A Reflection of the Other Person (Collected Letters)

The Letters of Virginia Woolf #4

by Nigel Nicolson, Nigel Nicolson (Editor), Joanne Trautmann Banks (Editor)

These years were dominated by one woman and one book. The woman was Ethel Smyth; the book was The Waves. This volume's "unerringly human and confessional tone makes Woolf, at last, a real person" (San Francisco Chronicle). Edited by Nigel Nicolson and Joanne Trautmann; Introduction by Nigel Nicolson; Index; photographs.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, Literature, History, British Literature

Paperback

First published October 19, 1978

Reviews

[jrendocrine at least reading is good · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of course VW letters are only for the VERY adherent, which includes me after all these years.

This 4th volume is around 1930 - VW is over her love affair with Vita (although continues to love her), refrains from commenting on what is a degenerating European political situation, and doubles down on writing The Waves. She develops an intense relationship with Ethel Smyth, an under-celebrated composer and feminist icon. Virginia continues to be incredibly egoistical and so needy, and yet a writer of genius. She is constantly ill with "influenza" or headaches - I do wonder what diagnosis she would have in this century.

It is worth noting that VW is entirely a woman of her time - very snobbish, critical, and class conscious - and honestly wouldn't have given a peasant like me the time of day. Which makes these letters all the more impressive that they can engage peasants so completely, even though we don't really want to motor down to Rodmell and splash about on our rubber boats.

By the end of the volume, VW has completed and published The Waves to great acclaim – listening in the car to the audible version maybe about 10 y ago was my first true coming to VW. I will listen again this month.

[Kristi Hovington · Rating 5 out of 5]

In this volume, Virginia writes to Vita (after hearing Vita's interview on the BBC): "how on earth have you mastered the art of being subtle, profound, humorous, arch, coy, satirical, affectionate, intimate, profane, colloquial, solemn, sensible, poetical and a dear old shaggy sheep dog...?" If I could write as well as Virginia, I would say the same about her. Reading Woolf's letters is absolutely mesmerising, like being a fly on the wall of the smartest, most interesting person you've never met.

Her relationship with Vita shifts during these years, and Ethel Smyth (composer, author) becomes her most frequent correspondent. What she writes about with Ethel is so different than her conversations with Vita, or her sister, and therefore we, as readers, learn sides of her she hasn't presented yet in epistolary form. And she writes in a completely different style; Ethel is the recipient of many of her sharpest barbs, and some of her most clear observations about herself, writing, and the world. In this volume, she mentions contemplating suicide (to Ethel) and of course, we, as readers, know she will complete the act in 10 years time. But it is gutting to read, nonetheless.

She writes "The Waves" and other essays during this time period, and receives and responds to fan mail re: Orlando and A Room of One's Own and has so much to say about the literary circle of her time - some catty (Joyce and Hemingway), some glowing (Lawrence, Forster, Huxley), all delicious to read.

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

These letters include some quite sharp ones to Ethel Smyth - I found some of them a bit disturbing somehow. It is interesting to note the differences in letters describing the same events to different people, which is the point of the title given to this volume, I presume. There is a very amusing account of a visit by T. S. Eliot and his wife, and, as always, many little asides which fill in the picture of cultural life in London and the attractions of country life in Sussex.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

I wish more people were aware of how witty and exuberant Virginia Woolf could be, rather than how often people focus on her death. Reading her letters invokes such an array of emotions in me – some of them are so genuinely funny I laugh out loud, and a few lines later she manages to say something so incredibly eloquent and profound she has me crying.

And it’s something so simple but this line, considering all we know about her, touched me so deeply.

“This is life: and I adore it.”

[Ellen · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is Woolf in her prime, witty and humorous, and so much fun to read. I'll definitely reread the entire series of letters at some point. What's fun also is to keep a list of the books Woolf's reading and read them oneself - some of them are really good. However, locating them can be a real problem as so many are out of print.