Reviews

The Waves by Virginia Woolf

emmalielee's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes

5.0

BEAUTIFUL 

mothofpower's review against another edition

4.0

Once I got used to the format, I loved the different ways Woolf created each of the six characters. They all expressed their remarkably different ways of looking at the world, and although I procrastinated pretty heavily on finishing it, the prose is so gorgeous and so apt, it was well worth my time. Really beautiful.

readsbytay's review against another edition

5.0

i think it's almost impossible to rate this anything other than 5 stars purely because of how beautiful the language is. woolf brilliantly follows the ebbs and flows of life through six alternating voices, ending with a 30,000 foot view in the last "chapter" surveying the rollercoaster of life, specifically how maturity allows for a clearer, more honest, and scarier understanding of the past. the tension of life's routine (if we allow it to dominate our perceptions), the stories we tell ourselves about life, and our identity as seen through the mosaic of friendship are all captivatingly captured through the waves which figuratively and literally lull you along through the pages. shorelines are chaotic and moody just as life is, and, while death seems to send one's understanding of life into a tailspin, the waves continue to crash on the shore. woolf's novel quite poignantly stands the test of time and should be read and re-read by a variety of age groups.

quotes:

"Visual impressions often communicate thus briefly statements that we shall in time to come uncover and coax into words."

"To be myself (I note) I need the illumination of other people's eyes, and therefore cannot be entirely sure what is my self."

"The room fills and fills with knowledge, anguish, many kinds of ambition, much indifference, some despair."

grilcheaseluvr's review against another edition

inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

The most amazing book I’ve ever read, nothing like it! A masterpiece! Every page is a masterpiece and it was so exciting to read I didn’t want to put it down. We are everyone borders are malleable where do I end or begin what parts are me and which are others. So amazing. I will always think of this.

lydiagardiner's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective fast-paced

3.0

Not a light read

coldmerury's review against another edition

5.0

The way woolf masterfully uses language to explore each friend's personality, the relationships between them and the changes they undergo throughout their life is brilliantly poetic. I adored the parallels between the themes of grief, identity, mortality and the landscapes of nature. It's ethereal,, you as the reader float in and out of each character's mind watch them as they experience life and search for their purpose and identity while struggling to define it.

i will definitely be coming back to it ever so often. 

tobsiz's review against another edition

challenging emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

ladygodivas's review against another edition

3.0

the most experimental book i've ever read. i can't believe how woolf managed to pull this off.
if it were any other author, it would have been a disaster. but our queen pushed through and finished this short novel.

thegreekmoon's review against another edition

5.0

i am still in shock of how much of a mastermind this woman was.

sandra_buckwell's review against another edition

reflective 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? It's complicated

2.75