The Years

This edition of Virginia Woolf's The Years provides an annotated text that highlights the novel's complex history and significant social themes.

This first scholarly edition of The Years offers a meticulously collated and annotated text, providing readers with rich insights into Virginia Woolf's work. The edition features a comprehensive introduction that not only explores the composition history of the novel but also includes explanatory notes and a detailed textual apparatus. These elements track Woolf's extensive revisions, shedding light on her creative process and the significant changes made from the novel's inception in 1931 to its publication in 1937.

The Years stands out as perhaps Woolf's most politically and historically embedded novel, addressing a transformative period in society from the 1880s to the 1930s. The narrative engages with critical themes such as suffrage, Irish Home Rule, the First World War, and anti-Semitism, making it a poignant reflection of its time. The complexity of the novel's composition history is evident in the various drafts and proofs that reveal Woolf's evolving ideas and stylistic choices.

This edition not only collates all variants from existing galley and page proofs but also includes full annotations of historical, cultural, and topographical references. Readers will find a detailed chronology that contextualizes the events and influences surrounding the novel. Overall, this scholarly edition of The Years serves as an essential resource for understanding Woolf's most political work and the broader social changes of her time.