Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
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Book Reviews of Mrs. Dalloway
Book Review: One of the greatest books ever written
Summary: 5 Stars
Virginia Woolf is a literary master and this is one of her greatest works. It is the story of a day in the life of one woman, Clarissa Dalloway. We are allowed to see various aspects of her life as she plans for a party. Woolf makes wonderful social comments about society in a subtle and moving way. The side story in the novel of Septimus Warren and his death is very touching and moving. It is a sad reminder of war and the people involved in the war and its effect on them and their society as they attempt to return to a "normal" life. Woolf allows us to see how people we don't actually know touch our lives in unexpected ways. I believe this novel still applies to today's society. This is a wonderful read which will stay with you for a long time to come. If you take your time and read deeply, Woolf will touch you in a way that you won't soon be able to forget. She is truly unique and wonderful!Book Review: One of the best characters in literature
Summary: 5 Stars
"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowersherself." Thus begins a very intriguing novel that
revolves around a single day in the life of Clarissa
Dalloway.
Clarissa is a good-natured woman who is throwing a
party. As the day goes on, her strong aura begins to
wear away due to small events: the surprise return of
a former admirer which recalls to her memories of a
secret kiss with a young lady years ago; her husband
being invited to lunch at Lady Bruton's without her;
Miss Kilman's unnatural attachment to her daughter
Elizabeth; and a death.
This is a beautifully written book that discusses the
relationships between men and women and serves as a
fascinating character study. Clarissa Dalloway is one
of the most invloved and interesting characters in
literature.
Highly recommended reading.
Book Review: there it is
Summary: 5 Stars
Not for the weak of language, or the weak of heart. Her complex form is just another way to test the reader and their ability to piece things together, consider subjectivities, and not simply wait for the end to "close everything up" all nice and dandy. The Modernists, as herself, could not speak on any subject as if "they knew", and so prompted readers to question what they had once thought "they knew". If you can get your mind around the bends of her language, and see that it's really only a story about the life of a woman in one day, the beauty will become apparent to you. For the others, who are too quick to judge (and probably don't read much, anyway), it is their ultimate loss. Wonderful book and one can reread it (she wants you to) again and again, and there is always, as Ezra Pound would have desire, something new.Book Review: Woolf challenges gender roles and Empire
Summary: 5 Stars
This complex book can be read on many levels, but it is enjoyable on all. On the surface, Clarissa Dalloway, the main character, comes off as a shallow, upper-class Londoner. However, Clarissa has an inner life rich with thought. She and the novel's other figures refuse to be classified or labelled. Like real people, they all have innner contradictions such as the outwardly Conservative Richard who has strangely Liberal views, or Septimus, the World War I "hero" who suffers from "cowardly" fits of tears and madness. Whether the reader sees Woolf primarily examining gender roles, politics, the effects of World War I and the British Empire on the English psyche, or the multiple complexities of human thought, this book will definitely satisfy connoissuers of the English novel.Book Review: brilliant answer to Ulysses
Summary: 5 Stars
I must admit, I shied away from Virginial Woolf for some time, mostly due to having read "A Room of One's Own" in college. While mildly interesting, it certainly does not tap into the genius that is Virginia Woolf. So I didn't expect much when I picked up "Mrs. Dalloway." But wow, what a book. It is a direct response to James Joyce's "Ulysses" (though a bit more accessible) and runs with the same stream of consciousness style and also takes place in the space of one day. Virginia Woolf illustrates her greatness in this book and I highly recommend it. People looking to read more of her should also try "To the Lighthouse." She was a very talented and creative woman who more than held her own against the great male minds of the time and continues to impress even years after her death.