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The Virginia Woolf Collection 6 Books set
Titles in this
1. Mrs Dalloway
2. Orlando
3. To The Lighthouse
4. The Waves
5. Voyage Out
6. A Room of One's Own
Mrs Dalloway
Upper-class housewife Clarissa Dalloway is preparing for a party one June morning, when an encounter with an old suitor makes her question her marriage and brings up thoughts of her past. Meanwhile, veteran Septimus Smith suffers from shell-shock and battles with adjusting to normal life following World War l. During Mrs Dalloway's party, the fates of Clarissa and Septimus intertwine with disastrous consequences.
Orlando
In the sixteenth century, Orlando enjoys life as a nobleman - including fleeting a deep love affair with a Russian princess, and an eventful stint in Constantinople as an ambassador. However, one day, Orlando awakes as a woman. She relishes her new life, but everything has irrevocably changed.Galloping through centuries and embarking on new life experiences, Orlando follows one person's captivating journey about identity.
To The Lighthouse
Every summer, the Ramsay family visit their holiday home in Scotland. It is where the children find themselves, and where the intricacies of adult relationships are uncovered. However, just a decade later from their last visit, the family shatters as they fall under the shadow of war, grief and bitterness.Woolf uses shifting perspectives and a stream of consciousness throughout the novel to create an intimate and lyrical essence.
The Waves
After first meeting by the sea as children, the lives of six friends - Bernard, Neville, Louis, Jinny, Susan and Rhoda - intertwine from childhood to middle age. The novel delves into their lives, exposing their achievements and failures as they question the meaning of life itself.Woolf's rich poetic language reveals each character's aspirations, triumphs and regrets in a unique monologic style.
Voyage Out
A party aboard the Euphrosyne, bound for South America, changes the life of Rachel ○ Vinrace. She has led a sheltered upbringing in the care of her aunts and knows very little about the world. On her voyage of self-discovery, Rachel asserts her own identity through observing and connecting with the world around her. Rachel falls in love with aspiring writer Terence Hewett before the book's tragic end.
A Room of One's Own
In this extended essay, Virginia Woolf embarks on a journey studying different educational experiences available to men and women. She explores the fact that women live in a patriarchal world and, if they are to write, must have a room of their own.
Beloved female authors - and their impactful works - are acknowledged as Woolf conveys the importance of tradition to all aspiring writers.
1. Mrs Dalloway
2. Orlando
3. To The Lighthouse
4. The Waves
5. Voyage Out
6. A Room of One's Own
Mrs Dalloway
Upper-class housewife Clarissa Dalloway is preparing for a party one June morning, when an encounter with an old suitor makes her question her marriage and brings up thoughts of her past. Meanwhile, veteran Septimus Smith suffers from shell-shock and battles with adjusting to normal life following World War l. During Mrs Dalloway's party, the fates of Clarissa and Septimus intertwine with disastrous consequences.
Orlando
In the sixteenth century, Orlando enjoys life as a nobleman - including fleeting a deep love affair with a Russian princess, and an eventful stint in Constantinople as an ambassador. However, one day, Orlando awakes as a woman. She relishes her new life, but everything has irrevocably changed.Galloping through centuries and embarking on new life experiences, Orlando follows one person's captivating journey about identity.
To The Lighthouse
Every summer, the Ramsay family visit their holiday home in Scotland. It is where the children find themselves, and where the intricacies of adult relationships are uncovered. However, just a decade later from their last visit, the family shatters as they fall under the shadow of war, grief and bitterness.Woolf uses shifting perspectives and a stream of consciousness throughout the novel to create an intimate and lyrical essence.
The Waves
After first meeting by the sea as children, the lives of six friends - Bernard, Neville, Louis, Jinny, Susan and Rhoda - intertwine from childhood to middle age. The novel delves into their lives, exposing their achievements and failures as they question the meaning of life itself.Woolf's rich poetic language reveals each character's aspirations, triumphs and regrets in a unique monologic style.
Voyage Out
A party aboard the Euphrosyne, bound for South America, changes the life of Rachel ○ Vinrace. She has led a sheltered upbringing in the care of her aunts and knows very little about the world. On her voyage of self-discovery, Rachel asserts her own identity through observing and connecting with the world around her. Rachel falls in love with aspiring writer Terence Hewett before the book's tragic end.
A Room of One's Own
In this extended essay, Virginia Woolf embarks on a journey studying different educational experiences available to men and women. She explores the fact that women live in a patriarchal world and, if they are to write, must have a room of their own.
