Virginia Woolf (1882-941) is one of the most interesting writers of our century. In this introductory book, John Batchelor tells the story of her life and writing career, highlighting the important aspects of Woolf's temperament: her passion, her learning, her acute intelligence, her lesbianism, her self-absorption. He discusses the works, devoting separate chapters to the five major novels: Jacob's Room, with its highly ironic celebration of masculinity;...