The Diary of Virginia Woolf Vol II 1920-24

This diary is that of a very fulfilled woman. She is still at work on the printing press in the afternoons, but has time to read and write - fewer reviews and better paid - and write her novels. She is happily preparing and writing "the Hours" which became "Mrs Dalloway" during this period. Katherine Mansfield dies, and although VW knew that she was always jealous of her, she misses her.  she finds that most of her group have turned out to be successful, and she feels she wants to reward herself by leaving Hogarth House in Richmond and returning to London, which she and Leonard eventually do. They find themselves a Bloomsbury house with a basement in which they can install the press, and take the flat on the second floor. They have started to employ a succession of helpers at the printing press, and one, Ralph Partridge, marries Carrington and is unfaithful to her ("the village Don Juan") making the whole circle very unstable for a while, for Lytton loves Ralph and Carrington loves Lytton. then there are two further printing press employees in this volume alone.

Crossword Clue: (from The Week): Virginia's partner into endless marijuana? That's serious.
It's a classic clue. Virginia's partner is Vita and endless marijuana is gras. Together = gravitas. But could you get it if you didn't know VW had a love affair with a person called Vita?

Anyway, in this book Vita comes on the scene and at first VW is not impressed. "We had a surprise visit from the Nicolsons. She is a pronounced Sapphist, & may, thinks Ethel Sands, have an eye on me, old though I am. Nature might have sharpened her faculties. [whose?] Snob as I am, I trace her passions 500 years back, & they become romantic to me, like old yellow wine."

At one point I'm sure she says that Vita has a perfect body, but can't find that bit now. Ah yes. "All these ancestors and centuries, & silver & gold, have bred a perfect body. She is stag like, or race horse like, save for the face, which pouts, & has no very sharp brain."

Not very impressed then. But Vita pursues L & V determinedly! "Vita was here for Sunday, [Rodmell] gliding down the village in her large new blue Austin car, which she manages consummately. She was dressed in ringed yellow jersey, & a large hat, & had dressing case all full of silver and night gowns wrapped in tissue. ... But I like her being honourable, & she is it; a perfect lady, with all the dash & courage of the aristocracy, & less of its childishness than I expected. ...

"Vita,...is like an over ripe grape in features [no, me neither], moustached, pouting, will be a little heavy; meanswhile, she strides on fine legs, in a well cut skirt, & though embarrassing at breakfast, [oh do tell how!] has a manly good sense & simplicity about her which both L & I find satisfactory. Oh yes, I like her; could tack her on to my equipage for all time, & suppose if life allowed, this might be a friendship of a sort."

Vita was "embarrassing at breakfast".
I chose this pic in which she is not wearing a hat,
 so we we may judge whether  or not she looks like
 an over-ripe grape. (And Molesworth 2 have a face like a squished tomato)

The real hero of this volume is Leonard. The artistic types are always asking his advice about money and practical matters. He takes Virginia to Spain for an adventurous holiday. He writes his own, serious books about Africa and India and he is the editor of a magazine called the Nation. He lectures working men and others about aspects of socialism and is always politically active and committed. He is the foundation of Virginia's happiness. Now she is getting taken up with titled people and the rich, seems to love it all, and what happened to socialism, Virginia?

Leonard seems to have been short and small,
 very narrow-chested, with a disproportionately large head.