From the Bookshelf of Reading List Completists…

Mrs. Dalloway

Virginia Woolf

Start date: November 1, 2017

Finish date: November 30, 2017

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: Co-winner of the November/December 2017 - HUGE Second Chance Poll
[close] Co-winner of the November/December 2017 - HUGE Second Chance Poll

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What Members Thought

Oct 30, 2017 Matthew rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: classic, library, 2017, completist-book-club, audio

A few introductory comments on my rating and review:

My rating is reflective of my experience with this book and not the actual impact this book has had on literature and other people over the years. Sometimes when I read a book I don’t like, I cannot understand why others like it either. That is not the case here – it is very easy for me to tell why others would like this book and I think it was very interesting at its core; it is just the delivery that did not work for me.

I hesitate to actually ...more

243 likes · Like · see review

Nov 05, 2017 Scarlett Readz and Runz....Through Novel Time & Distance rated it liked it · review of another edition

3.5 stars

“She belonged to a different age, but being so entire, so complete, would always stand up on the horizon, stone-white, eminent, like a lighthouse marking some past stage on this adventurous, long, long voyage, this interminable --- this interminable life.”
― Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

Spend the day with Mrs. Dalloway as she prepares to host her party one evening, post WWI in London. Dalloway, aged 52 with a terminal disease is reflecting upon her life in 3rd person, letting free her s 3.5 stars

“She belonged to a different age, but being so entire, so complete, would always stand up on the horizon, stone-white, eminent, like a lighthouse marking some past stage on this adventurous, long, long voyage, this interminable --- this interminable life.”
― Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

Spend the day with Mrs. Dalloway as she prepares to host her party one evening, post WWI in London. Dalloway, aged 52 with a terminal disease is reflecting upon her life in 3rd person, letting free her streaming consciousness about herself, her husband, friends and strangers.

“Beauty, the world seemed to say. And as if to prove it (scientifically) wherever he looked at the houses, at the railings, at the antelopes stretching over the palings, beauty sprang instantly. To watch a leaf quivering in the rush of air was an exquisite joy. Up in the sky swallows swooping, swerving, flinging themselves in and out, round and round, yet always with perfect control as if elastics held them; and the flies rising and falling; and the sun spotting now this leaf, now that, in mockery, dazzling it with soft gold in pure good temper; and now again some chime (it might be a motor horn) tinkling divinely on the grass stalks—all of this, calm and reasonable as it was, made out of ordinary things as it was, was the truth now; beauty, that was the truth now. Beauty was everywhere.”
― Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

Feeling of middle age, with her external beauty fading, she seems reasonable and wise to see all the beautiful things in the world and differentiating from the superficial. Some things are just not worth the fuss anymore, and mindfulness is her way of life now. She seems at peace even with the things that aren’t perfect and her thoughts are very eloquently expressed in this novel.

“Quiet descended on her, calm, content, as her needle, drawing the silk smoothly to its gentle pause, collected the green folds together and attached them, very lightly, to the belt. So on a summer’s day waves collect, overbalance, and fall; collect and fall; and the whole world seems to be saying “that is all” more and more ponderously, until even the heart in the body which lies in the sun on the beach says too, That is all. Fear no more, says the heart. Fear no more, says the heart, committing its burden to some sea, which sighs collectively for all sorrows, and renews, begins, collects, let’s fall. And the body alone listens to the passing bee; the wave breaking; the dog barking, far away barking and barking.”
― Virginia Woolf, Mrs. Dalloway

Because the entire novel reads like this, it is difficult to pick out single scenarios of what she is thinking about. I would say, if you are interested in beautiful prose and lyrical writing, give this one a try. You will find yourself at times pondering the same things or agree with the way Virginia Woolf was able to capture these internal thoughts into words.

This was my first Virginia Woolf novel and I listened to it on audio book due to no availability in book format. But I am glad I did that, because the narrator was so amazing at emphasizing certain words that made it even better than me reading it. I found it quite enjoyable and relatable being almost middle age. Not sure if a younger person would agree or appreciate it the same way. It is definitely for the soul and an aged palate. ...more

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Nov 22, 2013 Jason rated it liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: own

Sort of brilliant; sort of poetic; sort of intriguing (with lots of semi-colons and parentheses).

A little slow, but it is all centered around developing multiple characters within the context of their thoughts and interactions within one day, that culminates in Mrs. Dalloway's party, so it takes some time to layer each individual's thoughts and reminiscence. I loved this book at times (especially Septimus's storyline) but I also intermittently felt distracted, ennui would set in. I think if I re ...more

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Jul 16, 2019 Phil J rated it liked it

This is a fairly difficult read. The way that the perspective wanders from character to character, from reality to fantasy, and from past to present can be hard to follow. The writing craft is at a high level, and at the end I feel like something happened, but I don't know exactly what. ...more

2 likes · Like · see review