Literary Nonfiction. Introduction by Hermione Lee. Cover art by Vanessa Bell. In this poignant and humorous work, Virginia Woolf observes that though illness is a part of every human being's experience, it has rarely been the focus of literature—like the more acceptable subjects of war and love. We cannot quote Shakespeare to describe a headache. We must, Woolf says, invent language to describe pain. Illness enhances our perceptions and, she observes, it reduces self-consciousness; it is "the great confessional." Woolf discusses the taboos associated with illness and she explores how it changes our relationship to the world around us.
Author City: London UK