Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

[Meg0169]

Mrs. Dalloway is one of my favorite books of all time. It is the story of life in a day. On the outside, it seems superficial in following a woman who is preparing to host a party. However, as you keep reading, you travel through her memories and her thoughts and realize that, though she presents herself in one way, her life is quite different from what it seems. You are introduced to characters from her past and present, and in the end of the story, they all attend the party and you view them as they are compared to Clarissa's memory. There are so many themes in this book, from mental illness to feminism, and each tugs at you in a way you thought impossible due to the fact that the book takes place in a day. That is the magic of Virginia Woolf. She has taken something so simple and made you look deeper than the everyday appearances.

What does everyone else think of this book?

[terrametoo]

I haven't read this one, but you've described it so well that I'll read it next. I've just started The Voyage Out though, which I believe is one of her first novels.

[InconstantMoon]

I read Mrs. Dalloway for a Lit class a few months ago, and I must admit, I hated it. I can see the appeal to some people, but when it comes to classics, I think you either have to love them or hate them. I thought the storyline was great, but Virginia Woolf's writing is so complex and so full that it's hard to keep up. I'm so glad you liked it, and the professor that I took the class with (an Austen scholar and now a dear friend) really loves this book.

[amqzong]

I'm on page 12 right now and debating whether or not to continue with it...
Ugh, the language is just sprawling everywhere and I have this horrible feeling that this is going to be one of those books where descriptions of inanimate objects take 10 pages and the real action happens in 1 sentence.
Is it worth it to keep on going? :/ Does the plot pick up soon?

[sophiachic]

Wonderful book, couldn't put it down.

[Romashka]

I've just finished the book. I found it ... interesting. That's definitely not my kind of literature but it is still worth reading. The author creates a "flow of consciousness" - writes everything that passes through characters' minds, quite original.

[kgarms]

This was my first "stream of consciousness" read. It was frustrating at the time because I like order, but I found myself thinking about the book for several days after I finished it, so it definitely stuck with me.

[Ryan]

This is a wonderful novel. The way she pulls all of the characters together is truly brilliant. Reading the novel is like holding the world in your hand and it's very clear that you're dealing with an incredibly talented writer. Woolf was a member of the Bloomsbury Group, so it's not surprising that her work is complex and innovative, with a lot of them being influenced by Impressionism and the developing field of psychoanalysis. Because of its complexity, it's wonderfully insightful and a great portrait of human desire. Woolf is truly great.

[ananya92]

This book was the first of its kind that I had read and though I did not immediately start enjoying it, the more I understood, I started to appreciate it and the book is definitely thought provoking. Of course, Ms. Woolf is an amazing author, so the book is really well written and definitely worth a read.

[LunarLucy]

I didn't enjoy it the first time I read it, as I didn't know what to expect and found myself thrown by suddenly hearing the thoughts of a random woman on a park bench or a passing man, I prefer order with the POVs. However, when I read it again with more of a view to walking into a world rather than just following a story, knowing what to expect, and not trying to read it on public transport with noisy distractions, I liked it a whole lot more.

[BookieCookie]

I loved this book too, haven't read any other Woolf yet, but definately will based on how much I enjoyed this book.

[chytach18-]

A new drama on BBC Two called Lives in Squares started this week. It`s based on Bloomsbury Circle and, from what I saw from the first episode, is also about the relationship between two Stephens` sisters, Virginia and Vanessa.

[Acwoolet]

I had to read this book in a lit class and didn't enjoy it at all. It could possibly be because of the professor, unfortunately she seemed to make even the most interesting topic seem kind of dull. You make it sound so good, maybe I need to go back and re-read it.

[lwahls2]

I agree with your synopsis of this book. It has many layers and at the surface seems petty. But after you peel back the layers, you find a deeply sad woman going through the motions of life. The party is a front to make Mrs. D. seem happy and lighthearted.

[Lady-of-Literature]

This sounds like a flash fiction you find in a magazine now a days. Thank you for the description.