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Jacob's Room
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Manufacturer: Harvest Books
Author: Virginia Woolf
Publisher: Harvest Books
Average Customer Rating:
Our Price: $11.05
You Save: $ 1.95 ( 15% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
Author: Virginia Woolf
Publisher: Harvest Books
Average Customer Rating:
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Jacob's Room Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780156457422
ISBN: 0156457423
Label: Harvest Books
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 180
Publication Date: 1950-01-01
Publisher: Harvest Books
Studio: Harvest Books
Dewey Decimal Number: 823.912
EAN: 9780156457422
ISBN: 0156457423
Label: Harvest Books
Manufacturer: Harvest Books
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 180
Publication Date: 1950-01-01
Publisher: Harvest Books
Studio: Harvest Books
Editorial Review of Jacob's Room
The story of a man’s life from a day in his childhood to the day of his death. “Jacob’s Room...comes as a tremendous surprise. The impossible has occurred. The style closely resembles that of Kew Gardens....The break with Night and Day and even with The Voyage Out is complete. A new type of fiction has swum into view” (E. M. Forster).
Customer Reviews of Jacob's Room
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Jacob's Nonlinear Narrated Discontented World
Review: By far the greatest virtue of this book is Woolf's deviation from adopting a traditional narrative structure. Although Jacob is the main character of the story, the narration does not solely focus on him, or anything remotely connected to him, or for that matter proceed in a straight chronological order. At least once in the course of the story, the narration goes backwards, forward, digresses, ends abruptly, unfinished, omits transitions, constantly switches what is being narrated, addresses the reader, frequently alternates between different characters point of views, and ends ambiguously.
On the other hand, the content, of what is being narrated, falls woefully short of matching the innovative narration style Woolf adopts. Nothing of any kind of significance occurs in the book; to be quite honest, the events are rather mundane. Two incidents that happened in Jacob's childhood are described, he goes off to college, attends a couple social events, has a couple relationships with girls, travels to France and Italy, and gets into a couple of fights with his friend Bonamy.
So, since one aspect of the novel (the structure) speaks in its favor, and another aspect (the content) speaks against it, is this a book you should read? To be fair, I should mention that there is actually more content in the book, it just happens to be implicitly implied throughout most of the book, but becomes apparent towards the book's end.
Buried within the story's unspectacular content, is Woolf's discontent with society. She ridicules the writing of letters, the leaving of calling cards, gossip, and women's obsession with fashion. Jacob calls people beastly, feels disgusted at social gatherings he attends, the describes the happiest moment of his life as be completely isolated from humanity and society atop a mountain, has an interest in politics because he wants to change the world, and as war descend upon the world, he leaves his possessions behind and bids society adieu. And perhaps the most important thing to point out is that pretty much everyone that sees Jacob, comments that he is beautiful. I think that his outer appearance is a reflection of his inner self; he is beautiful because by being aloof and critical of society, he has not been tainted by it.
All this can be read as Woolf agreeing with Rousseau about the corrosive affects society has on man. Society instead of ennobling and enlightening man has quite the opposite effect; society corrupts man.
So, if breaking with tradition and discontentment are your cup of tea, then this is the book for you.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Best Fiction by Woolf - Or Close To Her Best
Review: Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941) was a well known writer, critic, feminist, and publisher. This was her third novel.
As background information, I read her first novel "The Voyage Out" published in 1915, skipped her second novel - which is considered to be a flop, Night and Day from 1919 - and then read "Jacob's Room," her third, then went on and read "Mrs. Dalloway," her fourth, and next read "To The Lighthouse," etc. Also, I read some of Woolf's non-fiction.
"The Voyage Out" is simple and straightforward work and it might remind the reader of a Jane Austen novel, but it set on a ship and then at a remote location. It is over 400 pages long, and has an Austen theme. After her second novel - which did not do very well - Woolf decided to be more risky and creative with the next book. She changed her style and approach to the novel and Woolf uses the stream of consciousness technique to bring a sense of the chaos and shortness of a young man's life around the time of World War I, Jacob's life, i.e.: from the pandemonium of Jacob's life as portrayed by Woolf through the use of the stream of the consciousness technique, we eventually have clarity in the novel. She carries this writing style on into the similarly chaotic story in the novel "Mrs. Dalloway."
The present story is about a young man Jacob Flanders who goes to Cambridge as a student, then he goes on a trip to Italy and Greece, and then returns and goes on to fight in World War I. Without giving away any of the critical plot elements and possibly ruining the enjoyment of reading the book, one can say that this is a bit of an odd book. It starts slowly; the reader is not certain what Woolf is trying to accomplish and where she is going with the story. But if you stay with the read one gets into the stream of consciousness feel and rythm which gives a strong feeling or sensation to what Woolf is trying to achieve.
