Have you noticed lately that wherever you go, far and wide, that there are certain authors and certain books that seem to be everywhere at once? I know I am easily influenced by what other litbloggers are reading, and quite often come away from my daily blog reading with more books to add to my ever growing list. Am I the only person left who has not yet read Jose Saramago's Blindness? Even Amazon lists nearly 300 reviews of the book. I am tempted to buy it, but it sounds so heavy, that I am not sure I am in the right mood for Saramago. It has definitely been added to my list, though. M. Proust also seems to be quite popular these days. If he isn't popping up on blogs for his own fiction, he seems to be popping up in other author's writings, too. I would love to read In Search of Lost Time, but that would be like reading War & Peace three times in a row! I better stick with W&P. So far there has been lots of soirees and talk of war, but I think I am finally about to enter the battlefield. A welcome change, I think.
Time and time again, however, I find that Virginia Woolf is mentioned in so many contexts, and by so many people (and not just lately, but steadily I see her mentioned), that I can't ignore her any longer. It is not that I want to ignore her, but she seems such an icon of literature, that how do you even approach her? Just looking in my library's catalog--a keyword search brings up over 300 titles. As an author, we should have 80 of her books. Yes, 80. She boasts 69 different subject headings. I know there are many authors who were prolific, but I am amazed by her. And my library, while not small, isn't really massive either--so no doubt this is really only a sprinkling of her work and works about her!
I have read Woolf before--To the Lighthouse (after college, and it was quite difficult--that is my sole recollection of it!), and Mrs. Dalloway (for a book club, of which I remember a tad bit more). I am not planning any comprehensive study of her, but I wouldn't mind dipping into her work a bit. I have had on the top of my TBR pile The Voyage Out, which I have been wanting to read, but I keep getting sidetracked. I would like to read something of her earlier (non-experimental) work, as well as some of her essays (and the Lopate book includes a few, I believe). And if you haven't heard of Pennyworth Books (go check them out--lovely new books)--they have a nice little selection of works by and about Woolf (for the cut rate price of $5 each!), and I plan on ordering a few to add to my very small collection. It is bad enough going to a bookstore and browsing and wanting to pick up something new, but how do people resist the temptation of buying/wanting to read all the interesting books everyone else is reading and talking about on their blogs (always harder to resist than books sitting quietly on the bookstore shelf)!