Presented here is Volume IV of our Feminist Literary Classics series, featuring three of the most important feminist works ever written: A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf, Jane Eyre by Charlotte Brontë and The Song of the Lark by Willa Cather. The first book in this collection is A Room of One's Own, a groundbreaking examination of women's roles in literary history by English author Virginia Woolf that delves into the barriers that prevented female writers from seeing their works in print. A widely hailed and essential piece of feminist writing, it is among Woolf's most admired works. Next is a classic tale of survival and resilience, Charlotte Brontë's brilliant "Jane Eyre," in which we meet young Jane, an orphan who is cast out by her family and must learn to forge her own way in life. Both a thrilling saga of strength and perseverance and a heartwarming love story, "Jane Eyre" is one of the most beloved and cherished novels in English literature. And finally, we present The Song of the Lark, Willa Cather's final book of her classic "Prairie Trilogy," which tells the story of budding artist Thea Kronbog, who rises from complete obscurity in a tiny Colorado town to become a world-renowned opera singer. A fascinating look at life in the early 20th century as well as a deep dive into the life and struggles of a creative artist rising to the top of her profession, "The Song of the Lark" was universally praised for its realism and meticulous depiction of Thea's journey. Each of these books is presented in its original and unabridged format.
Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) née Stephen, was an English writer, publisher and feminist. She is considered one of the most important early 20th-century authors and was an early practitioner of what became known as "stream of consciousness" writing. From 1897 to 1901, Virginia attended the Ladies' Department of King's College London, where she studied of classical writing and history and where she came into contact with some of the early reformers of both women's higher education and the women's rights movement. When their mother, Julia, died of influenza in 1895, Virginia's the older siblings took on their mother's role in raising the children. This period is when Virginia first began to battle mental illness, which would plague her throughout her life. In 1912, Virginia married Leonard Woolf, a strong supporter of Virginia's budding writing career. Virginia published her first book - The Voyage Out - in 1915 through her half-brother's publishing house but soon afterwards Virginia and Leonard Woolf founded Hogarth Press which would publish most of Virginia's novels as well as works by E.M. Forster and T.S. Eliot. The best known of Virginia's literary works include Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927) and Orlando (1928).Virginia and Leonard Woolf's relationship was based on mutual respect but not a great deal of physical attraction. Virginia was most likely a lesbian, though some have argued that she may have been bisexual. At any rate, Virginia had affairs with several women (most notably Vita Sackville-West, who inspired Woolf's novel Orlando).Virginia Woolf enjoyed great literary success in her lifetime and her books have been translated into more than 50 languages. Though her popularity waned in the years following her death, the feminist movement of the 1970's did much to revive her reputation and solidify her as one of the most important writers of the 20th century.Mental illness continued to trouble Woof for the rest of her life, causing her to be institutionalized several times. In 1941, Woolf wrote a suicide note, filled her pockets with stones and drowned herself in the River Ouse in Yorkshire.
