The Letters of Virginia Woolf Volume VI: 1936 - 1941

The Letters of Virginia Woolf #6

by Nigel Nicolson

The final volume of Virginia Woolf's remarkable letters. Edited by Nigel Nicolson and Joanne Trautmann.

Genres: Nonfiction, Biography, British Literature, Memoir

Paperback

First published January 1, 1980

Reviews

[Kristi Hovington · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there is a better letter writer in the English language than Woolf, I’d truly love to know so I can read them, too. Her letters to Vanessa and Vita are the standouts of this volume, and of course her three final letters, two versions to Leonard and one to Vanessa.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is it! If you've ever been one that enjoyed reading the personal writings of your heroes, this is the one that will make you laugh, cry, and otherwise drop your jaw/raise your eybrows/rub your chin and brow academically/etc. Most touching, is her final letter to Leonard; I cried like a baby, after closing the book post-reading this beautifully emotional, intimate, and devoted note to her husband. I also found the flirtatious letters between her and her "Dolphin" to be exquisite, stimulating all sorts of questions and curiosities; as well as answering a few.
I've never seen "The Hours," and I doubt that I ever will. This book has provided me with such an intimate connection to the writer, that her own self-image is cemented into my vision of her and her life; so much so, that any actor's portrayal of her could never be up to par with the real thing (no matter how good they are).
Woolf's letters are intensely vast in number, and I seem to be going at them in a rather unconventional way. You see, I've started out in reverse. I'm currently on the look out for a cheap paperback copy of volume five, so I can move forward/backward, and continue to dive further into the depths of Woolf's psyche.
If you're at all considering it, read Woolf's letters.

[Kate · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was the letters to Vanessa that really stood out for me in this volume, for example:

”If you notice a dancing light on the water, that’s me. The light kisses your nose, then your eyes, and you can’t rub it off; my darling honey how I adore you, and Lord knows I can’t say what it means to me to come into the room and find you sitting there.”

”I feel a lost old crone without you all: you can’t think how I depend upon you, and when you’re not there the colour goes out of life, as water from a sponge; and I merely exist, dry, and dusty. This is the exact truth: but not a very beautiful illustration of my complete adoration of you; and longing to sit, even saying nothing, and look at you.”

Just gorgeous as always. But this time there was definitely an added element of heartbreak when I got to her last letters. My love for her just groooows.

[Alicia · Rating 5 out of 5]

'Against you I will fling myself, unvanquished and unyielding, O Death!'
What a woman, what a life. What else is there left to say?

[Helen · Rating 4 out of 5]

The final volume! I read the rest, and the diaries, last year so I lost the thread a bit, but these are generally funny and chatty letters. Apart from the suicide notes there is not much to indicate a looming crisis, and the end when it comes is rather abrupt. There's quite an edge to some of her letters to Vita Sackville-West, and also Ethel Smyth with whom she falls out occasionally.
Poor Leonard Woolf!