Afterwords: Letters On The Death Of Virginia Woolf

by Sybil Oldfield (Editor)

A collection of letters sent to Leonard Woolf and Vanessa Bell in the aftermath of Virginia Woolf's suicide offers an fresh perspective on the life, death, and enduring impact of Virginia Woolf, in correspondence from T. S. Eliot, H. G. Wells, May Sarton, E. M. Forster, Vita Sackville-West, and other authors, political figures, and religious leaders.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature

220 pages, Hardcover

First published February 15, 2005

Reviews

[Paul · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is rather an oddity. A book of letters written in reaction to Virginia Woolf’s suicide. You might think that this would only be of interest to avid Bloomsbury fans, but there is more of interest. Most of the letters are to Leonard Woolf, some to Vanessa Bell. Those to LW are split into four sections; VW’s friends, LW’s friends, joint friends and the general public. Oldfield also provides potted biographies of quite a number of the letter writers, which is very useful.
A number of the letters ouch on a controversy shortly after VW’s death. The main suicide note was misquoted by the coroner. Here is the note;
“Tuesday.
Dearest,
I feel certain that I am going mad again. I feel we can’t go through another of those terrible times. And I shan’t recover this time. I begin to hear voices, and I can’t concentrate. So I am doing what seems the best thing to do. You have given me the greatest possible happiness. You have been in every way all that anyone could be. I don’t think two people could have been happier till this terrible disease came. I can’t fight any longer. I know that I am spoiling your life, that without me you could work. And you will I know. You see I can’t even write this properly. I can’t read. What I want to say is I owe all the happiness of my life to you. You have been entirely patient with me and incredibly good. I want to say that — everybody knows it. If anybody could have saved me it would have been you. Everything has gone from me but the certainty of your goodness. I can’t go on spoiling your life any longer.
I don’t think two people could have been happier than we have been.
V.”
The second sentence mentions “those terrible times”; the coroner read it as these terrible times and concluded the reason for her suicide was the war and its progress. This prompted a letter to The Times by Kathleen Hicks, wife of the Bishop of Lincoln;
“Many people, possibly even more ‘sensitive,’ have lost their all and seen appalling happenings, yet they take their part nobly in this fight for God against the devil. Where are our ideals of love and faith? And where shall we all be if we listen to and sympathise with this sort of ‘I cannot carry on.’”
This prompted reactions from many, including Leonard. It may be that it was more comfortable for some to believe that it was the war that was the reason for what happened.
Obviously letters of condolence can be repetitive and there is an element of that and there are also letters from those closest to Woolf. There are also letters form many, including members of the public who are saying that they had suffered with mental ill health or had close family members who did. Many of the letters from the general public just simply say how much Woolf’s work had inspired them. There was great eloquence and compassion.
There was also a chance to glimpse figures that I knew little about, feminists and socialists somewhat lost to history whose writings may well be worth looking for. For example the Argentinian writer and feminist Victoria Ocampo, who translated Woolf into Spanish, wrote “The dead whom we love dwell in us”.
What struck me most was the different narratives about depression. The establishment narrative reflected the views expressed in The Times, but those who knew Woolf and those who suffered in a similar way establish a different narrative.

[Noce · Rating 4 out of 5]

300 pagine di lettere indirizzate a Leonard Woolf e Vanessa Bell quando Virginia scelse di porre fine alla sua vita immergendosi nelle acque del fiume Ouse con le tasche piene di sassi. Incredibile e confortante come sia possibile esprimere il cordoglio in mille modi diversi e autentici senza risultare noiosi, artefatti o egotici. A maggior ragione fa effetto leggerlo oggi, abituati come siamo ad osservare come il massimo della fantasia stilistica virtuale - perché a mano non si scrive più - consista nella scelta tra il "RIP" e l'originale "insegna agli angeli a far qualcosa". 

Tra le decine di bellissime e commoventi lettere di amici e familiari che potrei citare ne scelgo una "diversa". Proviene da quella parte del libro dedicata alle lettere del pubblico, gente che non aveva mai conosciuto di persona la Woolf ma che aveva avuto modo di apprezzarne il valore attraverso i suoi libri. È qui che mi aspettavo l'omologazione più noiosa e invece ho colto la stessa vibrante sensazione di doloroso sconcerto di chi Virginia l'aveva invece vissuta da vicino.


"Mio caro signor Woolf, la notizia della morte di sua moglie mi ha scosso e rattristato. Per due giorni sono stato male e sbalordito a quel pensiero. Forse le parrà strano da una persona che non sapeva assolutamente nulla della vita privata della signora Woolf, che non l'aveva mai nemmeno incontrata. Ma penso che chiunque abbia conosciuto i suoi libri si senta come me. Attraverso tutti i suoi scritti passa il filo di una persona amabile e degna d'essere amata, sicché non si poteva non provare un affetto personale per la stessa signora Woolf. E l'abbiamo conosciuta al suo meglio. [...] Così, se può esserle di qualche conforto sapere che tante persone in ogni parte del mondo condividono il suo dolore, attinga a quella consolazione. L'autunno scorso ho scritto alla signora Woolf una lettera alla quale ha risposto. Ne ho spedita un'altra da St. Louis verso il 15 gennaio. Mi chiedo se l'ha mai ricevuta. Le condoglianze sono una cosa misera e inadeguata - in particolare da un estraneo, ma si sente il bisogno di fare o dire qualcosa, e tuttavia si rimane a bocca aperta. So di provare tanti sentimenti che le parole potrebbero solo falsare e rendere goffi e ridicoli. In un certo senso, sto scrivendo per me stesso. Non solo per lei sono addolorato, ma insieme a lei. 

Cari saluti, 

John Farrell, Jr. 


5 aprile 1941"

[Maryann Jorissen · Rating 4 out of 5]

Reading these letter allows one to get a glimpse of the life of Virginia. She was obviously brilliant and talented. Unfortunately, her mind had both a blessing and a curse.
Most of all though, these letters demonstrate the gift of prose that society once valued. Every letter, no matter how brief, expresses heartfelt sympathy with eloquence not seen in the present day. Society now lacks such beautiful expression. Hallmark cards just can't measure up to these letters of sympathy.

[Joseph Spuckler]

Simply a collection of letters to Leonard Woolf on the death of his wife. The book is edited into five sections. The first from Virginia's friends including Vita Sackville-West. The second section from mutual friends including members of the Bloomsbury Group and neighbors. The Third section from Leonard’s friends. The forth from the general public and the final section from Vanessa Bell's (Virginia's sister) circle of friends.

It is quite a collection and maybe for some a difficult subject to read about, but shows the wide reaching appeal of Virginia Woolf and the affect of her writing and works.

No stars because it is not a work of fiction or researched non-fiction and its small audience, but a must read for fans of Virginia Woolf


For myself and others it is the end of the world – T.S. Elliot

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent book. Anyone seriously interested in Virginia Woolf, her suicide, her attitudes toward war, and the opinions of her friends regarding her life would really enjoy this book. I know I did. It was very enlightening in parts.

[T · Rating 5 out of 5]

Other than being a peek into the heart of Woolf's galaxy and how she was seen by the people in it, this is a fascinating look at the custom and art of letter writing for those of us living in the age of social media posts of emoticons and lol's.

[Cassandra · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very interesting, sometimes melancholy.