This essay was such a treat. If I had a paper copy, I would have already started highlighting and taking notes on the margins. It is, of course, a fascinating look into VIrginia Woolf's perspective regarding the role of the reader. Furthermore, it got me thinking about our role—my role—as a reader in today's world. How do we choose what we read, and how is our perception of what we read influenced from the outside, rather than letting it be a personal experience. These are such different times from when Woolf wrote this essay. We consume books in multiple ways, and some of us reserve certain types of consumption for certain types of reading: audio, e-book, hardcover, paperback, each play a role in our experience as readers. We also have different forms of criticism now: beyond the traditional literary critic, we have Instagram for visual judgment of covers, blogs by people from varied backgrounds and interests, ARC reviewers*, etc. I wonder what Virginia Woolf would think of all this, and would she estimate that we are better off, or worse, as readers today?

*I received an ARC (!) in exchange for an honest review.

I had never read any of Virgina Woolf books prior to read this, its a very short read but It was very inspiring and question how I read my own books .

“If by our means books were to become stronger, richer, and more varied, that would be an end worth reaching.” - Virginia Woolf

In this slim volume, Virginia Woolf and Sheila Heti (who writes the introduction and afterword) consider how readers should approach books. Their delightful prose and thoughtful conclusions inspire the reader to reflect upon their own reading practices. Both Woolf and Heti approach this topic as writers and – one would guess – thinking of how they want their own work read. At some points I was in complete agreement with them, at others I wasn’t so sure. They engaged me in a debate and spurred me to think deeply about the topic from multiple perspectives. This, in my opinion, is more valuable than reading an essay that neatly aligns with my views. For this, as well as the elegance of their writing, I recommend this book.

A wonderful edition of a classic and often under-read Virginia Woolf essay. The essays by Sheila Heti give some great context to the book, and help to guide the reader through some of the ideas that Woolf presents. Great for a high school or college student/ classroom, and a wonderful book for adults who want to confront their reading habits and approach their views of literature critically.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC for review.

Truly wow. This Essay by Virginia Woolf with a foreword and afterword by Sheila Heti is a much read for any lover of literature. Taken from a speech at an all-girls school in 1926, is still so relevant today, explaining how we should read a novel and how we connect to the writing and its author. Woolf's writing is timeless. A must-read for any lover of words.

An interesting speech given by Virginia Woolf to some students, edited into an essay. A quick half hour read, lovely for free, not sure I'd feel the same after paying the £7 price tag...

Absolutely loved this from the legendary Virginia Woolf. Still extremely applicable to the present day. I recommend this with my whole heart and am so grateful to the publisher and all involved for reviving this from the past for us to enjoy!

This essay really made me think about reading in a fresh new way. Woolf had an original mind. I will recommend this to friends and my book group.

A wonderful gem of an essay.The introduction so well written then on to the essay and the afterward.I enjoyed every page from beginning to end .#netgalley#laurencekingpublishing

"Most commonly we come to books with blurred and divided minds, asking of fiction that it shall be true, of poetry that it shall be false, of biography that it shall be flattering, of history that it shall enforce our own prejudices."

Every single time, literally every. single. time I read anything by Virginia Woolf, my first thought is "Wow, I really love this woman," immediately followed by "I really should read all of her books right now". I can't exactly name or pinpoint what it is about her and her work that makes me go feral - the same way Florence and the Machine's entire discography makes me go feral - but they do; and I am okay with that. In my -very unbiased and entirely objective - opinion, Virginia Woolf is not just one of the best writers who ever lived, she is also one of the most brilliant minds I have had the pleasure of coming across.

The edition of her essay I was provided with concludes with an essay written by Sheila Heti on the importance of reviewing books, trusting your friends with reviewing your unfinished books and earlier drafts, and the role of the collective writing community in making sure that a book reaches its final - and best - form before publication. While I had not previously read any of Heti's work, I really enjoyed the insight she provided into the writing community and the bonds formed between writers, as they try to better, challenge, and help one another.

**A copy was provided via Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.**

I feel like if anyone should give advice and opinions on reading, it's Virginia Woolf. This refreshing new release of her essay is a fantastic reminder of the importance and joys of reading and writing.

I recieved a copy of this book in exchange for a honest review.