Beloved female authors - and their impactful works - are acknowledged as Woolf conveys the importance of tradition to all aspiring writers.
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About the author
Virginia Woolf
1,864 books28.9k followers(Adeline) Virginia Woolf was an English novelist and essayist regarded as one of the foremost modernist literary figures of the twentieth century.
During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and Orlando (1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One's Own (1929) with its famous dictum, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."
During the interwar period, Woolf was a significant figure in London literary society and a member of the Bloomsbury Group. Her most famous works include the novels Mrs. Dalloway (1925), To the Lighthouse (1927), and Orlando (1928), and the book-length essay A Room of One's Own (1929) with its famous dictum, "a woman must have money and a room of her own if she is to write fiction."
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Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
July 2, 2021
The narration in each of these books is absolutely perfect. I skipped Mrs Dalloway, as I’d already read that, but am sure to return to it at some point, as I’d love to see what it’s like via narration. I listened just enough to know that it’s got a wonderful performance.
To the Lighthouse 5 stars
An easy 5 stars too. I read that the prose are quite dense on page? Well try it narrated, because it absolutely flew when read aloud. Jessie Buckley did a phenomenal job. I had my covid shot and was feeling sick, so just lay in bed listening, doing nothing else whatsoever, and consumed it whole in one sitting.
A Room of One’s Own: 4 stars
I liked this quite a bit but it is, literally, listening to an essay, so while it’s got Woolf’s prose and an engaging subject, it’s not as meaningful to me as others. This was more like 3.5 rounded up, for me. Especially because it followed To the Lighthouse, which completely took me by surprise.
The Waves 5 Stars
Another easy 5 stars, cementing Woolf as a favourite of mine. I suspect just through prose work alone I could read anything by her, and plan to consume more of her work. Structurally engaging, fantastic character work, meaningful, poignant. I can’t say enough good things about this. It has To the Lighthouse beat, probably. But mostly because of the interesting concept and structure and genre bending weirdness that works.
To the Lighthouse 5 stars
An easy 5 stars too. I read that the prose are quite dense on page? Well try it narrated, because it absolutely flew when read aloud. Jessie Buckley did a phenomenal job. I had my covid shot and was feeling sick, so just lay in bed listening, doing nothing else whatsoever, and consumed it whole in one sitting.
A Room of One’s Own: 4 stars
I liked this quite a bit but it is, literally, listening to an essay, so while it’s got Woolf’s prose and an engaging subject, it’s not as meaningful to me as others. This was more like 3.5 rounded up, for me. Especially because it followed To the Lighthouse, which completely took me by surprise.
The Waves 5 Stars
Another easy 5 stars, cementing Woolf as a favourite of mine. I suspect just through prose work alone I could read anything by her, and plan to consume more of her work. Structurally engaging, fantastic character work, meaningful, poignant. I can’t say enough good things about this. It has To the Lighthouse beat, probably. But mostly because of the interesting concept and structure and genre bending weirdness that works.
September 24, 2024
Mrs Dalloway - I enjoyed this tale of relatable people living in central London with their servants. The title was deceptive since it is a dizzying head-hop around the viewpoint of multiple characters. This was done with great skill, though they had the similarity that they all tended to have interesting things to say about the world. Her description of a descent into psychosis was particularly interesting. This narration of multiple perspectives on a single day has been compared to Ulysses, which Woolf was sniffy about, and it's interesting to compare the two novels. There's something to admire in Woolf's restraint and ability to get out of her characters' way, whereas Joyce's avant-garde maximalism can have Joyce cast a shadow over his story. It's like a whisper compared to a shout.
To The Lighthouse - I struggled to get into this one and never quite succeeded or cared much about the characters. It's a similar style to Mrs Dalloway but I enjoyed it less - I'm not sure if it was harder to follow or not. I noticed how heavy it is on introspection and thinking. Some of Woolf's characters are way too in their heads and it boggles my mind to think of Woolf thinking all their different thoughts for them. The macro-structure of the three parts was interesting. Woolf was up to something with the short and long chapters too, but I couldn't see the scheme there.
A Room of One's Own - this is a famous polemic but its hella waffly. This is a great book if you just want to hang out with Woolf for a few hours, as she talks in great detail about what she had at a luncheon party in an Oxbridge college and so on; sometimes it felt more like a Twitch stream than an essay - but the second half got a lot more interesting perhaps as she went more into literary criticism. All the gender essentialism was pretty galling but I think it was allowed in 1929.
