Direct and vivid in her account of Clarissa Dalloway’s preparations for a party, Virginia Woolf explores the hidden springs of thought and action in one day of a woman’s life.
In Mrs. Dalloway, the novel on which the movie The Hours was based, Virginia Woolf details Clarissa Dalloway’s preparations for a party of which she is to be hostess, exploring the hidden springs of thought and action in … thought and action in one day of a woman’s life. The novel “contains some of the most beautiful, complex, incisive and idiosyncratic sentences ever written in English, and that alone would be reason enough to read it. It is one of the most moving, revolutionary artworks of the twentieth century” (Michael Cunningham).
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This was my first experience with Woolf, and she writes in a way that is both elegant and revealing. If you’re looking for an exciting plot (or, really, any plot at all), you won’t find it here, but the beauty of the writing is in itself something to be savored and cherished — Mrs. Dalloway is truly a reflection on the human condition.
I was …
I have recently revisited Virginia Woolf and now I’m obsessed with her writing, feminism, and provocative themes. Clarissa is in her 50’s and it is no surprise that she is reflecting on her life, death, relationships and society. Similar themes as To the Lighthouse which I may have liked even more than Mrs. Dalloway. This poignant story takes …
Virginia Woolf’s style can challenge both the imagination and the attention span of the reader—she could construct run-on sentences with the best of them—but if you’re able to get swept away in it, there are few things more beautiful. ‘Mrs. Dalloway’ is the story of a day in the life of the eponymous Clarissa as she prepares to host a party that …
Having “avoided” 20th century literature for many years (sticking to Austen, James, et.al.), I finally read “Mrs. Dalloway” three years ago–read it three times through all at once, and fell in love with Virginia Woolf. I wrote my own “stream of consciousness” literary essay titled “Reading Mrs. Dalloway” just so I could spend more time thinking …
Read 2.16.2021
I found this book inspirational at the time of reading and was the inspiration, along with Nijinsky, for my latest book – out soon (I hope)!
A classic.
One of my favorite novels by Virginia Woolf, which I’ve read many times. Exquisite and luscious writing viewing the internal thoughts and hopes of her main character.
Good history of an interesting character
My favorite Virgina Woolf.
A reread.
An upper-class woman prepares to throw a party. A former intellectual, she has melted into her fifties by overthinking and other well-intentioned trifles. What meaning does her life hold? She can barely face asking, let alone answering, the question.
This was written in the 1920s and is rich with period detail. There are a lot of …
Completely brilliant, a favorite of mine.