A Room of One's Own ★★★★

This was my first Virginia Woolf book and I am certain it will not be my last. A Room of One's Own is an interesting piece that looks at sex inequality and is an incredibly feminist piece for it's time. Virginia Woolf highlights the struggles to be a female writer and the requirements of money, time and space in order to become a writer that young women do not have.

Her words were enchanting and beautifully written as I became engrossed in A Room of One's Own from start to finish. What surprised me the most was how relevant this book still felt and how relatable elements of it still were, which in some ways is incredibly sad. Woolf's writing was insightful, smart and thought-provoking.

There is little I can add that has already been said about Virginia Woolf, I will only share one of my favourite quotations from the book.

Imaginatively she is of the highest importance; practically she is completely insignificant. She pervades poetry from cover to cover; she is all but absent from history. She dominates the lives of kings and conquerors in fiction; in fact she was the salve of any boy whose parents forced a ring upon her finger. Some of the most inspired words, some of the most profound thoughts in literature fall from her lips; in real life she could hardly read, could scarcely spell, and was the property of her husband.

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Three Guineas★★★

Following on from A Room of One's Own I was a little disappointed in Three Guineas as the structure was three very large chapters that looked at a reason to give a guinea in each. Woolf continued and built upon the themes of A Room of One's Own, but the book did not feel as succinct and interesting as the first book.

I found myself honestly a little bored towards the end and like the book was dragging, although I think part of this could have been the mood I was in when finishing the book. Despite my disappointment, I know I would still like to read more Virginia Woolf books even if the follow on to A Room of One's Own was less memorable.