A Room of One's Own- Virginia Woolf
I'd never read any Virginia Woolf before but, after recently finishing The Hours, I thought it was high time that I ventured into her writing. A Room of One's Own is a tiny book; A paper that expands upon a one-hour speech that Woolf made about women and fiction. She discusses the history of women authors and questions the historical societal rules that dictate how women write.
The first thing of note is Woolf's writing style. It is beautiful. She paints a scene with wonderful, flowing descriptions and invites the reader into her mind as she ponders everything with innate curiosity. Secondly, it's very apparent that she was way ahead of her time. She really understood the future and seems almost eerily knowing about the path of women ahead.
I found this text hugely inspirational. Reading it, I began to feel as though I could write, and publish, a text. Why can't I? Why can't any woman? It's such an empowering text that makes you believe that anything is possible.
Overall, I think it's a hugely important book to read. It highlights the role of women not just as authors, but as members of society, both in centuries past and in Woolf's era. It highlights just how far women have come in the past century and makes me very grateful to be alive today, when we have so many opportunities.
