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A review by arianappstrg
The Hours by Michael Cunningham
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.75
4,75: This might be the most heart-warming homage ever paid to Woolf.
It is very rare that I want to read a book twice but this one keeps calling out to me and eventually, I might give in. It is incredibly smooth and gentle in the way it unfolds and what is surprising is that it maintains that gentility even as it invites you to confront hard truths. It captures the complexity and diversity of the human experience so well, much like Woolf managed to do in Mrs. Dalloway. The only difference is the structure device. Where Woolf used stream of consciousness to effortlessly switch between characters Cunningham uses structural polyphony and devotes separate chapters to each character. Both work marvellously well.
When you finish The Hours, you are left with a very subtle sense of hope for the future as if to say that though you might have lost a lot and even though you're probably bound to lose more there is still so much to look forward to. It makes you realize that life is an endless sequence of events and it goes on and on regardless of your actions, personal feelings, and decisions. I think there is a lot of power in knowing there is a sense of continuity.
As for accessibility, in terms of language and narrative style, I would say it's not overly complex and the pace is slow to medium. It is reflective in the sense that it tends to get philosophical about life and the human condition but it does not veer off into pretentious preaching or anything like that. On the contrary, I believe it foregrounds certain aspects of life that we tend to overlook or not consider on a daily basis. It might not blow your mind but it will certainly make you think.
It is very rare that I want to read a book twice but this one keeps calling out to me and eventually, I might give in. It is incredibly smooth and gentle in the way it unfolds and what is surprising is that it maintains that gentility even as it invites you to confront hard truths. It captures the complexity and diversity of the human experience so well, much like Woolf managed to do in Mrs. Dalloway. The only difference is the structure device. Where Woolf used stream of consciousness to effortlessly switch between characters Cunningham uses structural polyphony and devotes separate chapters to each character. Both work marvellously well.
When you finish The Hours, you are left with a very subtle sense of hope for the future as if to say that though you might have lost a lot and even though you're probably bound to lose more there is still so much to look forward to. It makes you realize that life is an endless sequence of events and it goes on and on regardless of your actions, personal feelings, and decisions. I think there is a lot of power in knowing there is a sense of continuity.
As for accessibility, in terms of language and narrative style, I would say it's not overly complex and the pace is slow to medium. It is reflective in the sense that it tends to get philosophical about life and the human condition but it does not veer off into pretentious preaching or anything like that. On the contrary, I believe it foregrounds certain aspects of life that we tend to overlook or not consider on a daily basis. It might not blow your mind but it will certainly make you think.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Suicide
Moderate: Suicidal thoughts
This is a spoiler but, for anyone who needs to know, the suicide takes place toward the end of the novel, and the suicidal thoughts are mainly expressed by Mrs. Brown and Richard