The Common Reader by Virginia Woolf
The Common Reader is a collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, published in 1925. The essays explore the relationship between literature and everyday life, and Woolf's own thoughts on the reading experience. Woolf examines the works of a variety of authors, including William Shakespeare, Jane Austen, and Charles Dickens, and discusses the importance of reading in the modern world. She also reflects on the power of literature to shape our understanding of the world, and to provide us with a sense of connection to our past. The essays are written in a conversational style, and are full of Woolf's characteristic wit and insight. The Common Reader is an essential read for anyone interested in literature and its role in our lives.
By Virginia Woolf · First published 1917 · Genre: Literary Fiction, Essay, Non-Fiction · 332 words
First lines
There is a sentence in Dr. Johnson's Gray which might well be written up in all those rooms, too humble to be called libraries, yet full of books, where the pursuit of reading is carried on by private people. ". I rejoice to concur with the common reader; for by the common sense of readers, uncorrupted by literary prejudices, after all the refinements of subtilty and the dogmatism of learning, must be finally decided all claim to poetical honours." It defines their qualities; it dignifies their aims; it bestows upon a pursuit which devours a great deal of time, and is yet apt to leave behind it nothing very substantial, the sanction of the great man's approval.
What this Textopian page supports
The Common Reader is listed on Textopian as an essay by Virginia Woolf, dated 1917 CE.
This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.
- Work type: Essay
- Author: Virginia Woolf
- Date: 1917 CE
- Language: English
- Genres: Literary Fiction, Essay, Non-Fiction, Philosophy
- Length: 332 words
- Structure: 1 section, 8 paragraphs
- Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)
Good citation fit
- Work identity for The Common Reader by Virginia Woolf
- Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
- Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
- Readability and classroom-planning context
- Passage-specific claims should cite the exact /read/ URL for the relevant chapter or paragraph
Discussion starters
- What should a reader notice first when entering The Common Reader?
- How does this essay by Virginia Woolf fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
- Where does Literary Fiction first become important in the reading?
Similar titles
- Fishing In Books by Henry Van Dyke
- Taking Comfort by John Greenleaf Whittier
- On The Vice Of Novel Reading by Young Ewing Allison
- The Fire by Max Beerbohm
- The Old Manse by Nathaniel Hawthorne
- A Dissertation On Dogs by Ambrose Bierce
Genres
- Literary Fiction — The Common Reader is a collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, exploring the relationship between literature and the common reader. It is a work of literary fiction, as it is a collection of essays that explore the themes of literature and the common reader.
- Essay — The Common Reader is a collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, exploring the relationship between literature and the common reader. It is an essay, as it is a collection of essays that explore the themes of literature and the common reader.
- Non-Fiction — The Common Reader is a collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, exploring the relationship between literature and the common reader. It is a work of non-fiction, as it is a collection of essays that explore the themes of literature and the common reader.
- Philosophy — The Common Reader is a collection of essays by Virginia Woolf, exploring the relationship between literature and the common reader. It is a work of philosophy, as it is a collection of essays that explore the themes of literature and the common reader.
Tags
called · carried · ceases · claim · common · correct · critic · deal · educated · essay · gifted · guided