Growing is a portrait of a young man sent straight out from university to help govern Ceylon. It is doubtful that any Empire at any time has been served by such an intelligent, dutiful, hardworking and incorruptible civil servant as the young Leonard Woolf. He was determined to do what was good but discovered for himself that colonial rule, be it ever so high-minded, is fated to do wrong. Growing is also a deeply affectionate account of the mystery, magic and savage beauty of Ceylon at the turn of the century, an island whose diverse beliefs and cultures Woolf had the time and wit to explore in detail.

增长》是一个从大学直接被派去帮助治理锡兰的年轻人的肖像。令人怀疑的是，任何一个帝国在任何时候都会有像年轻的伦纳德-伍尔夫这样聪明、尽职、勤奋、廉洁的公务员。他决心做善事，但他自己发现，殖民统治，无论它多么高尚，都注定要做错事。成长》还深情地描述了世纪之交锡兰的神秘、神奇和野蛮之美，这个岛屿的不同信仰和文化，伍尔夫有时间和智慧来详细探索。