Virginia Woolf's Novels and the Literary Past

This book argues that Woolf's preoccupation with the literary past had a profound impact on the content and structure of her novels.

It analyses Woolf's reading and writing practices via her essays, diaries and reading notebooks in order to provide a framework for examining her response to the literary past. It presents chronological studies of eight novels, exploring how Woolf's intensive reading surfaced in her fiction. The book sheds light on Woolf's varied and intricate use of literary allusions; examines ways in which Woolf revisited and revised plots and tropes from earlier fiction; and looks at how she used parody as a means both of critical comment and homage.

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