The Common Reader - First and Second Series

"The Common Reader" is a collection of classic essays by Virginia Woolf, published initially in two parts in 1925 and 1935. As the title suggests, the essays are intended for the average reader and deal with a variety of literary topics presented in layman's terms. The first series deals with various authors including Geoffrey Chaucer, Jane Austen, and Joseph Conrad; together with pieces on the Greek language and the modern essay. In the second series, Woolf looks at the lives and works of such authors as Daniel Defoe, Mary Wollstonecraft, Thomas Hardy, and others. A fantastic collection of essays not to be missed by fans of Woolf's seminal work and literature lovers in general. Contents include: "The Common Reader", "The Pastons and Chaucer", "On not Knowing Greek", "The Elizabethan Lumber Room", "Notes on an Elizabethan Play", "Montaigne", "The Duchess of Newcastle", "Rambling Round Evelyn", etc.