130,000+ Books, Games & Puzzles in-stock 🇳🇿

Come visit us this weekend!🚀 Auckland Bookstore • Open 7 days, 8:30am–5pm

Lolly Willowes

By Sylvia Townsend Warner
Penguin Classics
Series: Little Clothbound Classics
0.0 (0 reviews)
3.7 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 12,301 ratings, 1,938 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Lolly Willowes follows Laura Willowes, a woman who, after her father's death, feels stifled by her mundane life in London with her overbearing family. Seeking independence, she moves to a small village, where she finds liberation and self-identity in unexpected ways, amid elements of witchcraft and rebellion against societal norms. This enchanting narrative explores themes of autonomy and self-discovery.
Read More
Format: Hardback
$2400
Elsewhere:
$2600
Backorder
STOCK ARRIVING MID OCTOBER Order now to secure your copy from our next shipment

Found a better price? Request a price match

Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

You might enjoy this enchanting tale if you appreciate stories about self-discovery and independence, as it follows a woman's journey to break free from societal constraints and find her true self in unexpected ways. It's a delightful read for those who love exploring themes of magic, mysticism, and feminism in an engaging and thought-provoking narrative.

Book Hero thinking about your next read

"In this early feminist classic, a London spinster breaks free from her controlling family and escapes to the countryside. She soon discovers that her new neighbors are a coven of bohemian witches and eventually encounters Satan himself, who is ready to make a pact"--

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Introducing Little Clothbound Classics — irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith.

Lolly Willowes, so gentle and accommodating, has depths no one suspects. When she suddenly announces that she is leaving London and moving, alone, to the depths of the countryside, her overbearing relatives are horrified. But Lolly has a greater, far darker calling than family — witchcraft.

Series: Little Clothbound Classics

View all
  • White Nights
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics – irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Regarded as one of world literature's foremost novelists, Fyodor Dostoyevsky's short stories are also some of the best ever written. White Nights tells of love and loss on the streets of St. Petersburg. A Nasty...
    By Fyodor Dostoyevsky
    Hardback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Metamorphosis
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short works by the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. One morning, ordinary salesman Gregor Samsa wakes up to find himself transformed into a giant cockroach. Metamorphosis, Kafka's masterpiece of unease and black humour, is one of the twentieth century's most influential works of fiction, and is accompanied here by...
    By Franz Kafka and Michael Hoffman
    Hardback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Library of Babel
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Jorge Luis Borges remains one of the most influential short story writers of the twentieth century, whose spellbinding tales of magic, mystery, and murder are shot through with deep philosophical paradoxes. This collection brings together many of...
    By Jorge Luis Borges
    Hardback
    $2300
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Fall
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Jean-Baptiste Clamence—refined, handsome, forty, a former successful lawyer—is in turmoil. Over several drunken nights, he regales a chance acquaintance with his story. He talks of parties and his debauchery, of Parisian nights and the Aegean sea, and,...
    By Albert Camus
    Hardback
    $2800
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Of Ghosts and Goblins
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics — irresistible, mini editions of short works by the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. In this haunting collection, the phantoms and ghouls of Japanese folklore stalk the page. Of Ghosts and Goblins by Lafcadio Hearn, a master storyteller, draws on traditional Japanese folklore, infused with memories of his own haunted childhood in...
    By Lafcadio Hearn
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Letters to a Young Poet
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Over the course of six years, Rainer Maria Rilke wrote a series of letters to a young officer cadet, advising him on writing, love, suffering, and the nature of advice itself. These profound and lyrical letters...
    By Rainer Maria Rilke
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Cosmicomics
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Cosmicomics by Italo Calvino presents twelve enchanting and fantastical stories about the evolution of the universe. This collection, penned by the giant of Italian literature, features characters—whether human, dinosaur, or mollusc—who disport themselves among galaxies, experience the...
    By Italo Calvino
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Star-Child
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics—irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. With warmth, tenderness, and quiet wit, Oscar Wilde's fables and fairy tales have moved and delighted for generations. In far-off kingdoms and ocean realms, in the company of giants and nightingales, Wilde speaks of heartbreak and redemption,...
    By Oscar Wilde
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Chess
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. A group of passengers on a cruise ship challenge the world chess champion to a match. At first, they crumble, until they are helped by whispered advice from a stranger in the crowd – a man...
    By Stefan Zweig
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Child's Christmas in Wales
    By Dylan Thomas
    Hardback
    $3000
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • About Love
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics — irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. Widely considered to be one of the greatest ever writers of the form, Anton Chekhov's short stories offer unforgettable character, crystalline expression, and a beautiful, quiet uncertainty. Collected here are five of his very best...
    By Anton Chekhov
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • The Prophet
    Introducing Little Clothbound Classics: irresistible, mini editions of short stories, novellas, and essays from the world's greatest writers, designed by the award-winning Coralie Bickford-Smith. In this inspirational, allegorical guide, Al Mustafa the prophet delivers spiritual yet practical homilies on the work of living—covering beauty, truth, possessions, sorrow, joy, death, and more. Translated into more than fifty languages and among the...
    By Kahlil Gibran
    Hardback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

Lolly Willowes by Sylvia Townsend Warner is praised for its unexpected turn from a beautifully crafted family saga into a remarkable exploration of independence and individuality. The book is lauded for its act of defiance that resonates deeply and some readers consider it a comforting and soul-gladdening read.

