General Discussion and Reading Schedule

[Viv]

November's group read is Night and Day by Virginia Woolf. This is Woolf's second full length novel, first published in 1919.

Proposed reading schedule is as follows:

Week 1 (1st-7th Nov): Chapters I - IX
Week 2 (8th-14th Nov): Chapters X - XVIII
Week 3 (15th-21st Nov): Chapters XIX - XXVI
Week 4 (22nd-end Nov): Chapters XXVII - XXXIV

Please let us know if you are planning to join in!

[Viv]

Wiki page on the book: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Night_and_Day_(Woolf_novel)

This book is available as a free ebook via Project Gutenberg. Link is here.

For those that prefer to listen, there is also a free audiobook version at Librivox here

Feel free to share any thoughts, links, reviews etc on the book in this thread.

[Alexa]

I absolutely positively want to read this! I was disappointed to find out that my library system doesn't have a copy, and since I really prefer reading real books I can hold in my hands, I've ordered a copy. If it doesn't get here soon though I may start off with the Gutenberg version.

Thanks so much for leading this discussion Viv!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

I picked up a free kindle copy through Amazon. It will be my first Woolf. :)

Once again I will be late starting this read though.

[Alexa]

Your first Woolf! A milestone in Classic Women's Literature!

[Carol She's So Novel꧁꧂]

Alexa wrote: "Your first Woolf! A milestone in Classic Women's Literature!"

Crazy isn't it when I'm such a big Mansfield fan. I have usually voted for Woolf titles in the polls here though.

I'll just mention I won't be doing any group reads in December (unless another group chooses A Christmas Carol) I have a lot of loose ends I want to tie up for 2016. :)

[Viv]

Carol - this is only my second Woolf. I decided I would read her novels in order alongside reading a biography of her (Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life) so I read The Voyage Out last month, and now this for November.

Glad you are joining in too Alexa :-)

[Kathleen]

Got my copy and am really looking forward to joining you for this one (even if I am a bit behind for the first two weeks and have to catch up after).

Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life looks good--going on my list. :-)

[Kimberley]

This is my first time reading a book by Virginia Woolf, but, considering I am relatively late in reading classical literature, that will be the case with most authors. Having obtained a copy from the library, I am on my way and thoroughly enjoying the writing and storyline.

[Haaze]

Viv wrote: "I decided I would read her novels in order alongside reading a biography of her (Virginia Woolf: An Inner Life) so I read The Voyage Out last month, and now this for November."

Hi Viv! I'm curious about your reasons for reading Woolf in chronological order? Are you following her progression in terms of her writing? Are you by any chance reading her letters and journals simultaneously?

[Viv]

@Haaze - I thought reading them in chronological order would be the best way to see just how her ideas and writing developed over time. Also, the biography I am reading is based around her works in order and makes extensive use of her letters and diaries, so it ties in nicely that way too.

[Alexa]

My copy just showed up at the library! Yay!

[Ginny]

I did not read The Garden Party and Other Stories, but I was looking at some of the comments talking about Katherine Mansfield, and I remembered that, although a friend of Virginia Woolf, she wrote a review of Night and Day that almost ended the friendship. There are spoilers, but some of the review is here:https://books.google.ca/books?id=wXWu...
If anyone has access to the whole thing, please share if possible.

Perhaps her reaction had something to do with the fact that they were contemporaries. Reading from my perspective, I completely disagree with most of what Katherine says.

[Haaze]

Viv wrote: "@Haaze - I thought reading them in chronological order would be the best way to see just how her ideas and writing developed over time. Also, the biography I am reading is based around her works in..."

@Viv
I'm sorry - I missed your response Viv! Great project! In my long list of TBR I have Woolf's essays, journals and diaries. She is an extremely interesting human being! Did you by any chance read Hermione Lee's biography Virginia Woolf?

[Viv]

@Haaze - I haven't read the Hermione Lee biography, though it is on my TBR :-)

[Haaze]

Ah, yes, the TBR towers..... ;-)

[Ginny]

https://www.penguin.co.uk/articles/fi...

No mention of our book, but something for those who are planning to read more.

[Kimberley]

@Giinny - Thank for that link!

[Viv]

Thanks for that link Ginny - although I didn't love this book, I'm looking forward to reading more of Woolf's work including those mentioned. I actually ended up spending a lovely half hour clicking from article to article on the Penguin site and ended up with a few more books for my TBR :-)