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itsheyfay's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, Grief, and Classism
Moderate: Ableism, Racism, and War
Minor: Biphobia, Homophobia, Forced institutionalization, and Lesbophobia
grboph's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
I am very glad I read this book. While I did find large parts of it boring, since I have never been much of a fan of books without a lot of plot or character development, I really enjoyed the deep dives into each of the characters' histories and all of the messages contained in the story. I really liked how time and mental illness played a large role (especially since mental illness was something that was so stigmatized at the time this book was published) and I think it also has a lot of valuable things to say about the role of women in society, especially in relation to the roles of men. I also loved that since there was a very slow pace and no real plot, we got to spend a lot of time with each character and really find out what makes them tick, even if they only played a very minor role in the actual events of the story. Because of these things, I gave the book a fairly high rating even though I tend to prefer books that are faster-paced than this one and have more of a plot. Still, I am very happy to have read it and I would recommend it to anyone who is looking for something introspective or philosophical to read.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, and Suicide
Moderate: Racism, Forced institutionalization, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Colonisation, War, and Classism
Minor: Misogyny and Suicidal thoughts
One of the main plot points in this book is how one character (a World War I veteran) undergoes a failed psychiatric treatment for post-traumatic stress disorder and hallucinations and then commits suicide when people come to take him to a psychiatric hospital. There is also some general misogyny and racism (which were widespread in society during the time in which this book is set) and several mentions of British imperialism and the colonization of India.samuelachillese's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death and Suicide
orlagal's review against another edition
dark
funny
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, Infidelity, and Suicide
lara_bk's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
kathleenivy's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Death, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Forced institutionalization, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Emotional abuse, Gore, Xenophobia, and Sexual harassment
b_caligari's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Schizophrenia/Psychosis
Minor: Death and Grief
alexiconic's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Mental illness, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
libbygranger's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
For me, reading any Virginia Woolf text for the first time is like reading through a frosted glass window. Every so often I can identify the blurry images as real people, places and objects – but most of the time I’m just hopefully peering through, trying to piece fragments together into some coherent image. I don’t mind it, though. Each time I reread one of her works, the glass becomes clearer and clearer, and I notice more and more. This is what makes her books so special for me – there’s so much packed in there, it’s the gift that keeps on giving, and Mrs Dalloway was certainly no exception. There were some quotes that struck me, some story threads that gripped me, and some characters that intrigued me. I loved best Clarissa Dalloway’s reminiscences on her youth with Peter Walsh and Sally Seton; that storyline was the easiest to follow and most accessible upon first read. Though the eponymous character is central to the novel, the story follows an ensemble cast of characters whose lives intertwine in both past and present. I was astounded at Woolf’s deftness in slipping effortlessly from one character’s internal monologue to the next, sometimes within the span of a single sentence.
Upon finishing Mrs Dalloway, I felt the same overwhelming melancholy as I did after The Waves. It was like I wanted to cry, but couldn’t. The weight of everything Woolf had expressed over the course of 190 pages just felt like too much to handle. Something about Virginia Woolf's writing is just magical. I look forward to the day when I feel emotionally prepared enough to dive back in for a reread.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Suicide attempt
Moderate: Death and Grief
pagesfromhome's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
I read this book for Book Riot's Read Harder Challenge as "A Book You've Been Intimidated to Read" and boy did it live up to that prompt. This has been on my shelf for YEARS and every time I picked it up I would just end up putting it back down again. All in all, it's a beautifully written story (Woolf is considered a canon writer for a reason, for sure), but I just found myself unable to focus on most of the pages. When I took the time to read while alone and in total silence (normally I read with music on) I was able to really focus and dig in and those were the moments that I really loved, but I would only recommend this to people who want to really focus in on a story.
The story itself was thought-provoking and after I closed the book I realized I did quite enjoy it, but it's not a book I would recommend to most people.
The story itself was thought-provoking and after I closed the book I realized I did quite enjoy it, but it's not a book I would recommend to most people.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicidal thoughts, Suicide, and Forced institutionalization
Moderate: Death