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rajeshkan 's review for:
To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf
The book has three parts: the longest portion is a day with the Ramsays and their guests at their beach house, the second covers how the ruin of the house, and the last brings some of the original cast back at the house. Ms. Woolf uses a refined steam of consciousness approach (with sparse dialogue) and there seems to be some meta cognition with two of the leading characters – Mrs. Ramsay and Lily.
The prose is exquisite with phrases that softly fold again and again to form long wonderful sentences of thought. While a thread of a story is sustained, there are so many things to enjoy in the writing. Ms. Woolf's rendition of consciousness of the characters – whether the confidence (Mrs. Ramsay) or confusion (Lily) or other emotions is excellent. Most scenes are enjoyable, especially the one that has Mrs. Ramsay managing the dinner (the 'boeuf en daube'), with the family and guests, while being so eager to know if Paul proposed to Minta, but can't at the table, is a treat. Ms. Woolf uses some of the best analogies and metaphors that I have ever come across - a couple of them - after a flight through the sunshine the wings of a bird fold themselves quietly (maid becoming quiet thinking of her dying father) and stroking with it silver finger (the sweep of light from the lighthouse). They all suit the narrative and fit the theme of the beach. Ms. Woolf’s description of the night coming over before the second section is a marvel and I will read it many times.
Apart from the prose, there is so much more. While the first section creates such a lucid image of the human life, the second masterfully shows how temporary and futile it is. The ruination of the house as a tool to do that reminded me of Sebald's pictures of old houses in the Emigrants. Lilly's view of her life, without being explicitly analyzed, but still reflected all around in the outdoor morning scene is another achievement - counter to Mrs. Ramsay’s confident dinner scene, in a way. This is one of the most remarkable books I have read.
The prose is exquisite with phrases that softly fold again and again to form long wonderful sentences of thought. While a thread of a story is sustained, there are so many things to enjoy in the writing. Ms. Woolf's rendition of consciousness of the characters – whether the confidence (Mrs. Ramsay) or confusion (Lily) or other emotions is excellent. Most scenes are enjoyable, especially the one that has Mrs. Ramsay managing the dinner (the 'boeuf en daube'), with the family and guests, while being so eager to know if Paul proposed to Minta, but can't at the table, is a treat. Ms. Woolf uses some of the best analogies and metaphors that I have ever come across - a couple of them - after a flight through the sunshine the wings of a bird fold themselves quietly (maid becoming quiet thinking of her dying father) and stroking with it silver finger (the sweep of light from the lighthouse). They all suit the narrative and fit the theme of the beach. Ms. Woolf’s description of the night coming over before the second section is a marvel and I will read it many times.
Apart from the prose, there is so much more. While the first section creates such a lucid image of the human life, the second masterfully shows how temporary and futile it is. The ruination of the house as a tool to do that reminded me of Sebald's pictures of old houses in the Emigrants. Lilly's view of her life, without being explicitly analyzed, but still reflected all around in the outdoor morning scene is another achievement - counter to Mrs. Ramsay’s confident dinner scene, in a way. This is one of the most remarkable books I have read.