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110 reviews for:
A Writer's Diary: Being Extracts from the Diary of Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf, Lyndall Gordon, Leonard Woolf
4.17 AVERAGE
110 reviews for:
A Writer's Diary: Being Extracts from the Diary of Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf, Lyndall Gordon, Leonard Woolf
4.17 AVERAGE
Ahhh this was amazing, and the kind of thing that made me want to write myself. Every now and then I woud feel slightly frustrated/paranoid/helpless by the fact that this is "selected"... Abridged stuff makes me a little anxious because you can only tell what's been cut out by reading the full thing! Have full entries been cut out, or all of them included but shortened? I can't quite decide which is worse. It's all well and good for Quentin Bell to point the reader to the full five volumes but too late this is the book I'm now reading, you see what I mean? And I'm the kind of Virginia Woolf nerd that would potentially read the full five volumes if they weren't slightly difficult to find and thus about £20 each...
But all this frustration with the "selecting" of the diaries only reveals my love of the diaries themselves. The prose is refreshingly snappy and clear and still manages to be so juicy and evocative and had me underlining and tabbing many a page. Such a good diary! Also if you find Woolf's intense modernist writing a bit too much (which is understandable), I would recommend this! It manages to completely contrast with all that while still getting at all the vibes from a different angle. And it educated me a lot about all history of the time, though I couldn't blame her for guiltily confessing that gossip is much better to write about in the diary. But some things were too all-encompassing to not delve into, like the wars, which were were sad but interesting to read about, as the only other war diary I've read is Anne Frank's. I found it hilarious to see Woolf use her diary as procrastination from writing, and this also explains why it's so different.
Trying to read 'Flush' in line with Woolf mentioning it in her diary was admittedly a bit of an underwhelming experiment as she barely mentioned it compared to most other writing, but in general I would sort of recommend that reading method? Maybe I will do some of that method when I read 'A Writer's Diary', which consists of all the entries relevant to her writing (selected by Leonard), the nature of which I can also foresee being frustrating, but then again, that selecting has more of a purpose I guess. It's strange how I was worried about finding spoilers about Woolf's life even though it's real in a sense.
But all this frustration with the "selecting" of the diaries only reveals my love of the diaries themselves. The prose is refreshingly snappy and clear and still manages to be so juicy and evocative and had me underlining and tabbing many a page. Such a good diary! Also if you find Woolf's intense modernist writing a bit too much (which is understandable), I would recommend this! It manages to completely contrast with all that while still getting at all the vibes from a different angle. And it educated me a lot about all history of the time, though I couldn't blame her for guiltily confessing that gossip is much better to write about in the diary. But some things were too all-encompassing to not delve into, like the wars, which were were sad but interesting to read about, as the only other war diary I've read is Anne Frank's. I found it hilarious to see Woolf use her diary as procrastination from writing, and this also explains why it's so different.
Trying to read 'Flush' in line with Woolf mentioning it in her diary was admittedly a bit of an underwhelming experiment as she barely mentioned it compared to most other writing, but in general I would sort of recommend that reading method? Maybe I will do some of that method when I read 'A Writer's Diary', which consists of all the entries relevant to her writing (selected by Leonard), the nature of which I can also foresee being frustrating, but then again, that selecting has more of a purpose I guess. It's strange how I was worried about finding spoilers about Woolf's life even though it's real in a sense.
Earlier this year I read the 'Selected Diaries' of Virginia Woolf, which were considerably more comprehensive but still selected and abridged. I am mildly infuriated by the fact that I have now read two different (occasionally overlapping) edited/abridged/selected versions of Virginia Woolf's diary, without knowing where the edits and omissions occur in either of them! The only passages I can be sure of are those quoted by Hermione Lee in her excellent biography (just finished). Lee even sticks to the original manuscripts' dodgy spelling and punctuation when Woolf is hectically writing her diary. One day I will read the full unedited five volumes of the diary, if I can get my hands on them. Because of these limitations I can't speak for the implications of Leonard Woolf's editing in 'A Writer's Diary'.
But enough of this mediation on editions! The book itself! Honestly, if you are not an academic or a strange VW obsessive like me, this is the book I would recommend if you want to read Virginia Woolf's diaries. Also, it is the book I would recommend – as well as '84, Charing Cross road' – if you are a bookworm and a nerd for writers talking about other books. There is something about Woolf using her diary as a procrastinatory writing space for complaining about her "proper" writing that makes it delicious to read. For example, on Saturday April 12th 1919, she writes, 'These ten minutes are stolen from 'Moll Flanders', which I failed to finish yesterday in accordance with my time sheet'. This quote amalgamates the reading and the procrastination elements quite nicely. For context, she was reading Defoe to write an article about him. Anyway all I have left to say is that if you can't enjoy Woolf's novels because they are too dense, too abstract, too "modernist", too difficult (I love them but fair enough), this is very different, and very readable. Not as much gossip as in the 'Selected Diaries', but still a decent amount, and more of the literary kind.
