola
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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My Amazon books came in. 🙌🏻 These books were part of their buy 3 for the price of 2 promotion. I‘m in love with the covers!

robinb They're all just gorgeous! ❤ 3y
charl08 Ooh beautiful. 3y
JennyM Beautiful ❤️ 3y
Megabooks Awesome!! 3y
LeahBergen So pretty! 3y
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TheBookHippie
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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🤍

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SomedayAlmost
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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May every day be women‘s day! To our resilience, determination, creativity & strength! #celebratewomen

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HardcoverHearts
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Waking up and starting my day with a tour of the Women of Bloomsbury, while enjoying a big cup of tea and wrapped in my wool London map blanket is how I think every Saturday should start. It was enlightening and I enjoyed it so much! The group that led it can be found on Eventbrite and they are called Women of London. I highly recommend it. They are doing a tour of Sufferagette London on Monday, International Women‘s Day.

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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

"But you may say,we asked you to speak about women and fiction-what has to do with a room of one's own?I will try to explain..."She does and therefore I won't try to condense this wonderful book into a review.Her writing,as you follow her train of thought,is wonderful.It is so important for women and men to understand the history of women as authors and as human beings.I knew while reading it: this is one of the most important books I'll ever read

Leftcoastzen Nice edition! Love this book! 3y
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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Ch.3 should be mandatory reading,Woolf reflects on the statement that we will never have a woman Shakespeare;on why you can see powerful fictional women while they are not present in history;how miserable life would have been to an equally talented sister of Shakespeare;how many Austens and Bröntes must be behind accusations of witchcraft;how impossible must have been to believe in yourself when all you can read about is how worthless you are💔

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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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"The most transient visitor of this planet,I thought,who picked up this paper could not fail to be aware, even from this scattered testimony,that England is under the rule of patriarchy"

This is an interesting exercise,not only to be aware of the monopoly of the patriarchy,but of any type of majority:think about an alien reading the newspaper and the conclusions that would draw about who dominates society to realise how partially news are written

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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

"The arrant feminist! She days that men are snobs!" The exclamation, to me so surprising [...] was not merely the cry of the wounded vanity; it was a protest against some infringement of his power to believe in himself. Women have served all this centuries as looking-glasses possessing the magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its natural size.

nanuska_153 @Milara yes,sometimes "gentleman-like" behaviours come from politeness;others from men who think are due to women only from a paternalistic point of view,or who believe that women are hypocrites that are happy to accept the part of sexism that benefits us and open the door just to prove a point,or believe that women enjoy attention.It's more insulting than rudeness,I'd gladly open all doors than have them opened for me so you can stare at my ass 3y
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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Have you any notion how many books are written about women in the course of a year? Have you any notion how many are written by men? Are you aware that you are, perhaps, the most discussed animal in the universe? [...]

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Palimpsest
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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This extended essay is based on two lectures given at Newnham college and Girton college in 1928. Woolf posits that an educated woman needs a place of her own to write and an independent income. She asks, what brilliant women writers might have been passed over throughout history because of women‘s lack of freedom, responsibility to family, and utter lack of opportunity; also in having every door shut to her in pursuit of education as to not 👇

Palimpsest Even being able to access the same books and libraries as men to study. She mentions how indignation and lack of pure, unadulterated work was often written by women and to be brilliant, one, like Shakespeare and Austen, needs to let their work shine, not their grievances. Nearly 100 years later and this fantastic grouping of essays is as relevant as ever. Five stars ⭐️ (edited) 3y
SamAnne One of the classics that made a mark on me in my 20s. 3y
Palimpsest @SamAnne I wish I had read this in my twenties, but it still made its mark on me in my forties! 3y
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nanuska_153
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Virginia Woolf and Ms Seton discuss how is that the women's college is so poor in comparison with the men's and remember that in order to open it they needed only to raise £30,000 which shouldn't have been much,specially since it was the only one in the UK and Ireland "but considering how few people wish women to be educated, it is a good deal"(quoting Lady Stephen).They raised so little that they could only pay for the building not the amenities.