The Waves - this is proper modernist High Art. A series of monologues in an unrealistic, abstract style. I had a journey with this. The first half I respected but didn't warm to. The beginning is probably the hardest bit since it seems to be narrating the perceptions of infants. About half-way through something happens, and the emotional impact of that helped engage me. A bit later, I started to notice I was really enjoying it, and then I found the final chapter magnificent (and particularly interesting in terms of form, compared with the other chapters). The Audible production had different actors for each character, which was really well done and probably made this a lot easier than reading off the page.
To The Lighthouse - I struggled to get into this one and never quite succeeded or cared much about the characters. It's a similar style to Mrs Dalloway but I enjoyed it less - I'm not sure if it was harder to follow or not. I noticed how heavy it is on introspection and thinking. Some of Woolf's characters are way too in their heads and it boggles my mind to think of Woolf thinking all their different thoughts for them. The macro-structure of the three parts was interesting. Woolf was up to something with the short and long chapters too, but I couldn't see the scheme there.
A Room of One's Own - this is a famous polemic but its hella waffly. This is a great book if you just want to hang out with Woolf for a few hours, as she talks in great detail about what she had at a luncheon party in an Oxbridge college and so on; sometimes it felt more like a Twitch stream than an essay - but the second half got a lot more interesting perhaps as she went more into literary criticism. All the gender essentialism was pretty galling but I think it was allowed in 1929.
The Waves - this is proper modernist High Art. A series of monologues in an unrealistic, abstract style. I had a journey with this. The first half I respected but didn't warm to. The beginning is probably the hardest bit since it seems to be narrating the perceptions of infants. About half-way through something happens, and the emotional impact of that helped engage me. A bit later, I started to notice I was really enjoying it, and then I found the final chapter magnificent (and particularly interesting in terms of form, compared with the other chapters). The Audible production had different actors for each character, which was really well done and probably made this a lot easier than reading off the page.
October 1, 2021
I went on to "read" A Room Of One's Own after finishing To The Lighthouse. I have read the paperback version previously and found it enlightening. And now, Tilda Swinton's narration of the book. It is simply marvellous. Somehow, her reading adds depth to VW's observations in her essay/book, especially the part about that (fictional) book at the end of the bookshelf in the British Library. I want to read Orlando next but it is not included in this collection, so it's back to paperback then.
April 9, 2023
I should not have read this - I am not a prose driven reader, much more a plot one, and so Virginia was never going to be an author for me. But at least I know this for sure now.
September 30, 2025
Four pieces, Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, A Room of One's Own, and The Waves. Thoroughly enjoyed the two rereads, bit the unfamiliar pieces needed a print version as well.
shelved
January 8, 2026Shelved at the end of Ch11. Lovely writing, but just too uninteresting for me at the moment.
October 18, 2023
Whoo boy, that was a lot.
4 books by Virginia Woolf back to back was demanding mentally, yet rewarding in the end. Woolf doesn't serve a plot on a plate to be tasted, she doesn't allow you to develop feelings on your own. No, she dictates, she tells you what to feel, and if you give her the attention required, by the time you're done you'll be grateful for it.
Mrs Dalloway 5/5
Kristin Scott Thomas does a marvelous job of narrating this masterpiece, I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before.
To the Lighthouse 4,5/5
A little harder to follow, but no less satisfying
A Room of One's Own 5/5
I can't imagine anyone else but Tilda Swinton narrating this one. Even though addressed towards a female audience, and me being a male listener, I got the urge to start writing too, under a female pen name.
The Waves 3/5
This was the hardest one to finish. Maybe because I should have taken a break after the previous three, or because of its experimental style, while the narration was top notch, sometimes I blanked out and had to rewind to catch up.
4 books by Virginia Woolf back to back was demanding mentally, yet rewarding in the end. Woolf doesn't serve a plot on a plate to be tasted, she doesn't allow you to develop feelings on your own. No, she dictates, she tells you what to feel, and if you give her the attention required, by the time you're done you'll be grateful for it.
Mrs Dalloway 5/5
Kristin Scott Thomas does a marvelous job of narrating this masterpiece, I can't say anything here that hasn't been said before.
To the Lighthouse 4,5/5
A little harder to follow, but no less satisfying
A Room of One's Own 5/5
I can't imagine anyone else but Tilda Swinton narrating this one. Even though addressed towards a female audience, and me being a male listener, I got the urge to start writing too, under a female pen name.
The Waves 3/5
This was the hardest one to finish. Maybe because I should have taken a break after the previous three, or because of its experimental style, while the narration was top notch, sometimes I blanked out and had to rewind to catch up.
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews