VIRGINIA WOOLF'S LONDON

This charmingly written book by an English author presupposes on the part of its readers a thorough knowledge both of London and the works of Virginia Woolf; those so qualified should delight in it. Herself a London ""street-haunter"", Miss Woolf used her beloved city as a motivating force for her characters, and through their eyes recreated it over many years and in many forms: Regent's Park in Victorian and Edwardian days; the Embankment; the London of the 1840's as seen by Miss Barrett's Flush; the between-the-Wars London of Mrs. Dalloway; the London that shines through the often obscure prose of The Years; the vast sweep of the London of Orlando, who lived, both as man and woman, for centuries. Imposing necessary requirements on its readers, this book will hold little appeal to those ignorant of London, although devotees of the works of Virginia Woolf who have never crossed the Atlantic will enjoy its analyses of her characters, her descriptions, and her prose; it should be an excellent addition to college reference libraries of English Literature.