Title: The nightmare of history
First published: 1998
Description: The Nightmare of History: The Fictions of Virginia Woolf and D. H. Lawrence is an attempt to show the influence of the First World War on the literary and cultural attitudes of these two seminal, yet very different, writers. It demonstrates that Woolf and Lawrence shared many perspectives about the dislocations and horrors created by war, as well as potential, although probably unachievable, cultural resurrection.

Helen Wussow reveals that the authors' uses of language, their shaping of verbal forms applied simultaneously to issues of personal relationship and public or cultural history, show remarkable similarities. She argues that the works of these two authors are informed by the dynamics of conflict. Yet, at the same time, Wussow is always aware of significant differences between Lawrence's and Woolf's fictions.
Subjects: English Historical fiction, English War stories, English fiction, Historical fiction, English, History, History and criticism, Knowledge, Literature and the war, War in literature, War stories, English, World War, 1914-1918, Woolf, virginia, 1882-1941, Lawrence, d. h. (david herbert), 1885-1930, English fiction, history and criticism, 20th century, World war, 1914-1918, literature and the war, Historical fiction, history and criticism, War stories, history and criticism, War and literature, English, Irish, Scottish, Welsh, LITERARY CRITICISM, European, Roman anglais, Histoire et critique, Récits de guerre anglais, Guerre dans la littérature, Knowledge and learning
Places: Great Britain
People: D. H. Lawrence (1885-1930), Virginia Woolf (1882-1941)
Time periods: 20th century
LC classification: PR888.W65 W87 1998