Folio Archives 350: To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 1988

To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf 1988

First published in 1927, this very gentle book is purportedly Virginia Woolf’s best, but I prefer some of her other work including Mrs. Dalloway and Orlando (both also published by the Folio Society).

The story is set on the Isle of Skye where the Ramsay family is on holidays and revolves around a postponed trip to a lighthouse off the coast. The Ramsays and their guests get involved in discussions about family life, children, the relationships between friends and examines the differences between men and women.

The xv + 192 page book is introduced by Gilbert Phelps and there are six bound-in watercolours by Maryclare Foa. It is bound in light blue cloth blocked with a wrap-around design in dark blue and silver. The endpapers are pale blue, the page tops stained light blue and the dark blue slipcase measures 23.4x16.4cm.











































An index of the other illustrated reviews in the "Folio Archives" series can be viewed here.

That lighthouse would have to get eaten by a dinosaur to make it into FS print today.

I have a couple older ones like this where the title appears upside down compared to everything else on the shelf. Drives me crazy. I'm glad they finally settled on which direction a sideways title should go.

>1 wcarter: That's a gorgeous looking book.
>2 DanielOC: Ha! Many a true word spoken in jest.
>3 LeBacon: That would drive me crazy too!

I've long felt that Virginia Woolf has not been treated particularly well by the FS, although they did make up for it a bit relatively recently with their production of Mrs Dalloway. Until then, To The Lighthouse was IMO their best effort, and probably just about remains so. I love the artwork! Otherwise, A Room Of One's Own is decent enough if unimaginative, but the rest, especially Orlando (hideous IMO), has been disappointing, not least the complete lack of any edition of The Years or The Waves (and to a lesser extent Jacob's Room* - I can understand the lack of the others - effectively her juvenilia).
Never mind, this is a lovely production which in its rather understated way has wormed its way into my list of favourite FS editions. It's certainly one of the most read, and is where I part company with >1 wcarter: - for me it's her best, although Mrs D pushes very close, and reckon both The Years and Between The Acts are underrated. I almost prefer the film of Orlando to the book (sacrilege!). Love her diaries.

*edited to correct title. See >6 Ipcress_File:.

>5 Willoyd: (and to a lesser extent Toby's Room

Jacob's Room. Toby's Room is a novel written by Pat Barker ninety years later.

The slip is understandable as Virginia Woolf had a brother called Toby.

>6 Ipcress_File: Thank you - whoops! Ironically, I originally put in Jacob's Room, and then it changed on editing - I've now edited it again! You nailed the explanation too!

I coincidentally started reading this edition yesterday. One thing I found immediately interesting was that the introduction draws a parallel between the novel's post-realism and the post-impressionist movement. It seemed fitting, then, that there was something post impressionist about those illustrations.

>3 LeBacon: I have the fifth printing from 1994, by which time the title had rotated to the normal English direction of top to bottom.