In A Life of One's Own, Ilana Simons discusses Woolf's lifelong fascination with the inner workings of the mind and how attitude can influence behaviors that translate into how we relate to others. Simons accomplishes this by examining Woolf's volumes of fiction, essays, letters, diaries, and communications from her contemporaries. She presents, in a condensed form, several of these attitudes using examples from Woolf's life and writing as well as her own to demonstrate how we can apply these ideals to our own lives and relationships.
The chapter headings clue us into these nuggets of wisdom:
Speak Up
Accept Solitude
Shut Down
Take on Challenging Friendships
Find Steady Support
Work Hard, Even Without A Sign of Success
Lie to Encourage Your Friends
Find A Political Voice
Be Aware of Prejudice
Change Routines
Read Your Partner
Make Use of Time
and my favorite
Read and Be More
This book was a pleasure to read. I found it to be helpful, presenting ideas I would not have thought of on my own. (I am keeping it nearby as a reference.) Simons' gentle, persuasive writing was meditative for me, and I enjoyed reading sections of the chapters early in the morning before getting ready for work. I also found it to be a fascinating look at Woolf's psyche and to see how it played out in her fiction. It has renewed my interest in reading Woolf.
I recommend this book to those who enjoy Woolf as an author and a person, to those who might otherwise be put off by Woolf the icon to see the human side of her, and to those seeking a unique perspective in understanding our minds in order to enhance our lives. ( )