Book Hero reading reviews

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780241573785

Publisher: Penguin Books Ltd

Format: Hardback

Date Published: 25 August 2022

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Penguin Classics

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 20.0mm

Width: 114.0mm

Height: 164.0mm

Weight: 220g

Pages: 208

Collections

Classic Fiction Classic General Fiction Education & Reference Fantasy Fiction General Fiction Humour Literary Fiction Penguin Books Penguin Classics Penguin Classics: General Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy Series: Little Clothbound Classics Sylvia Townsend Warner

About the Author

Sylvia Townsend Warner (1893-1978) grew up in rural Devonshire before moving to London and writing her debut novel, Lolly Willowes (1926). With her partner Valentine Ackland, she was active in the Communist Party and served in the Red Cross during the Spanish Civil War. Her novels include Mr Fortune's Maggot, The True Heart, Summer Will Show, After the Death of Don Juan, The Corner That Held Them and The Flint Anchor.

Also by Sylvia Townsend Warner

View all
  • The True Heart
    The True Heart is a love story set in Victorian England by one of the most original writers of the twentieth century. Leaving her orphanage at sixteen, Sukey Bond finds employment as a servant in the remote New Easter Farm, deep within the Essex Marshes. There she falls in love with simple, gentle Eric, the son of the rector's wife....
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Summer Will Show
    Summer Will Show by Sylvia Townsend Warner is an extraordinary re-imagining of historical fiction. The novel explores the tale of a Victorian woman's love for her husband's mistress. The story follows a young English aristocrat who, cut adrift by tragedy, is led by her husband's former mistress deep into the fervour, chaos, and bloodshed of the French revolution. Summer Will...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Flint Anchor
    A brilliant exploration of power and dysfunction in Victorian England Pillar of society and stern upholder of Victorian values, god-fearing Norfolk merchant John Barnard presides over a large and largely unhappy family. This is their story - his brandy-swilling wife, their hapless offspring and their changing fortunes - over the decades. Sylvia Townsend Warner's last novel, The Flint Anchor gloriously...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Corner That Held Them
    A masterpiece of historical fiction, The Corner That Held Them depicts the lives of medieval nuns amid the turmoil of rebellion and the Black Death. Sylvia Townsend Warner's portrayal of a fourteenth-century nunnery is widely considered to be one of the greatest historical novels of all time. An often hilarious ode to community living, it is also a poignant, delicate...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Winter in the Air
    One of our finest writers. - Neil Gaiman One of the most shamefully under-read great British authors of the past 100 years. - Sarah Waters Diminutive masterpieces ... Hand yourself over to be enchanted. - Guardian Extraordinary, lucid wildness. - Helen MacDonald Glinting perfection - The Times Decades after her divorce, a lady returns to the village of her tumultuous...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2799
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • Lolly Willowes
    Considered an early feminist classic, Sylvia Townsend Warner's Lolly Willowes; Or The Loving Huntsman is a fantastical comedy about a middle-aged witch and her search for peace that was selected as the first ever Book of the Month upon publication in 1926. When her father died, Laura Willowes went to live in London with her elder brother and his family....
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $3299
    Available
    Ships in 4-6 weeks
  • After the Death of Don Juan
    A brilliant hybrid of myth, history and fantasy from Sylvia Townsend Warner, one of the twentieth century's great novelists. Don Juan, that notorious libertine, has disappeared. Has he been dragged down to hell by demons, as rumoured - or has he escaped? Dona Ana, the woman he tried to seduce, will stop at nothing to discover the truth. Set in...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Mr Fortune's Maggot
    One of Sylvia Townsend Warner's best-loved novels—a droll and deeply affecting story of love and disillusionment on a remote tropical island. After three years on the remote tropical island of Fanua, Timothy Fortune, a missionary from London, has made little headway. The islanders show very little interest in Christianity and he has only a single convert—a boy, Lueli. As Mr...
    By Sylvia Townsend Warner
    Paperback
    $2400
    Elsewhere:
    $2600
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

