Kew Gardens

By Virginia Woolf

Kew Gardens is a short story by the English author Virginia Woolf.

It was first published privately in 1919, then more widely in 1921 in the collection Monday or Tuesday. Originally accompanying illustrations by Vanessa Bell, its visual organisation has been described as analogous to a post-impressionist painting.

Set in the eponymous botanic garden in London on a hot July day, the narrative gives brief glimpses of four groups of people as they pass by a flowerbed. The story begins with a description of the oval-shaped flowerbed. Woolf mixes the colours of the petals of the flowers, floating to the ground, with the seemingly random movements of the visitors, which she likens to the apparently irregular movements of butterflies.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Virginia Woolf
• Release date: Jul 2, 2014
• ISBN: 9786050311037

Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf was an English novelist, essayist, short story writer, publisher, critic and member of the Bloomsbury group, as well as being regarded as both a hugely significant modernist and feminist figure. Her most famous works include Mrs Dalloway, To the Lighthouse and A Room of One’s Own.

Reviews for Kew Gardens

[rainpebble_1 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

Kew Gardens by Virginia Woolf; (5*)I picked up this slim volume last evening after a long and stressful day. With it, Virginia Woolf took me into another world. A world of simplicity, serenity, of color, shape, shades and images the like of which I have never before 'seen'. The mental images she can put onto paper are beyond description. Pure genius. I will never look at a snail with the same eyes again.

[kristykay22 · Rating: 5 out of 5 stars]

This is a beautifully published edition of Virginia Woolf's 1919 short story that takes us through an afternoon in Kew Gardens with passing people, shifting light, and the deliberate and engaging progress of a snail. Woolf excels at her descriptions of nature and her critical eye on humans, and those strengths both shine here. The book itself (published by the Kew Gardens) is lovely, with strong line illustrations, thick paper, and perfect proportions. This story is in the public domain so you can (and should!) read it anywhere, but if you like a nice physical book, this is worth picking up.