The Virago Book of Friendship
Rachel Cooke
- A
- fond,
- fascinated
- look
- at
- women's
- friendship
- through
- the
- fiction,
- diaries,
- and
- letters
- of
- friends
'A
- highly
- entertaining,
- often
- instructive
- anthology
- bursting
- with
- every
- kind
- of
- amicable
- -
- or
- inimical
- -
- anecdote
- .
- .
- .
- Cooke
- has
- dug
- deep
- and
- uncovered
- nuggets
- of
- pure
- gold
- in
- every
- form
- of
- writing
- .
- .
- .
- a
- delicious
- book
- about
- the
- great
- power
- and
- strength
- of
- real
- friendship**'**
- TABLETFriendship,
- a
- timeless
- subject,
- has
- never
- been
- more
- debated,
- something
- that
- has
- to
- do
- both
- with
- the
- internet
- -
- the
- perils
- of
- WhatsApp
- groups,
- the
- agony
- of
- ghosting
- -
- as
- well
- as
- with
- a
- growing
- awareness
- that
- loneliness
- is
- increasing
- in
- our
- society.
- Friendship
- has
- become
- a
- matter
- of
- urgent
- inquiry
- to
- therapists,
- scientists
- and
- sociologists.
- We
- understand
- its
- importance
- more
- and
- more,
- not
- only
- as
- a
- comfort
- and
- a
- privilege,
- but
- as
- vital
- to
- our
- health.
- But
- it's
- hard
- to
- get
- inside
- friendship:
- its
- particular
- intensity
- and
- its
- miraculous
- ease;
- its
- tendency
- to
- wax
- and
- wane;
- its
- ability
- to
- inspire
- both
- delight
- and
- despair.This
- is
- the
- territory
- of
- novels
- and
- poems,
- diaries
- and
- letters,
- comics
- and
- graphic
- novels
- -
- and
- it
- is
- where
- the
- innovative
- and
- wide
- ranging
- Virago
- Book
- of
- Friendship
- steps
- in,
- bringing
- together
- work
- by
- more
- than
- 100
- writers.
- From
- Jane
- Austen
- to
- Edith
- Wharton
- and
- Virginia
- Woolf,
- from
- Dolly
- Alderton
- to
- Sarah
- Waters
- and
- Meg
- Wolitzer
- and,
- it
- celebrates
- and
- investigates
- friendship
- between
- women
- from
- first
- encounters
- to
- final
- goodbyes,
- from
- falling
- out
- to
- making
- up again.