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Bibliobear
Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.“

Remembering Virginia Woolf on her birthday.

Leftcoastzen 👏👏👏❤️ 3y
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slategreyskies
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Happy Birthday, Virginia Woolf!! 💕✨

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LouLouLane
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Ok friends. My friend is building my staircase landing library and laughed when I said I would need space for a ladder rail. “You know you can reach the top shelf” to which I replied “you will never understand” Can we all agree that having a ladder is one of the most important parts about having a home library?

Aims42 Yes!!! I agree with you 💯 🙌🏻 3y
squirrelbrain Those shelves are gorgeous! And, yes, you DEFINITELY need a ladder! 3y
BookBabe Lol, I totally get it 😄 2y
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needleminding
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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"No, delightful as the pastime of measuring may be, it is the most futile of occupations, and to submit to the decrees of the measurers the most servile of attitudes."

Cathythoughts I‘m still waiting for a room of my own .... 😁someday it‘s happening 👍🏻 3y
Tanisha_A What a beautiful edition! 😍 3y
needleminding @Cathythoughts I just recently got my room and it has been transformative. I hope you get a room of your own soon, too. 3y
needleminding @Tanisha_A I found it at a library sale. 🥰 3y
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Josee.lit.a.lu.et.lira
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

It‘s the title that led me to this 1928 essay. I‘ve been battling with myself and my family environment on this concept, i.e. everyone at home has their own private room, except me !!! So I hoped to find some views to advance my thinking. Although the context is different, I am blown away by the clarity, insight and resonance of Woolf's observations on the posture of women in literature, as a writer or fictional character, and in life generally.

KVanRead Same environment here and I never ever needed a room of my own as much as I do now!😂🤣🤪 3y
Josee.lit.a.lu.et.lira @KVanRead I think I‘ve truly needed one since we moved-in as a recomposed family 7 years ago, but I‘ve only realized my sacrifice over the summer. I‘m not sure that Covid had a role to play in it!?! It was another book I‘ve read that sparked 💥 me. 3y
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slategreyskies
Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind.” Virginia Woolf

Thanks for the tag, @La_Cori !! :)

Want to play, @KVanRead @MoonWitch94 ?

#thoughtprovokingThursday

CaffeineAndCandy ❤❤❤ 3y
KVanRead Love this 🥰 3y
La_Cori You're welcome.. Love your quote❣❣ 3y
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Rudy1
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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"A woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction"

- Virginia Woolf

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Leftcoastzen
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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#3books #IveReRead Equal time for the women! Again, not a big reread person , but have definitely read these more than once.

OriginalCyn620 👍🏻📚👍🏻 4y
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GatheringBooks
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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RebelReader I love the quote and the picture! I agree 100%! 4y
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SamAnne
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Pickpick

A reread for me. First read this short collection of essays in my 20s years ago. I'm a big Woolf fan. While some of her views are a bit dated , her dry wit & pointed commentary on the barriers women have had to overcome to write literature are spot on. Woolf would have been an avid fan of the Bechdel Test!

SamAnne As background, she was invited to a university to give a lecture on “Women and Fiction,“ a university that still did not admit women, and in fact did not allow women on the campus. Yeah, she gets harassed for sitting on the lawn. 4y
Andrea313 What a coincidence- I started this tonight for the first time! I'm so glad to read your thoughts; so far, I'm enjoying it. 4y
SamAnne @Andrea313 Oh enjoy! Have you read any of her novels? I know she isn't everyone's cup of tea, but I remember To The Lighthouse shaking things up for me at 18 when I'd been made to read mostly male “western canon“ authors. 4y
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Andrea313 @SamAnne I've only read Mrs. Dalloway, which I did like but somehow it didn't make me want to go further with Woolf at the time. I'm coming to her other works a little late, but glad to be here now! 4y
CindyMyLifeIsLit I love her essay about Shakespeare‘s sister!! ❤️ 4y
LitStephanie @SamAnne I think this story was instrumental in helping me decide not to have children, haha! 4y
SamAnne @LitStephanie right? Not that I ever wanted to go down the road to begin with. So happy with my choice. 4y
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mirnas
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Tout à fait d'accord.

