Virginia Woolf (Illustrated Lives Series) Book

I'd give the pictures (which are a huge part of the book) five stars, but the text itself is pretty slight and doesn't give you a very cohesive look at Woolf's life. The author is obviously well-informed and has written several books on Bloomsbury folks, but here that translates into asides and shortcuts that give Woolf and her writing the short end of the stick. She also has some odd turns of phrase, particularly when describing mental illness and sexual abuse, that don't do the narrative any favors. The book itself is nicely printed with lots of space devoted to the often rare photographs of Woolf, her family, and her friends. Maybe just look at the pictures and enjoy the captions for this one, but go elsewhere for your Virginia Woolf insights.