Group Read (August/September) - A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf

[Greg]

What you say makes sense Beth! It didn't feel whiny to me, but I can understand your perspective.

And although in Woolf's time, some of those restrictions were still alive and well (albeit greatly reduced from Shakespeare's time), current times are quite different. I can see why Woolf was compelled to write it when she did, but I think it's a fair question you're raising: why is this relevant to us in 2014? And surely things were much better in Woolf's time than in Shakespeare's time.

History is always interesting as history, but I'll leave it to others to answer the contemporary relevance question. I think others may be better at giving their impressions on that part.

Thanks for the debate Beth. It's been a pleasure to discuss with you! :)

[Beth]

same here! and as I said - I am disappointed only in myself that I fail to see what others have seen that makes them appreciate this work - I wish that I did (it would have made it more pleasant to read).

[Greg]

You have no reason to be dissapointed in yourself Beth. No one can like everything!

I'll tell you a guilty reading secret of my own. I intellectually appreciate the ideas in Crime and Punishment, but I find Raskolnikov so incredibly grating that although I appreciate the book, I don't enjoy it and don't like it. It annoys me (and embarrasses me) that I feel that way, but I do. A great many serious, intelligent, and avid readers list that book as one of their favorites! But I just can't help the way I react to it - a few minutes in Raskolnikov's head, and I just want to get out. I can appreciate the book, but it's just not for me.

I think I am much more in the minority than you. Many people find Woolf's indirection and her reliance on sparks of inspiration (instead of steady progression of logic) disorienting and annoying, but somehow I find it irresistibly charming. :)

[Beth]

Funny, I read Crime and Punishment many, many years ago and I remember loving it. I should probably reread it as an adult and see what I think of it.

I also remember The Great Gatsby as one of my favorite books in high school and then I reread it as an adult and didn't like it in the least.

So not only do our tastes differ but it seems that they change!

As my Jewish grandmother used to say "there is a lid for every pot" - that is true in romance and it is true in literature. Every writer will find readers who love what they write and those who don't.

On a personal note, it practically causes me physical pain when someone reads Pride and Prejudice and writes a negative review. I don't get it - what is there not to love? :)

[Greg]

I love your grandmother's saying Beth! And I agree with you on Pride and Prejudice, and I love The Great Gatsby!

[Tejas Janet]

I've enjoyed reading the discussion here, especially between Greg and Beth. Had to laugh when you shared your reaction to Crime and Punishment, Greg. I feel exactly the same way!! It was a very hard book to rate since I had such conflicting feelings about it.

A Room of One's Own was a book I admired when I read it many(!) years ago. I'm thinking I should dust it off and take another look now to see what relevance it holds for today. I expect at the least I'll deem it relevant even if just for the sake of what it might add to the historical record in the dialogue about women's rights.

I would also add that women's inequality is not a closed subject that can now be shelved. For millions of women around the world it is a harsh reality that they face on a daily basis. I suspect that A Room with a View might read like a revelation to some today. I hope I've respectfully expressed myself and have added to the wonderful discussion.

[Greg]

Thanks Tejas Janet! I think you have :)

[Shiv]

Terri wrote: "I finished the book last night and I thought it was excellent. Woolf's thesis that a woman needs money and a (locked) room of her own to be creative is as true today as it was when she wrote this i..."

Sexism still exists, but it is getting better. I am a male cardiologist, and have the utmost respect for the nurses who look after sick patients. Many nurses are still female, and are poorly paid for the invaluable job they do. Many of my male colleagues hold nurses in high regard. In fact, many of the senior nurses have taught me a lot about patient care. It may sound sexist, but there is something about women and nurture/caring that we men just cannot master.

[Greg]

One more comment even though the days of September are winding down -- there's been a lot of comment on the essay's content, but I wanted to say a couple words on the style and approach.

Theory wasn't enough - she had to sink into the emotional and psychological center of the issues. That's what I felt her do as she analyzed her own doodles in the library. Why was she angry? And why were the male writers on the "woman question" angry? By seeking until she knew those right questions to ask, she sunk deeper into the topic than she could've otherwise. That's so quintessential Woolf to me .. unsatisfied with surfaces or appearances and always seeking down and down to the deepest heart of things.

I loved how she approached the essay as though it were a story: walking on the college green, chatting at a dinner party, and imagining the seasons change. I found her extended lead-in both enthralling and charming. I was hooked right away! More intimate and yet more expansive than the average essay, both at the same time.

Very glad this book was chosen for the group read!