Restless Genius: The Story of Virginia Woolf (Writers of Imagination)

Brackett, Virginia

ISBN 10: 1931798370 ISBN 13: 9781931798372

Publisher: Morgan Reynolds Pub, 2004

Synopsis

Discusses the life and work of the twentieth-century English author, Virginia Woolf.

About this title

Reviews

Grade 8 Up–This book provides solid background with enough detail to be interesting but not overwhelming. Starting with Julia and Leslie Stephen, Woolf's parents, it provides insight into the early life and family relationships that influenced the writer and her work. Woolf's intellectual growth is well documented, starting with her parents' influence and moving on to her involvement with the Bloomsbury Group. Brackett paints a vivid picture of the bohemian lifestyle that Woolf embraced and the changing culture and intellectual thought of the era. She discusses her subject's mental breakdowns and relationship with her devoted husband, Leonard. The writer's literary works are not discussed in detail. Rather, the focus is on how they affected her mental state and how their publication introduced the world to a new method of writing fiction. The time line helps put everything in perspective. Average- to poor-quality, black-and-white photos are scattered throughout. This accessible, engaging biography is a quick read and a good resource for reports.–Lori Matthews, Loyola School, New York City
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Gr. 8-12. This short, well-organized biography in the World Writers series begins with the people, events, and dynamics of Woolf's childhood, then quickly progresses to her adult life. Throughout, Brackett discusses in some detail the writer's relationships with her father, sister, husband, and, to a lesser extent, other relatives and members of the Bloomsbury group while focusing increasingly on her writings and her mental health. She weaves these separate but related strands into an involving story of an unusual woman who took fiction in a new direction at a time when women writers were uncommon and sometimes unwelcome in the world of letters. The book notes Woolf's longtime romantic relationship and "erotic correspondence" with Vita Sackville-West but is largely reticent on that aspect of the writer's life. A time line, a bibliography, and source notes for the numerous quotes are appended. The illustrations include many period photographs of people as well as a few paintings, book jackets, and photos of sites. Carolyn Phelan
Copyright © American Library Association. All rights reserved

Edition details

• Publisher: Morgan Reynolds Pub
• Publication date: 2004
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 1931798370
• ISBN 13: 9781931798372
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 144