âThe Common Readerâ is a collection of classic essays by Virginia Woolf, originally published 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. 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: âVirginia Woolfâ, âThe Strange Elizabethansâ, âDonne After Three Centuriesâ, â'The Countess Of Pembroke's Arcadia'â, â'Robinson Crusoe'â, âDorothy Osborne's 'Letters'â, âSwift's 'Journal To Stella'â, âThe 'Sentimental Journey'â, âLord Chesterfield's Letters To His Sonâ, âTwo Parsonsâ, etc. Adeline Virginia Woolf (1882â1941) was an English writer. She is widely hailed as being among the most influential modernist authors of the 20th century and a pioneer of stream of consciousness narration. She suffered numerous nervous breakdowns during her life primarily as a result of the deaths of family members, and it is now believed that she may have suffered from bipolar disorder. In 1941, Woolf drowned herself in the River Ouse at Lewes, aged 59. Other notable works by this author include: âTo the Lighthouseâ (1927), âOrlandoâ (1928), and âA Room of One's Ownâ (1929). Read & Co. Great Essays is proudly republishing this classic collection now in a new edition complete with a specially-commissioned new biography of the author.