I can only note that the past is beautiful because one never realises an emotion at the time. It expands later, and thus we don't have complete emotions about the present, only about the past.
Virginia WoolfRead
Anyone who has the temerity to write about Jane Austen is aware of [two] facts: first, that of all great writers she is the most difficult to catch in the act of greatness; second, that there are twenty-five elderly gentlemen living in the neighbourhood of London who resent any slight upon her genius as if it were an insult to the chastity of their aunts.
Interpretation
What this quote means
Virginia Woolf highlights the complexities of analyzing Jane Austen's work and the strong protective sentiments of her admirers.
In this quote, Virginia Woolf humorously expresses the dual challenges in writing about Jane Austen: first, the difficulty of pinpointing her greatness as a writer due to her subtlety and nuance; second, the fierce loyalty of her admirers who take offense at any critique of Austen's literary contributions, reflecting a deep emotional connection to her work. This commentary reveals both the intricacies of literary criticism and the passionate attachment that literature can evoke in its readers.
Themes
Jane AustenLiteratureCriticismAdmirationWriting
In practice
Example use cases
In a literary workshop discussing the nuances of classic literature.
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He began to search among the infinite series of impressions which time had laid down, leaf upon leaf, fold upon fold softly, incessantly upon his brain; among scents, sounds; voices, harsh, hollow, sweet; and lights passing, and brooms tapping; and the wash and hush of the sea.
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I want to think quietly, calmly, spaciously, never to be interrupted, never to have to rise from my chair, to slip easily from one thing to another, without any sense of hostility, or obstacle. I want to sink deeper and deeper, away from the surface, with its hard separate facts.
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I do think all good and evil comes from words. I have to tune myself into a good temper with something musical, and I run to a book as a child to its mother.
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London perpetually attracts, stimulates, gives me a play and a story and a poem, without any trouble, save that of moving my legs through the streets... To walk alone through London is the greatest rest.
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