Virginia Woolf, a woman writer who stood up for herself, chose to bravely find her own space even as she struggled with adversity. And today, this book edited by her husband Leonard Woolf, "Write It Down, and the Pain Will Pass" contains her diary entries over a period of twenty-four years, more than five hundred nights and days of secret words, introducing us to her inner world and feeling her bravery and perseverance.
As a female writer, Woolf has been denigrated and questioned almost as much as she has been praised along the way.
However, she didn't give up because of this, she stuck to her creative style and beliefs. In her diary, we can see her love and dedication to writing, so she wrote: "Maybe I won't become 'famous' or 'great,' but I'm going to continue to take risks, to continue to change, to open my eyes, to refuse to be trampled on and refuse to be conformed. It's important to free yourself and find your space without limitations."
It is only after reading that one realizes that the diary is the stage of Woolf's soul, in which she shows the power of free thinking and extraordinary talent of expression. Her sensitive and delicate strokes outline the inner stirrings and the complexity of human nature, and readers seem to get a soulful conversation and emotional exchange in her words.
Woolf's diary focuses on her life, letting readers feel that every blade of grass and every tree is full of the truth and flavor of life.
Woolf's journals also contain her "poisonous" comments on works of literature, whether they are famous or popular, and she is able to sharply point out their problems and shortcomings. Following her diary can be a wonderful reading list, as readers are able to see the light and shadow of literature through her eyes, and savor her keen insights and unique opinions on the details of her works.
Woolf's diary also chronicles her journey through illness, depression and mental breakdown, presenting her struggle and search in the darkness. She candidly confides her emotional and psychological state in her diary, showing her thoughts and feelings about life.
Through her words, she records her growth and strength in the midst of her pain, transforming it into a beautiful literary creation that also provides us with important thoughts and insights.
During this period, she experienced depression and mental breakdown one after another, and she unabashedly recorded her struggles and quests in the darkness. Every word in the diary seems to be a reflection of her soul and a starting point for healing, and gives readers the strength and courage to face their deepest fears and hardships.
Refusing to be trodden upon, Woolf's work is as deeply reflective and freewheeling as her diaries.
The diary selections compiled in Write It Down and the Pain Will Pass provide a superb reading list with unique perspective and depth of insight. Woolf comments on masterpieces with a singular eye, and her brushstrokes color the words and weave the ideas deeper, so that reading a book like this makes you feel as if you're in a literary temple full of wisdom.