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randybooks's review against another edition
4.0
There is an abyss between us; yellow, green, and blue. I wasn’t expecting to have such a strong reaction to this book. I was used to To the Lighthouse and The Waves, so the more straightforward story here caught me off guard, especially at the end. It still has that essence of Woolf, which I love. After finishing, I’m left thinking about how hard it is to truly know another person, and about how other people may have more power to change us than we have to change ourselves.
ishasih's review against another edition
4.0
early signs and 'easter eggs' ... TVO is subtly shocking and moving ... the serious themes are balanced by the richness of prose, and while not exactly in V.W.'s signature style, the novel's supposed "conventionality" is in fact unconventional as woolf herself. there is a profound sense of dedication to writing and reading, and thinking, and the story of a young girl coming out to the world and herself forms around it, folds and unfolds like petals in poetry.
calliopeace's review against another edition
5.0
This is my favorite of Virginia Woolf’s books. I connected with it on a personal level in college. Will read again!
jmsw's review against another edition
3.0
Woolf herself wrote that "the second-rate works of a great writer are worth reading because they offer the best criticism of his masterpieces" -- definitely true here. This isn't her best novel, but it's her first novel, and you can see so many things developing that you are going to love when they are grown.
That said, this is NOT the novel to fall in love with Woolf with. The end moves quickly -- the last 100 pages for me turned far faster than any 30 of the previous hundreds, but it's a long haul sometimes.
That said, this is NOT the novel to fall in love with Woolf with. The end moves quickly -- the last 100 pages for me turned far faster than any 30 of the previous hundreds, but it's a long haul sometimes.
karenmichele's review against another edition
4.0
It is fascinating to read a first novel by an established author after having read later works after her writing style has evolved. In The Voyage Out, Woolf’s writing ability and many themes she will develop over time shine through. She captures the reality of many of the lives around her in the early 1900s. I loved meeting the Dalloways who appear during the actual voyage out described in this book and could picture Clarissa preparing for her famous party in the future. Feminism, family ties and loss were there as themes later to be more fully developed. The writing is straightforward and traditional, but not at all awkward hinting at the greatness to come. Having just read a fictionalized account of Woolf’s life as she was writing this first book, I felt as if I knew some of the characters she portrayed and had the feeling that she was starting with the advice, “write what you know”. I enjoyed it and thought the voyage itself was the best part of the novel.
kkuykendall06's review against another edition
4.0
I appreciated this book. Woolf says the real thing, instead of the expected thing. I found it original, refreshing, and symbolic in a beautiful way.
itspickhles's review against another edition
4.0
This is great novel! Woolf never fails to flourish her writings with descriptive imagery, poetic diction, and metaphors. There isn't really any singular plot that the book revolves around - but I kind of liked that about this book. Woolf introduces several characters - all of which she paints as unique but also similar in their devotion to everyday life. I especially liked how Woolf made seemingly mundane thoughts and things that we come across every day as beautiful and worth writing about.
beckylaxtonbass's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
abigailoise's review against another edition
3.0
The number of fascinating characters is astounding but because the book is pretty short, sometimes leaving something more to be desired for insight. Virgina has such a variety of insights on different types of people, about the interactions between the most unlikely of friends, the bonds between all of us, and the places (literal and metaphorical) life brings us. This is my first read of any of her work but I'm pretty well on the train now.