A Society: A comical absurdity

Known as one of the foremost modernist novelists of the twentieth century, Virginia Woolf also wrote several shorter works. In 'A Society,' one of her earlier short stories, a young woman receives a substantial inheritance from her father, on the condition that she reads all of the books in London Library. Distressed by the unsatisfactory quality of the literature itself, she shares her woes with a group of female friends. The women decide that they all must seek out knowledge for themselves, visiting some of England's most iconic landmarks. A commentary on war, art, and the societal roles of men and women, 'A Society' offers a brief but penetrating glimpse into Woolf's literary genius.