The Common Reader

‘Books are the mirrors of the soul.’

The follow up to her enlightening collection of essays which advocate reading for pleasure’s sake, The Common Second Series delves even deeper into the delights literature has to offer, told with Woolf’s trademark thoughtfulness and flair.

Published seven years after the first instalment, The Common Second Series explores the works of Thomas Hardy, Laurence Stern and George Eliot, elegantly dissecting the art of the biography and the very nature of reading itself. Again Woolf speaks from the perspective of the everyday reader, urging for an intuitive and curious approach to literature – one which allows for freedom and experimentation as opposed to academic rigour. Timeless in its advice and a testament to Woolf’s appreciation of the written word, the lessons and ideas in this illuminating collection of essays resonates deeply still today. This audiobook edition is beautifully narrated by Kristin Atherton.

Virginia Woolf (1882 – 1941) was one of the most significant novelists of the twentieth century. A modernist writer and progressive thinker, she is known for her stream of consciousness narrative style and influence on feminist criticism. Her works have been translated into over fifty languages and are widely read and adapted to this day.