This book explores a wide array of literary productions authored by French-speaking writers in which Virginia Woolf appears as a biographical subject or a fictional character. The ensemble of bio/fictional narratives reveals how Woolf's ideas and ideals resonate with French authors and common readers; they inform us about Woolf's iconicity and the universal values she stood for, which mirror current literary, cultural and political concerns and debates in France. Based on a close examination of twenty-five works published between 1956 and 2023, and authored by writers with eclectic professional backgrounds, the book surveys various portraits of Woolf as a feminist; a troubled genius prone to bouts of madness; a gifted innovative writer carried by the flow of her creative process; a woman in love; a competitive sister; an overprotected wife; a delighted sightseer in France; and a tormented, suicidal figure. Woolf's numerous representations as a character in French literature attest that she has acquired a reputation outside the English-speaking realm and has the capacity to adapt to other literary and cultural backgrounds. Her adoption by the French has proved to be mutually beneficial: Woolf has copiously nourished the French imagination; in turn, the French have contributed to augmenting Woolf's cultural capital and reinforcing her literary status beyond the geographical borders in which she was born and the cultural tradition in which she has been exerting a continuous influence for more than a century.
| ISBN: | 9781032878904 |
| Publication date: | 27th July 2026 |
| Author: | Monica Latham |
| Publisher: | Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis |
| Format: | Hardback |
| Pagination: | 308 pages |
| Series: | Routledge Auto/biography Studies |
| Genres: |
Literary theory Literary studies: general |
This book explores a wide array of literary productions authored by French-speaking writers in which Virginia Woolf appears as a biographical subject or a fictional character. The ensemble of bio/fictional narratives reveals how Woolf's ideas and ideals resonate with French authors and common readers; they inform us about Woolf's iconicity and the universal values she stood for, which mirror current literary, cultural and political concerns and debates in France. Based on a close examination of twenty-five works published between 1956 and 2023, and authored by writers with eclectic professional backgrounds, the book surveys various portraits of Woolf as a feminist; a troubled genius prone to bouts of madness; a gifted innovative writer carried by the flow of her creative process; a woman in love; a competitive sister; an overprotected wife; a delighted sightseer in France; and a tormented, suicidal figure. Woolf's numerous representations as a character in French literature attest that she has acquired a reputation outside the English-speaking realm and has the capacity to adapt to other literary and cultural backgrounds. Her adoption by the French has proved to be mutually beneficial: Woolf has copiously nourished the French imagination; in turn, the French have contributed to augmenting Woolf's cultural capital and reinforcing her literary status beyond the geographical borders in which she was born and the cultural tradition in which she has been exerting a continuous influence for more than a century.
Virginia Woolf in the French Imagination features in the following genres: Literary theory, Literary studies: general
Virginia Woolf in the French Imagination is available in Hardback
Virginia Woolf in the French Imagination was written by Monica Latham and published by Routledge an imprint of Taylor & Francis
Virginia Woolf in the French Imagination has 308 pages
Yes it is part of Routledge Auto/biography Studies series
£130.50