The Common Reader cover

The Common Reader

by Virginia Woolf

Contains 26 essays on aspects of English literature. Among her subjects are the writings of Mary Wollstonecraft, Dorothy Wordsworth, and Christina Rossetti. She also reflects on the poetry of John Donne; the works of Daniel Defoe, Lawrence Sterne, George Meredith, and Thomas Hardy; Lord Chesterfield’s letters; and Thomas De Quincey’s autobiography. Noteworthy too is the last essay, "How Should One Read a Book?".

More by Virginia Woolf

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?