More from General Fiction

View all
  • Lizzy's Pick Lizzy's Pick
    Yesteryear
    A BOLD AND BITING SATIRE. WILL HAVE YOU GASPING TO THE FINAL PAGE — Nita Prose WICKEDLY FUNNY, BEAUTIFULLY WRITTEN AND FRIGHTENINGLY PERCEPTIVE — Abigail Dean INVENTIVE, ADDICTIVE, A WILD RIDE — Ashley Audrain SHOT THROUGH WITH HUMOUR AND LACED WITH DARKNESS — Clare Mackintosh The Stepford Wives meets The Handmaid's Tale — Hannah Deitch My name was Natalie Heller...
    By Caro Claire Burke
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3699
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Dylan's Pick Dylan's Pick
    Theo of Golden
    THE INTERNATIONAL BESTSELLING PHENOMENON'For anything to be truly good, there must be love in it. Nothing is what it's supposed to be if love is not at the core.' One morning, a stranger arrives in the town of Golden. No one knows who he is or where he came from…His name is Theo and he's arrived there by chance –...
    By Allen Levi
    Paperback
    $2899
    Elsewhere:
    $3499
    (6)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • The Wedding People
    'BEST READ OF THE YEAR SO FAR' THE TIMES 'BOOKS AS FUN AS THIS ONE ARE FEW AND FAR BETWEEN' GUARDIAN Phoebe Stone arrives at a grand beachside hotel in Rhode Island wearing her best dress and least comfortable shoes. Immediately she is mistaken for one of the wedding people — but she's actually the only guest at the Cornwall...
    By Alison Espach
    Paperback
    $2399
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day contains thirteen stories starring your favorite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-color illustrations by artist Joe Requeza.    Rebecca Yarros is the #1 New York Times, USA Today, and Wall Street Journal bestselling author of over twenty novels, including Fourth Wing and In the...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $6999
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Pre-order
    Chain Reaction
    Jack Reacher, \"the coolest continuing series character\" (Stephen King), returns in a brand new, pulse-pounding read from Lee and Andrew Child. The world’s bestselling hero is back in a brand new, high-octane adventure! ‘She knew that finding Reacher would not be easy . . .’ Washington DC. General Susan Turner needs help from the only guy she knows will get...
    By Lee Child and Andrew Child
    Paperback
    $2999
    Elsewhere:
    $3800
    Pre-order
    Out 20 Oct 2026
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses Paperback Box Set (5 books)
    All five of the Court of Thorns and Roses paperbacks packaged together in a gorgeous box set. "Passionate, violent, sexy and daring." —USA TODAY on A Court of Thorns and Roses Feyre is a huntress. The skin of a wolf would bring enough gold to feed her sisters for a month. But the life of a magical creature comes at...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Set
    $9999
    Elsewhere:
    $12495
    (4)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • Threshing Day
    New Release
    Threshing Day
    The next book in the blockbuster Empyrean series, Threshing Day, contains thirteen stories starring your favourite characters and their dragons. The deluxe first edition includes sixteen beautiful original full-colour illustrations by artist Joe Requeza and silver-gilded edges. *while stock lasts. Discover the beloved world of the record-breaking, multi-million-copy bestselling series where power always demands a price, secrets darken every hallway,...
    By Rebecca Yarros
    Hardback
    $4999
    Elsewhere:
    $5500
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Mist and Fury
    A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas continues Feyre Archeron's epic journey in the world of the High Fae. Having survived the brutal trials under the Mountain, Feyre returns to the Spring Court. Though she now possesses the immortal powers of the High Fae, the traumatic experiences have left scars on her human heart. Haunted by the...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Thorns and Roses
    The first instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON and TikTok sensation, from multi-million selling and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. Maas has established herself as a fantasy fiction titan – Time Harry Potter magic, Taylor Swift sass, Fifty Shades-level athleticism – The Sunday Times With bits of Buffy, Game of Thrones and Outlander, this is a glorious series...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (3)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Wings and Ruin
    The third instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million and #1 Sunday Times bestselling author Sarah J. Maas. In A Court of Wings and Ruin, the gripping third book of the ACOTAR series, Feyre Archeron faces the ultimate battle for her world. Having returned to the Spring Court, she is determined to gather...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    (1)
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Frost and Starlight
    In A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas, readers are invited to revisit the enchanting world of Prythian in a heartwarming and introspective narrative. Set against the backdrop of the Winter Solstice, Feyre Archeron and her mate Rhysand return to centre stage as they strive to restore the Night Court after the devastating conflicts of A Court...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2100
    Elsewhere:
    $2299
    In Stock
    Ships Monday
  • A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    Limited Edition
    A Court of Silver Flames - Night Court Edition
    The magic and beauty of the Night Court is captured in these LIMITED EDITIONS of the Court of Thorns and Roses series! This Night Court Edition features the Night Court symbol on a striking black and silver foiled cover and includes black sprayed edges. The latest instalment of the GLOBAL PHENOMENON, romantic fantasy epic and TikTok sensation, ACOTAR. From multi-million...
    By Sarah J. Maas
    Paperback
    $2500
    Elsewhere:
    $2799
    In Stock
    Ships Monday

Why buy from us?

Book Hero is not a chain store or big box retailer. We're an independent 100% NZ-owned business on a mission to help more Kiwis rediscover a love of books and reading!

Service & Delivery

Service & Delivery

Our warehouse in Auckland holds over 100,000 books, toys, board games and puzzles in-stock so you're not waiting for your order to arrive from overseas.

Auckland Bookstore

Auckland Bookstore

We're primarily an online store, but for your convenience you can pick up your order for free from our bookstore, which is right next door to our warehouse in Hobsonville.

Our Gifting Service

Our Gifting Service

Books make wonderful thoughtful gifts and we're here to help with gift-wrapping and cards. We can even send your gift directly to your loved one.

General Fiction lists from the team

Explore our curated lists from our heroes to find your next read!

The Latest at Book Hero

View all