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elentarri 's review for:
Mrs Dalloway
by Virginia Woolf
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
This is one of those novels that give teachers/lecturers/professors warm fuzzies when they get to teach them - all those social/class/gender role themes and changes to society that resulted after World War 1 (albeit limited by a narrow, affluent perspective) to dissect and analyse to death. Fortunately, since this isn't a school text for me, I am not obligated to scrutinize and concoct reasons for why the author wrote this, what the author meant by writing that, or what such and such a colour/object symbolises.
"Mrs Dalloway" takes place on a single day, in London, in June 1923. The reader follows Mrs Dalloway from the early morning through to the night when she gives her large formal party. The fifty-two year old Mrs Dalloway tends to dwell on death and aging. The reader is also introduced to Mr Walsh, just back from India, single and chasing younger women; and Septimus Warren Smith, a troubled war veteran. All the characters' thoughts constantly flow back and forth between the present and past reminiscence. Considering all the day dreaming going on, I'm surprised none of these characters ended up walking into walls and bumping into people.
The writing is evocative, descriptive, painting vivid pictures in the mind. However, the rambling, stream of consciousness style does not enthuse me. The run on sentences with too many commas aren't all that entertaining to read either. Dwelling constantly in a characters head is one thing if that character is interesting. But Mrs Dalloway is shallow and boring, so is Peter Walsh. Woolf gives no reason why we should give a damn about these characters. Septimus is more interesting. However, all these characters have one monotonous voice. If the names weren't provided in the text, I would assume they are all the same person.
If Virginia Woolf had wanted to show how boring and pointless a day in the life of this particular wealthy class of British subjects were, then she has succeeded. The only interesting character in the novel gets too little page time and even his death is given short shrift. Otherwise, there is no plot to this novel. It may be best to view this as a historical sketch of a London day in June 1923, and leave it as that. The pretty language couldn't disguise the tediousness of this novel.
"Mrs Dalloway" takes place on a single day, in London, in June 1923. The reader follows Mrs Dalloway from the early morning through to the night when she gives her large formal party. The fifty-two year old Mrs Dalloway tends to dwell on death and aging. The reader is also introduced to Mr Walsh, just back from India, single and chasing younger women; and Septimus Warren Smith, a troubled war veteran. All the characters' thoughts constantly flow back and forth between the present and past reminiscence. Considering all the day dreaming going on, I'm surprised none of these characters ended up walking into walls and bumping into people.
The writing is evocative, descriptive, painting vivid pictures in the mind. However, the rambling, stream of consciousness style does not enthuse me. The run on sentences with too many commas aren't all that entertaining to read either. Dwelling constantly in a characters head is one thing if that character is interesting. But Mrs Dalloway is shallow and boring, so is Peter Walsh. Woolf gives no reason why we should give a damn about these characters. Septimus is more interesting. However, all these characters have one monotonous voice. If the names weren't provided in the text, I would assume they are all the same person.
If Virginia Woolf had wanted to show how boring and pointless a day in the life of this particular wealthy class of British subjects were, then she has succeeded. The only interesting character in the novel gets too little page time and even his death is given short shrift. Otherwise, there is no plot to this novel. It may be best to view this as a historical sketch of a London day in June 1923, and leave it as that. The pretty language couldn't disguise the tediousness of this novel.