Could someone recommend a Virginia Woolf please?

[FeatherySquawkington]

Never read any and would love to. Where to start? Thanks!

I liked Mrs Dalloway. You could pair it with a read of The Hours by Michael Cunningham, which works really well.

I second Mrs Dalloway but a great, readable book about Virginia Woolf is , 'Mrs Woolf and the Servants' by Alison Light which looks at her life through her relationship with her servants.

Love VW. Mrs Dalloway and To the Lighthouse are my faves.

Orlando!

Orlando is the only one I managed to finish. I loved it. Just didn't get on with/finish anything else of her I tried.

Another vote for Orlando.

Have never been able to read her modernist, stream of consciousness stuff. I wish she wrote more traditional narratives.

"A Room of One's Own" is very good.

Non-fiction so less of the stream of consciousness if that gets on your threepennies.

I'm teaching "Mrs Dalloway this year, having not read it since university days, so holding my breath.

VW always reminds me of the judgement of a colleague: She's a bit of an SFW: So Fucking What. It made me laugh and could see her point.

Think mrs dalloway is a perfect start.

When reading vw (and Gertrude stein) I consciously read aloud in my head iyswim. It’s a way of reading I think I only employ with those two - find it essential for them.

If you want a quick afternoon read try Flush.

I also think A Room of One's Own.
Or Orlando.

Completely agree with A Room of One's Own or Orlando. I also recommend the Sally Potter film Orlando, starring Tilda Swinson - absolutely beautiful and in my view, it really captures the spirit of the book.

I like The Voyage Out too - very charming and readable.

Like your user-name, Irene - another E F Benson fan?

Yes indeed!

Orlando film is wonderful !

Orlando film is wonderful
Absolutely. Tilda Swinton, the divine Billy Zane and Quentin Crisp queening it over them all.

Another vote for Orlando. Now wondering where my copy of 'The Hours' is.

A Room of One's Own/ 3 Guineas - both essays changed my life .

I love Between the Acts. Beautiful short book which looks at society and published posthumously.

Orlando is brilliant

Another vote for Mrs Dalliway - then read The Hours by Michael Cunningham (which won a Pulitzer). Tbh, probably prefer The Hours of the two! Orlando I found a bit annoying but I find Vita Sackville West on who it is based pretty annoying too!

Mrs Dalloway is in my top ten favourite novels of all time.