Lolly Willowes

By Sylvia Townsend Warner

Book Overview

"Lolly Willowes" is a pioneering work of feminist fiction that explores the liberation of a woman from the stifling constraints of domesticity and societal expectations. The story follows Laura Willowes, a middle-aged woman affectionately but dismissively known as "Lolly" by her relatives, who has spent twenty years serving as the dutiful maiden aunt in her brother's London household. Seeking an escape from her prescribed role, Laura makes the radical decision to move to the village of Great Waltham in the Chilterns.

In the solitude of the English countryside, Laura discovers a profound connection to nature and a sense of self that had long been suppressed. However, her newfound autonomy is soon threatened by the arrival of her overbearing nephew. In a quest to secure her absolute independence, Laura enters into a pact with the devil, embracing witchcraft as a means of reclaiming her life and soul. Sylvia Townsend Warner crafts a witty and subversive tale that blends social satire with the supernatural, offering a poignant critique of the limited lives of women in the early twentieth century. "Lolly Willowes" remains a celebrated masterpiece for its elegant prose and its timeless exploration of the pursuit of personal freedom.

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• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1025810058
• ISBN13: 9781025810058
• Release Date: February 2026
• Publisher: Tradd Street Press
• Length: 258 Pages
• Weight: 1.19 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.2" x 0.6" x 6.1"

Customer Reviews

Superb Feminist Classic

I also cannot believe that just because the heroine (spoiler warning..) abandons her relatives, runs off to the forest, dances with the devil, adopts a black cat, and becomes a witch they put this in horror. That's an outrage. This is one of the classic pieces of women's literature of all time and when I went to college it was required reading at the UW (Washington, not Wisconsen). The book, besides having obvious overtones of individuality and escape from oppression/societal norms, deals with a wider array of controversial (still, but especially then) topics than can be easily summarized. (For instance, book could be read as very existentialist because it's never quite certain that she didn't dream it all) Suffice it to say that the book is an extraordinary read. Also, it is a small book, sparsely written, episodic, plot-driven, but with just enough sparkling detail to keep the reader transfixed. And it is funny. My favorite part is when she meets the satan-cat and realizes the cat is the devil but she is, though mildly alarmed at first, too impressed by his "Satanic playfullness" to worry.

An astonishing edition of an astonishing novel

These new little NYRB editions are just honeys--I have yet to read one that wasn't absolutely spectacular (the editors have superb taste), and the editions themselves are little gems--they FEEL so nice in your hands because they're made of gorgeous high quality paper and set in a lovely font.Warner's novel is fantastic--its rhythms are slow but musical, and it takes quite a while to determine what awaits Laura in Great Mop. A very, very funny book that also comments movingly on the condition of "odd women" in the generation before Suffrage... I couldn't put this down!

Academy Chicago Publishers does it again

Lolly Willowes is the spirited story of a woman searching for herself. The themes in this book are as applicable now as they were when it was written. Thank you to Academy Chicago for bringing us this beautiful edition with an insightful introduction (they also use the original cover art).

Amusing, offbeat book about living your own life.

Lolly Willowes escapes a confining life as the dependent relation, the spinster, of an earlier era. However, her need to shuck a rigid identity, whether externally or self-imposed, is one we can all still understand. Her new home in an obscure English village is as much a surprise to her as to the reader. A not entirely welcome cat moves in with her, and she finds that the Devil can be rather an attractive neighbor. I wish this book would be reprinted.

A story of rebellion and liberation.

What's this doing in the Horror section! It's a beautifully written story of a woman who rebels and finds her own unique sort of contentment after a lifetime of meeting other people's wishes and expectations. Profoundly subversive and very memorable.