38 reviews for:

The New Dress

Virginia Woolf

3.71 AVERAGE

roxyc's review

3.0

reflective slow-paced

hilarie's review

challenging reflective

pulpfan2005's review

4.0

adventurous relaxing fast-paced

mollag's review against another edition

4.0

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I listened to the audio of this (BBC) and enjoyed it very much. 

A young, middle-aged woman arrives at a party, hosted by Mrs Dalloway, and instantly knows that her choice of dress is considered old-fashioned and unsuitable by other guests. This leads to waves to self-doubt, reflection and disconnection. 

Woolf’s descriptions are wonderful, the situation all too familiar and the whole piece laced with empathy and humour. 

“We’re all weevils in a Captains’ biscuit.”

emmagwendolyn's review

5.0

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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An excellent short story collection! Not all of these were for me but I really enjoyed a couple of them, enough to make it a five star read overall.
This includes some short stories which later became Mrs Dalloway, and I wish the last one (The New Dress) had found its way into the final work!
My favourite was Solid Objects though, a somewhat haunting short story about a man finding a piece of seaglass and becoming obsessed with it. 

alexbooksandmore's review

3.25

slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: N/A

Strong character development: N/A

Loveable characters: N/A

Diverse cast of characters: N/A

Flaws of characters a main focus: N/A

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This was my first time reading Virginia Woolf, and to be honest, I haven't yet formed a solid opinion about her work. The New Dress, a collection of short stories (not poems, despite what the title might suggest), introduced me to her style, and I must admit, it wasn't quite my cup of tea. The short story format combined with Woolf’s intricate and layered writing made it hard for me to fully immerse myself in her world. There were moments when I had to re-read pages to grasp what was happening, which left me feeling slightly disconnected.

That being said, a few stories stood out and genuinely captured my attention: The New Dress, The Legacy, and Lappin and Lappinova. These pieces seemed to have a stronger emotional core or narrative clarity that helped me connect more deeply.

I suspect that Woolf’s writing reveals its brilliance through deeper analysis, there's clearly meaning beneath the surface, but without proper literary tools or guidance, I felt like I was only scratching it. Perhaps that’s part of her genius, but also what makes her less accessible at first glance.

Next, I plan to read To the Lighthouse, which I already own. I’m curious to see how her voice and storytelling come through in a novel format. Maybe that will help me appreciate her work more fully.

For now, I’d say this collection was an interesting but challenging introduction to Virginia Woolf. It's clear that her stories carry emotional weight and symbolism, but they may be best approached with patience, or even alongside literary analysis, to unlock their full depth.

gtakesphotos101's review

4.75

funny inspiring reflective sad slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

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Beautiful writing.

a_frcska's review

5.0

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worked out wayyy tooo late they’re better when read out loud 

umamei's review against another edition

3.0

funny lighthearted slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Complicated

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

leahfigiel's review

4.25

adventurous emotional reflective fast-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: No

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated