The Hours by Michael Cunningham
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Book Reviews of The Hours
Book Review: Beautifully written, surprisingly gripping!
Summary: 5 Stars
I bought this book the moment I saw it, and even though later I thought I might regret it, that never happened.I was astonished by how Michael Cunningham managed to penetrate so deeply into the persoonalities of every character. One could call him a "brave author" referring to his ability to reveal thoughts and truisms that secretly absorb most people. But he also manages to create complete and interesting characters who embody these thoughts.
Cunningham illuminates every moment of a seemingly casual day in each character's life, and makes the reader see how important it all is, how these tiny detailsare essential pieces of life.
Through these details emerges a gripping and vivid plot that makes this book so absorbing.
I enjoyed all three parts equally, and I thought that the part about Clarissa Vaughan really wasn't a cover of "Mrs.Dalloway"
The part about Laura Brown was a brilliant depiction of the claustrophobia in a seemingly perfect life, while the part about Virginia Woolf exceeded expectations.
The only fault I found was that we didn't really see why "Mrs.Dallloway" affected Laura so much, in my opinion.
I really loved this book, and also thought the movie was excellent and it made me love the book even more!
Book Review: Beautifully Written and Conceived
Summary: 5 Stars
This is an exceptionally well crafted and well written novel, deserving of the Pulitzer Prize. The author ties together the stories of three very different women living in three very different time periods, but who share a common lineage. And, more importantly, the women share the ultimate quandary of the human condition: getting through the hours of the day in some meaningful way.
Suicide pervades all three stories. I don't agree that the book is ultimately a downer, especially given the affirming character of Clarissa, who seems to get through the hours in a positive and admirable way.
The most haunting story is that of Lara -- the 1950's housewife with the "perfect" husband and home who is deeply dissatisfied and alienated. Is the author holding her up as what-not-to-do, as a negative foil to Clarissa's more positive approach to life? Perhaps, though I find Lara somehow attractive and wish her story were more developed in the novel. Ms. Moore's performance of the character in the movie, which is largely faithful to the book, perhaps also influences me and makes the character more intriguing.
A first rate novel. The movie is also first rate. I recommend both.
Book Review: Cherish the Hours
Summary: 5 Stars
This was a marvelous novel! Michael Cunningham is a true master of prose, a master at weaving a wonderful story.The Hours is the story of three women, living out one day in their particular time line. Virginia Woolf is struggling with a new story, what will become Mrs. Dalloway. Laura Brown, living in Los Angeles in 1949, is immersed in her reading of Mrs. Dalloway, and struggling with her feelings toward her husband, her son, and her life in general. Clarissa Vaughn, living in present day Greenwich Village, is occupied with a party she is giving for her dearest friend, a writer who has AIDS.
The author weaves the stories of these three women together with grace and affection. Although they all live at different times, their stories resonate, and at the end, they come together in unexpected ways. These women are very real, and their struggles, their loves, and their lives are very realistic.
I don't think you can read this novel and not be changed in some way. I don't think you can read this novel and not look at life differently when you are finished with it.
Only one suggestion: read Mrs. Dalloway, by Virginia Woolf, first, before reading The Hours. It will enrich your reading experience.
Book Review: It Takes Your Breath Away
Summary: 5 Stars
You'll either love this novel so much you'll read passages over and over, or you'll give up after a couple of chapters. I think the reason so many people have problems with "The Hours" is that they don't enjoy reading a novel with such a dark mood. Some people aren't entertained by reading about such tragic loneliness. Cunningham deals with characters who who are depressed to the point of despair even when they are surrounded by people who love them unconditionally. It's probably hard for most people who are reasonably happy to grasp that kind of pain. The author's beautiful and sometimes poetic writing is an amazing work of art; the novel deserved all the praise it received. The way the story parallels Virginia Woolf's masterpiece "Mrs. Dalloway" is inspired. The book truly takes the reader into the world in which Virginia Woolf lived her brilliant and tortured life, and the transitions from Woolf's era to those of Laura Brown and Clarissa Vaughn were beautifully done. The best way to read this book is on a rainy day, classical music in the background and a pot of tea on the stove. If only other novels could compare...Book Review: Prose and Introspection Worthy of the Pulitzer and More
Summary: 5 Stars
If you ever asked me to read a book about lesbians -- young and old -- homosexual men dying of AIDS, former lovers of the dying AIDS person, hypnotically insane housewives, and depressed suicidal writers, I would say "pass."
This book is about those topics, and amazingly weaves three worlds -- each separated in time and location -- which touch upon Virginia Woolf and her less than happy disposition. Woolf is encased in her home and seeks to return to another place or she will kill herself. Modern poet Richard seeks to do the same -- but for very different reasons.
As each character is introduced to the reader, introspective review of their person is constantly delivered by Cunningham. Amazingly trite and vivid details are delicately positioned throughout this novel to the point where we are ensconced by the incredibly moving prose.
This book is well deserving of the Pulitzer.
This writer does the most amazing thing - he takes on a topic I would have to consider the least attractive for my readings tastes and delivers a book I wish, and probably will, read again.