This is a amazing re edition of an already amazing books. Woolf is one of the most popular and powerful voices of english literature. It is an interesting and solid read.

This essay by Virginia Woolf was absorbing with lots of beautiful imagery describing the process of reading which I feel will stay with me. The introduction was also very engaging, as was the afterword which focused on the creative art of writing. I would recommend this to anyone who loves reading or writing books.

*Thank you to Net Galley and Laurence King Publishing for the advance copy*

Going into this I had no idea what to expect as I'm not all that familiar with Virginia Woolf outside of her work. I've been spending all this extra time I have reading and I found myself devouring books to get to the next one sometimes forgetting about the ones I have read. Woolf's essay (derived from a speech she gave) came at the right time.

Sheila Heti's Introduction and Afterward greatly complemented Woolf's essay as she showed us the inner workings of a writers mind when thinking about their reader(s) and how they'll respond to her work. She discuss the importance of collaboration and honest feedback in order to help one improve their creative work.

Charming portrayal of Virginia Woolf's thoughts on the importance of books.
This essay by Virginia Woolf is brought along with an introduction and afterword by the author.
Reading this when books have become so popular again highlights the importance of author's like Virginia Woolf in making reading such an important and enjoyable pastime.
The introduction to this essay and the afterword compliment this short book and add to the debate.
You are reminded of Virginia Woolf's skill and ability to get her point across and it was a pleasure to read.
Thank you to the author, NetGalley and the publisher in allowing me to read in return for a review.

I have never got on with Virginia Woolf, although I have tried. Many of her views are outdated now. This is about the relationships between an author and readers of different kinds - those who read for the love of it, friendly (proof) readers who help to form the book and professional readers (critics). Woolf criticizes the critics and describes reading as shaping worlds and her own love of reading as heavenly. I thought that the two writers here contradicted each other. I did not agree with either of them.

i loved the way in which Virgina Woolf expresses herself.
she has pointed out the utmost importance of the reader that is a lover, not a critic.
i firmly believe that by critcising a book, you anihilate it.

“When the Day of Judgment dawns and people, great and small, come marching in to receive their heavenly rewards, the Almighty will gaze upon the mere bookworms and say to Peter, “Look, these need no reward. We have nothing to give them. They have loved reading.”

(I recieved an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review)

This essay was phenomenal, probably more so because I personally really vibed with it, but also because of the way Virginia Woolf writes.
Wanna know a secret? I have never read one of her works before, despite being an English major. Brb, gotta correct this right away.
I feel like she speaks to the reader-oriented criticism loving people out there (cheeky little English major reference here, hehe). There's no point in telling you what the book's about, whether it's good or bad. All in all, it's an essay on books and reading that flies by very fast. I recommend giving it a read, to see if it vibes with you. With me, it certainly did.
Just as so did the two pieces written by Sheila Heti, the Introduction and the Afterword. I simply loved every page of this little book and can't wait to own it in physical form, as well as to check out more from Sheila Heti and Virginia Woolf herself.

A beautifully thought out essay from Virginia Woolf about the amazing gift of reading.Her thoughts written here are exactly what you would want to say to anyone who questioned the relevance of books.This is exceedingly relevant today and there is no time lag between when she wrote this piece of work and the present day..Of course she hasn’t included new electronic versions of books because they did not exist when she wrote this but her words of wisdom can still be extended to this form of books.I nonetheless still have a personal preference for reading many books as a physical volume.

I picked this up ready to be blown away by Virginia Woolf, but her piece, for me, was totally overshadowed by the brilliant words by Sheila Heti flanking either side of the essay! Totally worth getting your hands on this version to read Shelia's words, and I'm very grateful I picked this up otherwise I'm not sure I'd have ever discovered her! Her introduction - 'A Shadow-Shape' - focuses on getting the work across to readers, moreso than critics, and explores what the point of writing something really is. Her afterword - 'Other Readers' - is a glorious ode to writer pals and the way writers come together to make their work better together. I was underwhelmed, frankly, by Woolf's essay, but it might just have been due to being far more engaged with Heti's words, and by the end, I was just so delighted at having accidentally stumbled upon her two brilliant pieces I'll surely carry with me onwards.