Virginia Woolf is a towering presence in the history of 20th century literature. This course studies two of her major works, Orlando (1928) and Between the Acts (1941). We will also make reference to some essays and short stories (though these are not set as primary texts). Our aim is to study both her ideas and her literary techniques. What makes her work a delight to some and a challenge to others? What is the relationship between her ideas and literary form? How did Woolf make her mark upon the development of the novel in the 20th century?
To get the most from this course, you should read the set texts before you come to Cambridge, and expect to re-read them while you are here. In class we will undertake some ‘close reading’ in the Cambridge tradition. This technique helps us to understand in very precise ways how an author is using language, and to grasp something of the richness and complexity of a literary work. We will also study Woolf’s life and historical context, enabling us to explore her ideas about gender roles, education, marriage, community and war. If you have time before you come, you might read other books by Woolf, such as A Room of One’s Own (1928), Three Guineas (1937) and The Years (1937). You may also like to read more of her essays, or her published diaries and letters, and the biographies by Hermione Lee or Michael Whitworth.
Please buy your own copy of the set texts by Woolf, if possible in the Oxford World Classics edition.
