Moments of Being
Back of the Book
This collection of five pieces written for different audiences spanning almost four decades reveals the remarkable unity of Virginia Woolf’s art, thought, and sensibility.?
“Reminiscences,” written during her apprenticeship period, exposes the childhood shared by Woolf and her sister, Vanessa, while “A Sketch of the Past” illuminates the relationship with her father, Leslie Stephens, who played a crucial role in her development as an individual a writer. Of the final three pieces, composed for the Memoir Club, which required absolute candor of its members, two show Woolf at the threshold of artistic maturity and one shows a confident writer poking fun at her own foibles. A showcase of Woolf’s only autobiographical writings, Moments of Being provides invaluable insights into a woman who forever changed the face of literature.
We Love It Because
Revealing one's sense of reality echoes throughout Woolf’s writings. Moments of Being provides an intricate experience of time travel, revealing intensely personal articulations of her past. Woolf’s cadence shines throughout her reflections and exquisite prose and engaging with this text is an offering that breeds value and intimacy with each page.
Memorable Passage
Our life was ordered with great simplicity and regularity. It seems to divide itself into two large spaces, not crowded with events, but in some way more exquisitely natural than any that follow; for our duties were very plain and our pleasures absolutely appropriate. Earth gave all the satisfaction we asked. One space was spent indoors, in the drawing room and nursery, and the other in Kensington Gardens.
About the Author
Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) was a pioneering English writer and a central figure in the Bloomsbury Group, a collective of intellectuals that profoundly influenced 20th-century literature and thought. Born into an affluent Victorian family, Woolf defied societal expectations for women of her time, emerging as one of the foremost literary modernists. Her novels, including Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and Orlando, are celebrated for their innovative narrative techniques and exploration of the complexities of human consciousness. Woolf's groundbreaking essay, "A Room of One's Own," remains a seminal text in feminist literature, addressing issues of gender, creativity, and economic independence. Her stream-of-consciousness style and insightful commentary on the human psyche have left an enduring impact on literature. Virginia Woolf is worth knowing not only for her literary contributions but also for her role in shaping discussions on gender, mental health, and the evolving landscape of modernist literature.
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