Josee.lit.a.lu.et.lira Tellement! J‘ai pris conscience d‘un besoin d‘espace juste à moi chez moi récemment, à travers une autre lecture. Tous les membres de la famille en ont une, sauf moi ? Nous n‘avons pas de pièce non utilisée, je songe à réassigner ? ?? (edited) 4y
mirnas @Josee.a.lu.lit.et.lira Pareil pour moi🤔 4y
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Chelsea.Poole
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

I have a new-found love of essay collections, and this one is a classic so I had to add it to my list. It didn't disappoint, although I didn't know exactly what I was getting into. I thought this was one of those feminist basics everyone should read. However, I was surprised by what this is actually about: "women and fiction". There's much here about writing and how to succeed as an author. I listened to the #audiobook by a British narrator-great.

Qpri I soooo agree! Feminism 101 that EVERYONE needs to read 💃 4y
slategreyskies This is a book that I cycle back to every decade or so. I get something new out of it every time. 4y
slategreyskies I say “every decade or so” like it‘s happened so many times, but it‘s really only been twice now. Ha!! 4y
TsundokuManasi Long before I read her books, I used to read her Quotes. And really thought she was Feminism 101. I have read the book before, recently started the audiobook. It dies sounds really great. 😃 4y
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jen_the_scribe
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Updated TBR list # 3 - these are all Ebooks.

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jmtrivera
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

Woolf produces an interesting line of thought here & makes a number of valid points. Indeed, it must always be easier to focus on something requiring such concentration as writing when you have the privileges Woolf defines. At the same time, I found myself distracted by the meandering writing, as well as some of her anger. Given some of her arguments, it sometimes seems she is undermining herself. Interesting, but I think I prefer her fiction.

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'For the reading of these books seems
to perform a curious couching operation on the senses; one sees more
intensely afterwards; the world seems bared of its covering and given an
intenser life.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'Therefore I would ask you to write all kinds of books, hesitating at no
subject however trivial or however vast. By hook or by crook, I hope that
you will possess yourselves of money enough to travel and to idle, to
contemplate the future or the past of the world, to dream over books and
loiter at street corners and let the line of thought dip deep into the stream.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'So long as you write what
you wish to write, that is all that matters; and whether it matters for ages or
only for hours, nobody can say.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'Literature is
strewn with the wreckage of men who have minded beyond reason the
opinions of others.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'The exclamation, to me so surprising—for why was Miss West
an arrant feminist for making a possibly true if uncomplimentary statement about the other sex?—was not merely the cry of wounded vanity; it was a
protest against some infringement of his power to believe in himself. Women have served all these centuries as looking-glasses possessing the
magic and delicious power of reflecting the figure of man at twice its
natural size.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'Life
for both sexes—and I looked at them, shouldering their way along the pavement—is arduous, difficult, a perpetual struggle. It calls for gigantic
courage and strength. More than anything, perhaps, creatures of illusion as
we are, it calls for confidence in oneself. Without self-confidence we are as
babes in the cradle.'

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edennugget
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf

'One cannot think well, love well,
sleep well, if one has not dined well.'

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Heideschrampf
A Room of One's Own | Virginia Woolf
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Pickpick

I can't believe I skipped this when it was assigned reading at uni. I'm glad I made up for it now that I'm able to fully appreciate it 😍what triumph in feminism and what passionate cornerstone for gender studies! The ending made me wanna march the streets all over. GRRRRL POWER! 🚺💪❤️

SamAnne This book had such an impact on me in my 20s. 4y
CampbellTaraL I would get so frustrated with her other work but then one day this was assigned. Now I keep a copy at hand to reread passages when needed. Such an important book that is still so relevant. 4y
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