Virginia Woolf 1912 1941 Volume 2 Mrs Woolf

by Quentin Bell

Biography

Genres: Biography, Nonfiction

320 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1973

About the author

Quentin Claudian Stephen Bell was an English art historian and author.

Reviews

[Trevor Harvey · Rating 5 out of 5]

A major advantage for the reader is that the author, Quentin Bell, is Woolf's nephew and this personal knowledge adds considerably to the power of the book.

What I particularly like about Bell's approach is the way he analyses incidents in Woolf's life. For example, his assessment of the relationship between Virginia and Vita Sackville-West comes closest to the truth of what it actually was more than any opinions I have previously read.

An even measured tone throughout makes for an excellent biography.

[Harrison Williams · Rating 4 out of 5]

Offers a different perspective on the author, much more in depth than merely a list of her works. While many have some knowledge of her history of mental illness and eventual suicide, this volume reveals that Woolf had a full life shared with a fantastic cast of characters, with mental illness often playing no part at all. Her struggle to write the perfect work, her fear of bad reviews, her love of family, all play a prominent role in her life and in this volume. My only criticism is the abrupt ending - I would like to have had some narrative on the aftermath of her suicide.

[Natashaketel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A brilliant, detailed, vivid biography.

[Jimbo Rizzo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Biography of the great modernist writer from an insider's perspective; Quentin Bell was Woolf's nephew. Bell's text was interspersed with extracts from Woolf's own diaries.

[Stacey · Rating 5 out of 5]

To write a biography, even about a woman as complex and fascinating as Virginia Woolf, in a manner that reads like a well written novel is a gift not many possess. Bell was friends with Virginia and Vanessa, which gave him a deeper insight than just the letters and journal entries he sites. VW continues to draw me to her with the force of a hurricane, the subtlety of a living hand, and the gentleness of a gurgling brook. It seems I'm destined to continue my love affair with the life and works of Virginia Woolf.