Growing: An Autobiography of the Years 1904 to 1911

Autobiography of Leonard Woolf #2

by Leonard Woolf

Woolf's account of his seven years as a civil servant in Ceylon. "He has a seemingly effortless way with words which is beautiful and spellbinding" (J. M. Edelstein, New Republic). Index; photographs.

Genres: Biography, Memoir, Nonfiction, Autobiography

264 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1961

About the author

Leonard Sidney Woolf was a noted British political theorist, author, publisher (The Hogarth Press), and civil servant, but perhaps best-known as husband to author Virginia Woolf.

Reviews

[Amanda · Rating 2 out of 5]

It is highly amusing to think of Leonard Woolf as I have always envisioned living a rugged, outdoorsy life in primitive conditions. While he is quick to call out his lack of courage and physical strength, he also is never fully self-aware. His struggles with coming to dislike imperialism while thriving in his role as a local imperialist leader were fascinating and occasionally verged on a modern understanding of white privilege. Then he would write something about one of his native servants and seem totally comfortable in his unearned superiority. I'm looking forward to the next few volumes and learning how his years spent so far from his Bloomsbury bubble influenced the rest of his life there.

[Les Dangerfield · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this second part of Woolf's autobiography because I was interested to know more about his experience as a civil servant in Ceylon which lead to his writing the novel 'The village in the jungle'. It provides a fascinating insight into the experience of a young graduate heading off to do government work in a colony early in the 20th century, before the days of air travel. He spent seven years, working in three different parts of Ceylon without any return visits to the UK. In the first part of the posting, in Jaffna, he was very much part of the white colonialist society with seemingly precious little real contact with local people. Over time this changed, particularly in the final part of the posting in the south, where he was virtually the only Brit. He professes to become ever more doubtful about colonialism, yet still seems to have the legendary blind faith in the ability of the British to rule over the subject peoples. His disapproving attitude towards any colleagues who had not been privately educated and attended Oxford or Cambridge is also interesting, if not at all surprising. It clearly shows how important the old boy network was at the time in progressing careers. After a career in the British Council, I know it still helps a lot.

[Salvatore · Rating 3 out of 5]

Woolf in Ceylon. Claiming to be someone who didn't see the people there as Others, especially since he was the only White sometimes in town. Shaped his life and ideas of foreign politics. Made him attain a bad view of Colonialism after being a Colonialist. He's still pretty aggressive and outspoken, especially attacking organised religions (save Buddhism which he can tolerate). The book in this autobiography series I most wanted to read because I wanted to hear his thoughts of being in South Asia.

[Catherine Jeffrey · Rating 5 out of 5]

An absorbing account of the 7 years Leonard Woolf spent as a civil servant in Ceylon. He is witness to the results of British imperialism, snobbery and the grotesque nature of game hunting. He also describes the beautiful landscape, savagery of the jungle and the sounds of the waves crashing on the beach as he goes to sleep at night. A remarkable account of an era lost forever in time.

[Simon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Leonard Woolf is such a fine writer. His prose is very simple , direct , similar to Orwell. He is the most excellent interpreter of colonialism.

In this second autobiographical volume written late in life he recounts his 7 years as a junior government official in Ceylon. Most of all it is the directness and honesty which is so endearing : for he has no axe to grind , as he says at the start he tries to tell the truth the whole truth and nothing but the truth. He then characteristically admits that he hasn’t succeeded.

He begins fresh from Cambridge and a somewhat rarefied life as an intellectual. He is then on landing in Ceylon admitted to a slightly less intellectual environment as one of a few hundred or thousand white men administering the affairs of a number of million local Ceylonese .

By the end of his stay he has become very fond of his environment particularly the Sinhalese people . He develops a great respect and affection for their culture and traditions. He is jaded by the imperialist mission and decides not to return as he has lost belief. His letter of resignation does not reveal this attitude as he doesn’t want to kick openly against the system. He marries Virgina Stephen .

Really fine read and some beautifully told very honest seeming tales of his daily grind in imperial Ceylon 1904 -11

[Dave · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not quite as compelling as the first book, but more compelling than I at first feared. Woolf cuts a straight-faced comical figure as an imperialist in Ceylon, with his possessions including a dog and 90 large volumes of the complete Voltaire, which he takes with him everywhere (seriously!). Woolf makes serving as an imperial magistrate etc. more real and less glamorous/tragic than someone like Kipling or Orwell does. You get the feeling that he truly enjoyed (or learned from) (or grew) from his time working in Ceylon. His understanding of the people (and of imperialism, and of women) is limited, but in an honest, this-is-what-I-think way. He is again a straight-faced comic when relating how important efficiency was to him, and how he tried to be fair among trying circumstances. However, though he says many times that he disliked imperialism, it's not clear that he really disliked all of it: he hated racism and cruelty and stupidity, but he didn't seem to dislike his middle-management administrator job, if he could have just stopped there. Still, you like him, and you like his willingness to seem normal. And for real humor, there's the language of the letters in the epilogue, a pure indictment of the imperial bureaucratic way of mind.

[Jane E · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an excellent book! I suspect that some of it is written with the benefit of hindsight remembering 1911 in 1960 but none the less the personal politics are admirable for their time (even in 1960). Lovely descriptions of the Sri Lanka countryside, the local people and British colonial organization. It is surprising that someone in their mid to late 20s could manage a great number of local staff and the local population with enough authority to be obeyed. I found this book a real page turner which is tribute to the author's language and literary ability given what could have been a dry and dull subject. Recommended for anyone interested in Sri Lanka or in Leonard Woolf. (Purchased at Daunt Books, London.)

