Virginia Woolf Audiobook

" I gave up on this book about 300 pages in... This is well-written and full of information -- maybe too much information! It is more of an analysis of how Woolf's life affected her writing than a biography. Or perhaps it would be more accurate to say it felt like reading an academic treatise on Woolf's life, full of references to her novels and letters (both hers and those of friends and family). Although I found it mildly interesting, it was very slow reading and never absorbed me, so when it was due back to the library I returned it even though not finished. "

" I wanted to love this book, because I admired Virginia Woolf but the the writing style was so heavy and loaded with literary critique reserved for the high brow reader that I just felt dumber at every page turn. "

" I almost cried after finishing this biography of Virginia Woolf. I felt like I'd lost a friend. "

" Reading Virginia Woolf was rather a peculiar experience. At times it felt as though I was wading through a veritable treacle of dates and facts, far too many to take in at once, but at others I was cursing Lee for the sheer lack of information included on some subjects. Why oh why did the chapter on Katherine Mansfield have to be so short in comparison to the rest, for example? I'm not sure I'd read any of Lee's other biographies as I prefer those which are really absorbing, and Virginia Woolf unfortunately wasn't. Still, such a biography and the effort it must have taken to write it must be revered, hence my three star rating. "

" I'm not quite halfway through, but I'm thoroughly enjoying the book. Although the chapter entitled 'Madness', which was of course necessary, interested me the least. "

" Lee sets the standard for biographers. This is an amazing, in-depth look at a complicated artist, and Lee never simplifies Woolf's art/life. "

" I'm a biography junkie. This is one of the best biographies I've read, ever. Hermione Lee manages to make Woolf more human and less a caricature of by placing her within the context of her time, class, politics, personality and relationships. "

" Up there with Ellmann's biography of Joyce as an example of a truly great literary biography -- by which I guess I mean that her understanding of Woolf, the person, makes for the kind of literary criticism I like best (e.g. her fantastic chapter on To the Lighthouse). "

" uitermate boeiende biografie over een bijzondere vrouw "

" This took me forever, but it is very thorough. A great mixture of biography and literary criticism. Made me want to read her works all over again. "

" Very comprehensive biography. Well sourced. Liked its organizational structure. "

" Perceptive, clear and dazzlingly informative. "

" After several leisurely weeks in Virginia Woolf's company I shall miss her, thanks to Hermione Lee's wonderful biography of this amazing woman. "

" This biography is one of the most comprehensive and well written book about Virginia Woolf. If you really enjoy Woolf's novels, this is a must-read biography. "

" Loved learning more about Woolf. Very interesting book about a very interesting woman. "

" only read a few chapters which were relevant to my research "

" This is the book to read if you want to know about Virginia Woolf's life. Unfortunately, it is out of print. "

" even if you're not a pansy academic, it's a good biography, and interested in the right things about Woolf. "

" Everything you want to know about Virginia Woolf is chronicled in this book, well researched and well done overall. "

" This book is the model of what a literary biography can be. Highly recommended. "

" This one leaves me just speechless; in all likelihood, the most astonishing biography I've read. Positively *required* for Woolf lovers & those interested in the problems & possibilities of biography as a literary form. "

" Finally done! At last completed. Exhaustive biography. Learned: the river Ouse is pronounced "Ooze" not "Wheeze" (thanks, wikipedia). "

" This comprehensive biography shows all the influences of her life on Virginia's writings. It was hard to read all at one time. "

" Fascinating Woman. Loved this detailed biography. "

" Absolutely Fabulous biography on Virginia Woolf. Hermione Lee is one of the great biographer's of our day. A must read for any VW aficionado. "

" A thoughtful, elegant and respectful examination of Woolf's life. Unlike other Woolf biographers and critics, Lee never stoops to sensationalism. A wonderful book. "

" Perhaps my favorite biography of all time. "

" One of the best biographies, of anyone and by anyone, that I've ever read. A wonderful book. "

" A rather difficult read but worth it. "

" I was interested in knowing more,after reading Orlando. Nigel Nicolson had meet her as a boy and had memories of her. "

" Written by the son of Vita Sackville-West, this slender volume doesn't really give any new information about the author, but would be a good introduction for someone unfamiliar. "

" Wandered outside my fiction preference since this was one of the few books available to check out on CD from my library. Glad I listened to it, I might have skimmed it otherwise. I learned much more about the many happinesses in Woolf's life. "

" Fascinating character. Good short overall look into her life. p.s. She hated Americans "

" This was pretty interesting, but I really don't like this writer. Any time he mentioned VW's feminist writings, he was really dismissive. Incidentally, he is Vita Sackville-West's son, and actually knew Virginia Woolf, so he has a lot of anecdotes to tell from the point of view of an adolescent. "

" This is well written, an easy read, and informative. It's not as scholarly, footnoted, or even-handed as I would have liked. It seems like Nicolson has some axes to grind in his portrait of Woolf. "

" I enjoy these lives books, they're just fulfilling enough to make me want to research more about the subject. In this case, I was quite relieved that the author did not attempt to hide his personal opinions as accepted scholarship or conventional wisdom. "