Can I read On Being Ill on EtoBox?

On Being Ill by Virginia Woolf is a philosophy book available to read on EtoBox.

What is On Being Ill about?

In this poignant and humorous work, Virginia Woolf observes that though illness is part of every human being's experience, it has never been the subject of literaturelike 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. And though illness enhances our perceptions, she observes that it reduces self-consciousness; it is "the great confessional." Woolf discusses the cultural taboos associated with illness and explores how illness changes the way we read. Poems clarify and astonish, Shakespeare exudes new brilliance, and so does melodramatic fiction! On Being Ill was published as an individual volume by Hogarth Press in 1930. While other Woolf essays, such as A Room of One's Own and Three Guineas , were first published by Hogarth as individual volumes and have since been widely available, On Being Ill has been overlooked. The Paris Press edition features original cover art by Woolf's sister, the painter Vanessa Bell. Hermione Lee's Introduction discusses this extraordinary work, and explores Woolf's revelations about poetry, language, and illness.

Who reads On Being Ill?

Author

Virginia Woolf

Publisher

Paris Press, Incorporated

Published

2002

Language

EN

ISBN

9781930464063

Category

philosophy

Subjects

Literary Fiction, Fiction, Memoir

Rating

4.01 / 5 (815 ratings)

Updated

2026-03-13