[Laura · Rating 3 out of 5]

This second volume of his autobiography covers the seven-year period in which L.W. Served in the Ceylon civil service and grew to realize the evils of imperialism (and, probably, began to form his political philosophy). Also, this volume is far more oriented to the external world and experiences, although no one would ever accuse LW of being wedded to dates, than the first one, which was oriented more to the development of his consciousness.

[Cat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another interesting account of a period in Leonard Woolf’s life, this time in (the then) Ceylon. Such an insightful and educational read. But I find that to be Leonard in a nutshell. What a thoroughly underrated person he is. Sadly.

[Kate]

By eland publishing which does out of date travel books
Published mark Shand

[MKO · Rating 3 out of 5]

The last of Leonard’s autobiography (read out of order). This volume follows him to Ceylon and back to marry Virginia. I liked him, through his own voice, more than I thought I would.

[Paulo Santos · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked very much this second volume of Leonard Woolf's autobiography. He is always extremely clear and sound minded. He may not be a great writer like his famous wife, but he manages to convey his life's story is a very readable and straightforward way, and I cannot but sympathise with him and his opinions about colonialism. Besides, his depiction of the Ceylon in early 20th century seems extremely believable. So, I'm looking forward to read the next volume.

[Matt · Rating 4 out of 5]

I very much enjoyed reading this installment of Mr. Woolf's autobiography, covering the years 1904 to 1911. The book concerns itself with the author's seven years in Ceylon as a member of the Ceylon Civil Service, beginning when he was 24 years old. For the most part, Mr. Woolf concerns himself with the details of his life and work in Ceylon. However, scattered throughout the work are keen insights into the author's developing personality and view of the world. He equates the journey from England to Ceylon as a form of rebirth into a new and decidedly different world. His thoughts on this dichotomy allow for very interesting reading. The careful reader can follow the author's development by paying particular attention to the style of the writing as the book progresses, beginning as fairly straightfoward autobiography and becoming gradually more insightful and, perhaps, philosophical, by the time the work concludes. The interesting thing here is that Mr. Woolf wrote this book in 1960, more than fifty years after the events described. That he is able to chart the course of his young life and capture the nuances of his thoughts and the changing of his views, as well as the course of his intellectual development, fifty years after the fact is rather an astonishing achievement.
As an aside: Of the many facts presented about Mr. Woolf's life in Ceylon, perhaps my favorite is that one of the few things he took with him from England was a set of the works of Voltaire in 90 (yes ninety) large-formatted volumes. These books accompanied him throughout his seven years there.

[Rafe Jenney · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fascinating recounting of a man's life in his early 20s as a largly solitary government agent of the seemingly superbly well organized British empire. Too absorbed in the undergraduate conversations while at Cambridge to advance his study of ancient languages, Leonard didn't graduate that well and could only get a job outside of England and in the backwater of Ceylon. But it turned out well tapping into his organizational talents and the clarity of his handling of people. He became in charge of nearly half the country of Ceylon getting the bureaucracy to turn around forms in a day as opposed to the static month it had taken. Unfortunately in later years he was unable to exert a similar strength of influence when he sought to advise the British government on how to extract themselves from countries in ways to best benefit those countries. At the end of his seven years in Ceylon he returns to England and marries Virginia Woolf.

[Roanne · Rating 4 out of 5]

In a more recent era, this book would've been called, "Leonard's Excellent Adventure." LW leaves his life in London behind him to take a job in Civil Service for the Crown. The powers that be send him to Ceylon, where he spends seven years as the only representative for the Crown. Once he learned how to live in this new and strange land, once he adapted to their ways and customs, one he learned how to move to survive, he flourished and excelled, doing great things for the people there. The way of life could be archaic, the jungle savage and horrifying, and still, Leonard found beauty in his surroundings, things to like and even love with his contact with the people there. I didn't know how much I was going to like this section of the autobiography, but I liked it a lot, and found it fascinating.

[Kayo · Rating 3 out of 5]

Growing: Seven Years in Ceylon was an authentic account of Woolf's experience as a colonial administrator in Ceylon at the turn of the 20th century. As a writer based in Sri Lanka, I picked up the book mostly for its context and it was an interesting read. The book reads a bit like his rambling, which makes it accessible but can feel messy at times. He was critical of British imperialism, but he was very much part of the system (though he did resign from his post and married Virginia Woolf). I don't think he was particularly a great writer though I really enjoyed a glimpse of life and opinion of a man of his time.

[Debra Ramage · Rating 4 out of 5]

"All that I was taking with me from the old life and for a contribution to the new, and to prepare me for the task of helping to rule the British Empire. was 90 large, beautifully printed volumes of Voltaire and a wire-haired terrier." I am becoming a fan. Just started this volume and it's a small emotional roller-coaster to be honest.

[Lisa Davis-craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

Woolf's time in Ceylon is recounted with a seemingly detached air and interesting detail.

[Troy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Woolf is truly one of the greatest men I have ever had the honour to read. An intellectual and humble mind, it is a pleasure to be a part of it.

[Richard B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Reading for research. Brilliant in parts but then has long dry patches, however a good account of the life of Imperial civil servant in Sri Lanka in the Empire's heyday.

[Cristina · Rating 4 out of 5]

What a great memoirs book. Honestly. I thought it was going to be boring but started reading it because we were going to Sri Lanka. What a pleasure to read. The most hilarious part of it are the totally unpolitcally correct comments. Some statements are just unbelievable these days about boudhistes, English, Sri Lanka etc. The author tells his experiences of 7 years in Ceylon between 1904 and 1911. He was a civil servent in the English administration. He tells the life of expats of that time and his interest for the locals. I really liked it. Just at the end of the book, I discovered that the aurore Leonard Woolf is Virginia Woolf's husband of 30 years.