There are some books that shouldn’t be rushed like The Complete Shorter Fiction of Virginia Woolf. I’m not even going to say how long I didn’t rush because it stretches beyond months and into the years category.
Part of what took me so long is not the intensity often present in Woolf’s writing, though that frequently caused me to put the book down after just one story. No what took so long is that this book is filled with not only Woolf’s published stories but all of her unpublished bits and pieces too and while any scrap of Woolf’s fiction far exceeds anything I could write after repeated revisions, a lot of the stuff in this book wasn’t very good. There were quite a few sketches of different characters at Mrs. Dalloway’s party. While Mrs. Dalloway is among my top ten favorite books, the sketches were only mildly to moderately interesting and didn’t add anything to my enjoyment of the novel.
Then there is the unevenness of the book. You have brilliant stories like The Mark on the Wall and Lappin and Lapinova alongside half-finished “portraits,” unfinished stories and complete stories that are obviously early drafts.
The book has several appendices and a hefty notes section that details the history of the manuscript from which the story is printed. At first this was really interesting but after awhile I stopped looking at the notes because they didn’t add anything to the story and I discovered that I didn’t really care about all those details.
So while I enjoyed many of these stories I would have much preferred reading a collection of her finished short fiction. I think this “complete” book is for those who, after reading everything else just can’t get enough. And even though I love Woolf, I’m not the sort of reader who wants to read everything a writer ever wrote, including her grocery lists.
I am disappointed that I wasn’t bowled over, but I am glad to have finally finished the book. It was beginning to weigh heavy on my mind seeing it there day after day in my in progress pile.
Yup, that sounds like a research book to me – the kind the PhD students trawl through to get a quote or a half a line that backs up their ongoing argument about Woolf’s fixation with time, or her complex feminism, or something. I know I would rather have just what’s completed as a general reader. I can’t begin classic unfinished novels, and steer clear of those ‘finished off’ by another author. But well done for having made it to the end! I swear there’s a law of physics that measures how heavy a book weighs on the conscience in relation to how long it has sat on the nightstand!
Thank you for your honest review! Looks like VW’s stream of consciousness permeates every part of her daily life… including her shopping list. I’m reading Mrs. Dalloway now, and I think it’s also the kind of books that I need to read slowly.
It’s good to know that this book isn’t the best place to read Woolf, unless you are an expert or completely obsessed. There are plenty of other collections of her work that would be better to turn to, I’m sure — or perhaps a person could turn to this book and read selectively? Anyway, it’s good to be forewarned!
I’m quite impressed at your having finished this, especially since it turned out to be not that exciting. I suspect I would have given up, even with as much as i love Woolf.
I have a similar problem with most “Complete” or “Collected” short story/fiction collections. Going with the works as they were originally released always works out better for me.
I had a similar problem with the complete short fiction of Zora Neale Hurston, which features about six versions of the same story – she was apparently trying to work out a theme, and while it was interesting and would have provided excellent fodder for an academic paper…around version #5 I had had enough. As much as I love Woolf I haven’t read much of her short fiction, so it’s good to know that I might want to shoot for a shorter, “selected shorts” volume.
Litlove, I think you are right about that law of physics! I have a few more that are starting to get really heavy!
Arti, I hope you are enjoying Mrs. Dalloway! It is definitely one to read slowly and more than once. I gets better with each reading.
Verbivore, I wanted to give up but I worried that my Woolf as a favorite author credentials might be revoked if I did
Imani, I agree. I don’t mind complete or collected if they are only the published works but when they include all the fragments it starts to get to be a bit much.
Emily, six versions of the same story are five versions too many! It would be interesting if you are studying a writer’s process or development, but as a general read, the published works are the way to go.