Tuesday 26th of September 1922

"We agreed (VW and T S Eliot) that people are now afraid of the English language. He said it came of being bookish, but not reading books enough. One should read all styles thoroughly."

Two great points here: (which merely means that I agree with them!!)

1. There is a tendency in some academic circles to read books about a book instead of reading the book itself. The book should always be the primary source.

2. Reading eclectically through literary genres exposes us to a wide swathe of the English language. It also allows us to consider why we like some works and not others. The analysis of the question, "Why don't I like this book? (painting, film etc) can be very fruitful.

Virginia Woolf Diary September 8, 1922

"Nature obligingly supplies me with the illusion that I am about to write something good: something rich, & deep, & fluent, & hard as nails, while bright as diamonds".

"I finished Ulysses, & think it is a mis-fire. Genius it has I think; nut of the inferior water. The book is diffuse. It is brackish. It is pretentious. It is underbred, not only in the obvious sense, but in the literary sense. A first rate writer, I mean, respects writing too much to be tricky; stratling; doing stunts...

I feel that myriads of tiny bullets pepper one & spatter one; but one does not get one deadly wound straight in the face - as from Tolstoy, for instance; but it is entirely absurd to compare him with Tolstoy".

Virginia Woolf Diary: Tues 22 August 1922

"The day was like a perfect piece of cabinet making - Beautifully fitted with beautiful compartments".

I have to admit this is the first time I have seen a day being described as being like a piece of furniture. She never ceases to amaze me with her writing.

Have a great day

Virginia Woolf Diary: Wednesday 19 July, 1922

Just a short extracted quote in this post:

"But, at my age, I tend to believe in the moment, more than in posthumous reflections".

Living in the moment is a great philosophy whatever your age.

Diary Sat 18 Feb, 1922

"But reading classics is generally hard going".

"But after 6 weeks influenza my mind throws up no matutinal fountains. My note book lies by my bed unopened. At first I could hardly read for the swarm of ideas that rose involuntarily. I had to write them out at once. And this is great fun. A little air, seeing the buses go by, lounging by the river, will, please God, send the sparks flying again. I am suspended between life & death in an unfamiliar way. Where is my paper knife? I must cut Lord Byron".

What is speaking here a fever, her creative spirit or a touch of hypomania?

VW Diary Friday 27 February 1922

Today I get to share with you one of my all time favourite VW quotes:

"I meant to write about death, only life came breaking in as usual".

What more can I say. I rest my case Grant (eternal optimist)