This is an excellent novel written by Woolf at her prime and is similar to Mrs.Dalloway but covers a different subject matter. Her approach lends itself to the subject and it is quite effective as in "Mrs. Dalloway." If you want to read a conventional novel by Woolf, then I recommend her first novel, "The Voyage Out."
In any case, I enjoyed the read and recommend it as a good example of Virginia Woolf's writing.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A classic, best read with a class and a knowledgable prof
Review: I'm taking a Virginia Woolf class this summer and Jacob's Room is the first book we read. I have to admit it was tough to get through and I didn't really like it on first glance, although every few pages there would be a line or phrase I enjoyed. However, the class discussion of the book was VERY interesting, and once the professor provided some background info and some reading tips that helped me understand the book and what Woolf was attempting to do with it, I found that I enjoyed it tons more. Elevated it from a two star book to a four star one..who knows, with a bit more cogitation, I might end up ranking it five stars!
Anyway, as a means of seeing Virginia Woolf's development as a writer, Jacob's Room is invaluable. It's also a powerful book about the nature of consciousness and relationships, as well as a moving anti-war statement. If you're not a Woolf scholar, or at least familiar with her style, you'll probably get more out of it if you read it in a classroom setting lead by an informed guide. A cornerstone of 20th Century Lit, this book is definitely worth the effort.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A fresh edition of an ever-fresh book
Review: "Jacob's Room" was Woolf's third novel, but the first where she felt free to trace "the flight of the mind" and discard any dead conventions which did not help convey her vision. Nor is there any elaborate stream-of-consciousness, in the late Henry James or Proustian manner: the real world is set before us with effervescent sensory detail, in that terse, suggestive, and witty style which makes her letters and essays so engaging. We are shown what life was like for Jacob Flanders, his adventures, friendships, travels, loves, right up to its abrupt ending: "It's not catastrophes, murders, deaths, diseases, that age and kill us; it's the way people look and laugh, and run up the steps of omnibuses." There isn't a dull page, and it reads as fresh and fast as if it had been written tomorrow morning.
The special feature of this Signet Classic is the introduction by Regina Marler, which offers one pertinent quotation or observation after another to orient the first-time reader, or refresh a return visitor. Her short course in the varied achievements of the Bloomsbury Group, those friends central to Woolf's development, is both assured and nuanced. Her placement of "Jacob's Room" in Woolf's career and the literary temper of the times shows how it anticipates the novel of the future while reflecting the recent painful past---the Great War that had ended just four years before it was published in 1922. Signet has given the text a very handsome presentation, and the up-to-date suggestions for further reading make one itch to visit the library. Woolf tempts us to "Think of a book as a very dangerous and exciting game which it takes two to play at"---and Marler furnishes the context we need to play along.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: virginia who?
Review: i'm sorry, but i couldn't even finish this book. i bought it used only because i thought oh, virginia is so famous! she must be wonderful! but was astonished at the lack of human thought that showed up, the lack of sense. i really had no idea of what was happening, even though i made it to pg. 100. jacob just runs on and on about sophocles, about greek philosophy--oh he's so deep. deep enough to make you regret getting this book.
Review Summary: Jacob's Nonlinear Narrated Discontented World
Review: By far the greatest virtue of this book is Woolf's deviation from adopting a traditional narrative structure. Although Jacob is the main character of the story, the narration does not solely focus on him, or anything remotely connected to him, or for that matter proceed in a straight chronological order. At least once in the course of the story, the narration goes backwards, forward, digresses, ends abruptly, unfinished, omits transitions, constantly switches what is being narrated, addresses the reader, frequently alternates between different characters point of views, and ends ambiguously.
On the other hand, the content, of what is being narrated, falls woefully short of matching the innovative narration style Woolf adopts. Nothing of any kind of significance occurs in the book; to be quite honest, the events are rather mundane. Two incidents that happened in Jacob's childhood are described, he goes off to college, attends a couple social events, has a couple relationships with girls, travels to France and Italy, and gets into a couple of fights with his friend Bonamy.
So, since one aspect of the novel (the structure) speaks in its favor, and another aspect (the content) speaks against it, is this a book you should read? To be fair, I should mention that there is actually more content in the book, it just happens to be implicitly implied throughout most of the book, but becomes apparent towards the book's end.
Buried within the story's unspectacular content, is Woolf's discontent with society. She ridicules the writing of letters, the leaving of calling cards, gossip, and women's obsession with fashion. Jacob calls people beastly, feels disgusted at social gatherings he attends, the describes the happiest moment of his life as be completely isolated from humanity and society atop a mountain, has an interest in politics because he wants to change the world, and as war descend upon the world, he leaves his possessions behind and bids society adieu. And perhaps the most important thing to point out is that pretty much everyone that sees Jacob, comments that he is beautiful. I think that his outer appearance is a reflection of his inner self; he is beautiful because by being aloof and critical of society, he has not been tainted by it.
All this can be read as Woolf agreeing with Rousseau about the corrosive affects society has on man. Society instead of ennobling and enlightening man has quite the opposite effect; society corrupts man.
