I've been reading Virginia Woolf's works for the past month and I got to say that although Woolf has a wide range of wonderful stories and novels, Kew Gardens took me by surprise. The way this short Story was written is just amazing. Woolf starts as a typical Romantic writer (althouh Woolf is in a different time and litrary period), with a specific description of the garden and the flowers that are resting there. This style of writing is the norm for the Romantics as they always include nature in their writings, as one of the important aspects of this period is the depiction of nature. Woolf’s depiction of the colors that these flowers have, shows the mood that the narrator has.

Woolf then goes on to the next part of the story, which is identifying the four different groups of people that are there in the garden. Four groups, with every group specifically shown and described, Woolf tries to show the different groups of society and the position they have in society. Some could say that Woolf’s depiction of the family is a critique on her own society and the way they view women. This wonderful aspect of the story is just amazing. The way that she does it and the words she uses to describes them is just fantastic. One of the things that a reader will feel is that every individual will relate to one group of these four groups. Many readers will see themselves in these characters.

A wonderful short read that I highly recommend, especially if you are interested in the literature of the Romantic period.