To the Lighthouse - Week 1 (May 2016)

[Rose]

Hi, everyone!

In this topic we are going to talk about:

The window, chapters I-X.

What do you guys think about the book so far?

Here are some questions we can discuss about this initial part:
1. What does the opening scene tell us about the characters, the plot and action, the themes, the style, the method and form of the novel that follows?

2. The opening of To The Lighthouse uses free indirect discourse. The limited third person narrator uses the language and speech patterns of the character without using the first person. We are invited into the minds of the characters. How does this form of narration change the experience of the reader?

3. How does Woolf play with your expectations for how a novel should be written?

4. Virginia Woolf and her husband Leonard ran a press that published the writings of Freud. What evidence of modern (e.g., Freudian) psychology do you find in the text?

I am actually re-reading the book. The first time, I read it in portuguese, which is my native language. I thought it was VERY confusing at that time. But I got used to it throughout the book.

This time I am still trying to get used to the book in english now that I saw it wasn't a problem of the translated version... hahaha

[Luella]

I just got the book from the library today! I'm a little behind but I'm sure I'll be able to catch up before the week is over. Looking forward to the discussion! :)

[Daniel]

I tried to jump into this book directly after finishing one with a more direct writing style. It was hard to adjust to the muted, understated style of this novel. There is something feminine and almost mystical about the writing style that is welcoming. The thoughts and emotions are on the surface, meanwhile you almost have to read between the lines to figure out what action is actually taking place.

The opening scene and the title tell us: we are going to the lighthouse. But the immediate change in course, even in the first scene, and the subsequent dive into the minds and lives of the characters tell us that it will take us a long time to get there!

I'm excited about the introspective nature of this book. I think the human soul is a great frontier for exploration!

[Michelle]

I'm still trying to decide if I like her writing style or not. It's definitely very long-winded and digresses a lot. I find myself having to read some sentences 2-3 times.

I agree with Daniel that there is something feminine in the writing style. It's beautiful once I can get through it. There's also definitely more focus on the emotions and less on the actions. I enjoy being able to get into the minds of the different characters.

I didn't notice any Psychological perspectives so far but perhaps if I had kept that prompt in mine before I had started reading, I might have. I'll try to look for that in the rest of the book.

I wonder if it will rain or if it will be fine tomorrow.

[Kimberly]

I'm a bit behind, so just finished the first week. I have a hard time following the writing. There are a lot of characters I'm trying to keep straight and she jumps from one person's thoughts to another's quite often. She also seems to digress at times into tangents. But, having read Les Misérables, I've learned that an author's supposed tangents can be quite important. So I'm gonna keep on plugging away. I'm curious if they will ever get to the lighthouse... :)

[Ian]

Wow. I am having a hard time slogging through this book. I am happy I am part of a group because if I was reading it on my own, I would have stopped already. People seem to really love this book, so I am really hoping for a big payoff (Mrs. Ramsay knew the whole time that Tansay was really secretly a DEA agent and Bankes is a ghost).

[Luella]

Ian wrote: "Wow. I am having a hard time slogging through this book. I am happy I am part of a group because if I was reading it on my own, I would have stopped already. People seem to really love this book, s..."

Lol love that. I got 3 pages in so far. I need to carve out a few afternoons to knock this one out.

[Marta]

I read this earlier this year and I liked it. There is something very freeform, intimate and impressionist about her writing. I found that you have get into a mood when you just go with the flow, without thinking about it much. It is all about being in the moment. She captures the wandering of the minds and changing moods like no one else.

[Michelle]

The more I read this, the more I'm starting to like it. It does digress a lot, but I realized that's how the mind actually works, thoughts in constant flow from one to another.

[Terry]

I almost gave up after 3 chapters until I read these comments and got the hang of it. Now it is quite interesting to see if I can stay with the flow of the thoughts. I do re-read a part occasionally when I suddenly feel lost, but that is happening less and less.

[Luella]

Terry wrote: "I almost gave up after 3 chapters until I read these comments and got the hang of it. Now it is quite interesting to see if I can stay with the flow of the thoughts. I do re-read a part occasionall..."

With you on this. I'm on chapter 7 now. I have had so many obligations this month I have just fallen so behind. Now that I am getting the hang of it I'm trying to read a few chapters at a time. Hopefully I'll get to the end of week one on the reading schedule by tomorrow!

[Luella]

In answer to the first question it wasn't til chapter 3 or so that I really started catching on to what the heck was going on here. Even so to answer question 2 this book is sort of a pain in the butt to get into.

Reminds me a bit of Clockwork Orange with the slang. At first total pain in the butt but after a while you start to plug into it.

Woolf was clever in what she wanted to do, reminds me sort of, of the guys who did Memento and did it backwards so you could sort of plug into what was going on in his mind. The problem with this book is that you also have your own stream of consciousness going on internally while you are trying to read this so if you plug into your own too much you can't focus on the book and you have to re-plug into the books stream of consciousness leaving you constantly re-reading and backtracking to reorient into the character's train of thought.

I don't know all that much of Freud I think he may have been one of the ones who said death is a motivator if so age does seem to play a roll in a lot of the characters as they are all adults contemplating their lives for far.

Also does Lily really love Mrs. Ramsey and is Mrs. Ramsey into Minta or am I missing something? I'm not good with symbolism as if said before and might have to plug into some Cliff notes somewhere to piece together what I'm missing here.

[Terry]

im reading spark notes as I go and it is helping

[Luella]

Terry wrote: "im reading spark notes as I go and it is helping"

Nice I will have to check those out later. My mind is saturated today!