So, if breaking with tradition and discontentment are your cup of tea, then this is the book for you.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: The Best Fiction by Woolf - Or Close To Her Best
Review: Virginia Woolf (1882 - 1941) was a well known writer, critic, feminist, and publisher. This was her third novel.
As background information, I read her first novel "The Voyage Out" published in 1915, skipped her second novel - which is considered to be a flop, Night and Day from 1919 - and then read "Jacob's Room," her third, then went on and read "Mrs. Dalloway," her fourth, and next read "To The Lighthouse," etc. Also, I read some of Woolf's non-fiction.
"The Voyage Out" is simple and straightforward work and it might remind the reader of a Jane Austen novel, but it set on a ship and then at a remote location. It is over 400 pages long, and has an Austen theme. After her second novel - which did not do very well - Woolf decided to be more risky and creative with the next book. She changed her style and approach to the novel and Woolf uses the stream of consciousness technique to bring a sense of the chaos and shortness of a young man's life around the time of World War I, Jacob's life, i.e.: from the pandemonium of Jacob's life as portrayed by Woolf through the use of the stream of the consciousness technique, we eventually have clarity in the novel. She carries this writing style on into the similarly chaotic story in the novel "Mrs. Dalloway."
The present story is about a young man Jacob Flanders who goes to Cambridge as a student, then he goes on a trip to Italy and Greece, and then returns and goes on to fight in World War I. Without giving away any of the critical plot elements and possibly ruining the enjoyment of reading the book, one can say that this is a bit of an odd book. It starts slowly; the reader is not certain what Woolf is trying to accomplish and where she is going with the story. But if you stay with the read one gets into the stream of consciousness feel and rythm which gives a strong feeling or sensation to what Woolf is trying to achieve.
This is an excellent novel written by Woolf at her prime and is similar to Mrs.Dalloway but covers a different subject matter. Her approach lends itself to the subject and it is quite effective as in "Mrs. Dalloway." If you want to read a conventional novel by Woolf, then I recommend her first novel, "The Voyage Out."
In any case, I enjoyed the read and recommend it as a good example of Virginia Woolf's writing.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A classic, best read with a class and a knowledgable prof
Review: I'm taking a Virginia Woolf class this summer and Jacob's Room is the first book we read. I have to admit it was tough to get through and I didn't really like it on first glance, although every few pages there would be a line or phrase I enjoyed. However, the class discussion of the book was VERY interesting, and once the professor provided some background info and some reading tips that helped me understand the book and what Woolf was attempting to do with it, I found that I enjoyed it tons more. Elevated it from a two star book to a four star one..who knows, with a bit more cogitation, I might end up ranking it five stars!
Anyway, as a means of seeing Virginia Woolf's development as a writer, Jacob's Room is invaluable. It's also a powerful book about the nature of consciousness and relationships, as well as a moving anti-war statement. If you're not a Woolf scholar, or at least familiar with her style, you'll probably get more out of it if you read it in a classroom setting lead by an informed guide. A cornerstone of 20th Century Lit, this book is definitely worth the effort.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: A fresh edition of an ever-fresh book
Review: "Jacob's Room" was Woolf's third novel, but the first where she felt free to trace "the flight of the mind" and discard any dead conventions which did not help convey her vision. Nor is there any elaborate stream-of-consciousness, in the late Henry James or Proustian manner: the real world is set before us with effervescent sensory detail, in that terse, suggestive, and witty style which makes her letters and essays so engaging. We are shown what life was like for Jacob Flanders, his adventures, friendships, travels, loves, right up to its abrupt ending: "It's not catastrophes, murders, deaths, diseases, that age and kill us; it's the way people look and laugh, and run up the steps of omnibuses." There isn't a dull page, and it reads as fresh and fast as if it had been written tomorrow morning.
The special feature of this Signet Classic is the introduction by Regina Marler, which offers one pertinent quotation or observation after another to orient the first-time reader, or refresh a return visitor. Her short course in the varied achievements of the Bloomsbury Group, those friends central to Woolf's development, is both assured and nuanced. Her placement of "Jacob's Room" in Woolf's career and the literary temper of the times shows how it anticipates the novel of the future while reflecting the recent painful past---the Great War that had ended just four years before it was published in 1922. Signet has given the text a very handsome presentation, and the up-to-date suggestions for further reading make one itch to visit the library. Woolf tempts us to "Think of a book as a very dangerous and exciting game which it takes two to play at"---and Marler furnishes the context we need to play along.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: virginia who?
Review: i'm sorry, but i couldn't even finish this book. i bought it used only because i thought oh, virginia is so famous! she must be wonderful! but was astonished at the lack of human thought that showed up, the lack of sense. i really had no idea of what was happening, even though i made it to pg. 100. jacob just runs on and on about sophocles, about greek philosophy--oh he's so deep. deep enough to make you regret getting this book.