A Room of One's Own and Three Guineas by Virginia Woolf - Starting April 15th 2020

[Dannii]

This volume combines two books which were among the greatest contributions to feminist literature this century. Together they form a brilliant attack on sexual inequality. A Room of One's Own, first published in 1929, is a witty, urbane and persuasive argument against the intellectual subjection of women, particularly women writers. The sequel, Three Guineas, is a passionate polemic which draws a startling comparison between the tyrannous hypocrisy of the Victorian patriarchal system and the evils of fascism.

[Dannii]

Just starting this one :)

[Dannii]

First half of A Room of One's Own - (view spoiler)[ This is so completely different to how I imagined it would be. Woolf takes a circuitous route to make her point but I am enjoying the journey to get there. I'm just at the section where she is discoursing upon the differences between women in the history books (there are none) to those in literature (beings of beauty and inspiration) and then women in reality (forced property, often illiterate, and confined to the domestic sphere). (hide spoiler)]

[Dannii]

Second half of A Room of One's Own - (view spoiler)[ Just brilliant!! So feminist, so inspiring, and so inciting of my anger at the treatment of historical women. It was interesting to learn that female novelists were denied a study, like their male counterparts, and so had to create at the dining room table and amidst the chaos of family life. It would also be interesting to see how their writing would be altered if that was not the case. Very powerful! (hide spoiler)]

[Kikijanika]

I actually just started A room of one's own. Hope to read more tomorrow when I have a day off.

[Dannii]

Kikijanika wrote: "I actually just started A room of one's own. Hope to read more tomorrow when I have a day off."

I hope you enjoy :) I found it very insightful and am moving on to The Three Guineas, today.

[Kikijanika]

I just finished chapter 3 and I'm liking this book surprisingly much. I didn't really know what to expect because I hated Mrs. Dalloway and liked Waves. This one is different from both of those and I'm enjoying the fiction-merged-with-nonfiction vibe. Also the topic is still strangely relevant.

Unfortunately I'm afraid I will have to skip The three guineas because I was supposed to get it from the library, which is now closed. I checked but they don't have it as an ebook.

However, I will get back to you about this book once I finish it!

[Kikijanika]

I finished A room of one's own and it actually was great! I found it interesting to read about women writers throughout history and, like you said, the conditions in which they did their writing. Reading this book kind of made me want to read all those classics, written by women, again. I wonder if they would look different. This was definitely a thought provoking read!

[Dannii]

Kikijanika wrote: "I finished A room of one's own and it actually was great! I found it interesting to read about women writers throughout history and, like you said, the conditions in which they did their writing. R..."

I felt the same way! I adore so many female-penned classics, but to think of the constraints they were written under makes me appreciate them all the more.

[Kikijanika]

Yes, definitely!

[Dannii]

The Three Guineas - (view spoiler)[Just like the former essay, this focused on the gender politics involved in creativity and society, although it felt far more focused on real world topics. The route to get to the point was definitely a scenic one but I enjoyed the recollections it detailed. Very feminist and very inspiring work! (hide spoiler)]