Night and Day

As Katharine Hilbery, the granddaughter of a famous man of letters buried in Poets’ Corner, is helping her mother write the biography of their illustrious progenitor, she becomes engaged to William Rodney, a budding writer with an exaggerated opinion of his own poetical talent. Meanwhile, the suffragette Mary Datchet is in love with Ralph Denham, a lawyer and reviewer from a lowly background, who in turn feels more attracted to Katharine. As the stories and the romantic interests of these four young people evolve and intertwine, a picture emerges of a society still obsessed with class and hung up on the social mores of the Victorian era. By far the most accessible and traditional of all Virginia Woolf’s novels, Night and Day is a powerful evocation of a fast-changing world, and, though conventional in style, addresses many of the author’s recurring preoccupations, such as the role of women in society and the difficulties in reconciling love and marriage.

As Katharine Hilbery, the granddaughter of a famous man of letters buried in Poets’ Corner, is helping her mother write the biography of their illustrious progenitor, she becomes engaged to William Rodney, a budding writer with an exaggerated opinion of his own poetical talent. Meanwhile, the suffragette Mary Datchet is in love with Ralph Denham, a lawyer and reviewer from a lowly background, who in turn feels more attracted to Katharine. As the stories and the romantic interests of these four young people evolve and intertwine, a picture emerges of a society still obsessed with class and hung up on the social mores of the Victorian era. By far the most accessible and traditional of all Virginia Woolf’s novels, Night and Day is a powerful evocation of a fast-changing world, and, though conventional in style, addresses many of the author’s recurring preoccupations, such as the role of women in society and the difficulties in reconciling love and marriage.

'Woolf's pivotal novel ... the writer feels her way into becoming the giantess she would be' Paris Review Virginia Woolf's delicate second novel is both a love story and a social comedy, yet it also subtly undermines these traditions, questioning a woman's role and the very nature of experience. Its protagonist, Katharine Hilbery, is beautiful and privileged but uncertain of her future. She must choose between becoming engaged to the oddly prosaic poet William, and her dangerous attraction to the lower-class Ralph. As she tries to decide, the lives of two other women - women's rights activist Mary Datchet and Katharine's mother, struggling with the weight of history - impinge on hers with unexpected and intriguing consequences. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Julia Briggs

'Woolf's pivotal novel ... the writer feels her way into becoming the giantess she would be' Paris Review Virginia Woolf's delicate second novel is both a love story and a social comedy, yet it also subtly undermines these traditions, questioning a woman's role and the very nature of experience. Its protagonist, Katharine Hilbery, is beautiful and privileged but uncertain of her future. She must choose between becoming engaged to the oddly prosaic poet William, and her dangerous attraction to the lower-class Ralph. As she tries to decide, the lives of two other women - women's rights activist Mary Datchet and Katharine's mother, struggling with the weight of history - impinge on hers with unexpected and intriguing consequences. Edited with an Introduction and Notes by Julia Briggs

Virginia Woolf's 1919 novel "Night and Day", her second novel, is an examination of the relationships of its four main characters: Katharine Hilbery, Mary Datchet, Ralph Denham, and William Rodney. The granddaughter of a distinguished poet, Katherine Hilbery, is struggling with the expectation that she will be a great writer. She is torn between the prospect of marrying either William Rodney, a budding poet who attempts to impress her with his mediocre verse, and Ralph Denham, a lawyer who occasionally has articles published by Katharine's father. Mary Datchet, a champion for woman's suffrage, is the character whom the others in the novel often seek out to confess their true feelings with regard to their own love or anguish. Woolf's "Night and Day" is considerably one of her most traditional works. While it lacks the stylistic flair that fans of her later works will be accustomed to, it dramatically explores the issues of woman's suffrage and the struggle of women in modern society to balance endeavors of love, marriage, and vocation. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.

Virginia Woolf's 1919 novel "Night and Day", her second novel, is an examination of the relationships of its four main characters: Katharine Hilbery, Mary Datchet, Ralph Denham, and William Rodney. The granddaughter of a distinguished poet, Katherine Hilbery, is struggling with the expectation that she will be a great writer. She is torn between the prospect of marrying either William Rodney, a budding poet who attempts to impress her with his mediocre verse, and Ralph Denham, a lawyer who occasionally has articles published by Katharine's father. Mary Datchet, a champion for woman's suffrage, is the character whom the others in the novel often seek out to confess their true feelings with regard to their own love or anguish. Woolf's "Night and Day" is considerably one of her most traditional works. While it lacks the stylistic flair that fans of her later works will be accustomed to, it dramatically explores the issues of woman's suffrage and the struggle of women in modern society to balance endeavors of love, marriage, and vocation. This edition is printed on premium acid-free paper.