But enough of this mediation on editions! The book itself! Honestly, if you are not an academic or a strange VW obsessive like me, this is the book I would recommend if you want to read Virginia Woolf's diaries. Also, it is the book I would recommend – as well as '84, Charing Cross road' – if you are a bookworm and a nerd for writers talking about other books. There is something about Woolf using her diary as a procrastinatory writing space for complaining about her "proper" writing that makes it delicious to read. For example, on Saturday April 12th 1919, she writes, 'These ten minutes are stolen from 'Moll Flanders', which I failed to finish yesterday in accordance with my time sheet'. This quote amalgamates the reading and the procrastination elements quite nicely. For context, she was reading Defoe to write an article about him. Anyway all I have left to say is that if you can't enjoy Woolf's novels because they are too dense, too abstract, too "modernist", too difficult (I love them but fair enough), this is very different, and very readable. Not as much gossip as in the 'Selected Diaries', but still a decent amount, and more of the literary kind.
dark
emotional
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Death, Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts
2021 -
This is my second time reading this book. Each time I read this book, I am in an awe of the life of Virginia Woolf lived despite all her struggles. She had her struggles with mental health but she lived an incredibly productive life. The diary clearly shows the other side of her that she is not known of. She was just a melancholy and moody sort of person but an incredibly creative, witty, and at times, hilarious. Without her diaries, we can never know that other side. This is an incredible book - highly, highly recommend.
2020 -
This was such a good insight into Woolf’s life. It is interesting to read her everyday life account on how she feeling about various authors, how she is going on with her writing, her anxiety about the publication of her books, and so on. Absolutely fascinating!
This is my second time reading this book. Each time I read this book, I am in an awe of the life of Virginia Woolf lived despite all her struggles. She had her struggles with mental health but she lived an incredibly productive life. The diary clearly shows the other side of her that she is not known of. She was just a melancholy and moody sort of person but an incredibly creative, witty, and at times, hilarious. Without her diaries, we can never know that other side. This is an incredible book - highly, highly recommend.
2020 -
This was such a good insight into Woolf’s life. It is interesting to read her everyday life account on how she feeling about various authors, how she is going on with her writing, her anxiety about the publication of her books, and so on. Absolutely fascinating!
challenging
informative
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
This book is a collection of various parts of Virginia Woolf’s diary which pertain to writing. Not a complete diary, as that would take volumes. There are many lessons that writers and readers can learn such as to apply the appropriate feelings and their weights to the text. Woolf questions the meaning in emotions in books as they are a product of the generation so are seen differently per generation. Writings is always difficult but it gets more difficult the further into the book one gets as the author tries to maintain consistency and the shape of writing. Determination not to give up is necessary for writing. Holding to ideas while beautify them with language. Depending on what is being written, some qualities need to be sacrificed in order to bring about others.
Containing many short book reviews or rather, what she thought of the book’s writing. Very critical and understanding of the content of the book. Even though it is edited to include mostly the parts on writing, many criticisms of others remain as they form appropriate expression of ideas. She expresses anxieties around reviews of her books as well. Anxieties such as not being able to sell many books or opinions of a particularly bad review of her book. Woolf tired not to be bothered by praise or blame but they did interrupt the flow of writing as she wanted to investigate the claims. There were times where she specified how many copies were sold.
As this is a diary, there are many sporadic and unrelated musings. The seemingly random musings cannot really be used against the author as this is a diary. Musings are ubiquitous and do show many of life’s moments. Many meetings with members of the Bloomsbury Group such as John Maynard Keynes. Tea, illness, passage of time, and remorse on who died are all part of the musings. Later in the book there are statements of life during the WWII and its prelude.
What can be said of Virginia Woolf is that she did not appreciate people who were insincere and dishonest as she was very critical of those aspects of politics.
Containing many short book reviews or rather, what she thought of the book’s writing. Very critical and understanding of the content of the book. Even though it is edited to include mostly the parts on writing, many criticisms of others remain as they form appropriate expression of ideas. She expresses anxieties around reviews of her books as well. Anxieties such as not being able to sell many books or opinions of a particularly bad review of her book. Woolf tired not to be bothered by praise or blame but they did interrupt the flow of writing as she wanted to investigate the claims. There were times where she specified how many copies were sold.
As this is a diary, there are many sporadic and unrelated musings. The seemingly random musings cannot really be used against the author as this is a diary. Musings are ubiquitous and do show many of life’s moments. Many meetings with members of the Bloomsbury Group such as John Maynard Keynes. Tea, illness, passage of time, and remorse on who died are all part of the musings. Later in the book there are statements of life during the WWII and its prelude.
What can be said of Virginia Woolf is that she did not appreciate people who were insincere and dishonest as she was very critical of those aspects of politics.
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
Anything and everything about Virginia Woolf is fascinating to me.