A review by karenmichele
The Voyage Out by Virginia Woolf

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.