Publication
Bookstream Audiobooks (2017)
Original publication date
1919 (privately); 1921 (in book form)
Collections
Genres
Description
From the oval-shaped flower-bed there rose perhaps a hundred stalks spreading into heart-shaped or tongue-shaped leaves half way up and unfurling at the tip red or blue or yellow petals marked with spots of colour raised upon the surface; and from the red, blue or yellow gloom of the throat emerged a straight bar, rough with gold dust and slightly clubbed at the end. The petals were voluminous enough to be stirred by the summer breeze, and when they moved, the red, blue and yellow lights passed one over the other, staining an inch of the brown earth beneath with a spot of the most intricate colour.
User reviews
LibraryThing member kristykay22
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
Show More
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. Show Less
Language
Original language
English