Young Bloomsbury: the generation that reimagined love, freedom and self-expression

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As a straight forward history of the characters that can be said to make up the Bloomsbury set, both young and old, this is a reasonably good book.

The book is full of family anecdotes and feels quite authentic as the author is third generation Bloomsbury herself and remembers many of the participants. I'd say that if you're new to reading about the Bloomsbury Group, this will be a good, if not innovative, introduction. The most baffling part of the book, for me, came in the last chapters and the exploration of James Strachey's life that lead him to the USA and the bohemian scene there.They all fall in love with each other, they all sleep with each other, and jealousy and heartbreak are rampant. You walk in an alley sheltered and comely … your hedges are grown so tall that you know nothing of the sun, save that he falls sometimes perpendicular on your vanity and warms your self-complacency at noon. Insightfully analyzes the substance of Bloomsbury’s social network, how their lives intertwined as a kind of queer chosen family, and how they adapted to heteronormative expectations while remaining true to their desires and identities…Written in lucid prose, this is a dream to read for those interested in queer history.

With a deft turn of the Bloomsbury kaleidoscope, and an impressive gift for finding treasures in the archives, Nino Strachey reveals colorful new patterns of experiments in living which speak trenchantly to our own cultural moment.I loved meeting all these individuals chronicled in more detail - and it was astounding to see how many parallels there were between this younger generation, and so many people I know and are friends with now, and the causes they advocate for. First, I was quite happy that I really do know quite a lot about the Bloomsbury Group, because you need to know the major members of the group or you'll be completely lost with this book. The 1920s are a fascinating time in Western culture and this book dives deep into what creatives were up to at the time. An “illuminating” ( Daily Mail, London) exploration of the second generation of the iconic Bloomsbury Group who inspired their elders to new heights of creativity and passion while also pushing the boundaries of sexual freedom and gender norms in 1920s England. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.