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nate_meyers 's review for:
To the Lighthouse: A Norton Critical Edition
by Virginia Woolf
Let me count the ways I love this book:
1. I love the modernist writing. The stream of consciousness. The shifting perspectives mid-chapter and even mid-paragraph. The way simple actions trigger chains of internal thought. The way it's amenable to - even demands - re-reading. I actually love Woolf's writing style, unlike some of her contemporaries. For example, I mostly admire but rarely love James Joyce's writing. And I very much do not like Henry James' writing.
2. I love the use of time in the narrative, with parts 1 and 3 focused on a day in the life of the main characters. And part 2, the shortest part, spanning 10 years and the loss of many lives in World War I. I love how part 2 mostly shows the passing of time through the summer house falling further into disrepair. I love how this use of time allows Woolf to explore significant themes like the meaning of life, finding an identity, and the changing of societal norms.
3. I love the ways Woolf's father and mother inspired the characters of Mr and Mrs. Ramsey. I love the ways both Woolf herself and her sister Vanessa inspired the character of Lily Briscoe (and Thoby inspired James). I love the way Mr and Mrs Ramsey are handled, as a typical patriarch and matriarch pair of Victorian societal norms which are being actively challenged with the changing times. There are parts of these characters that are outright bothersome if not detestable, but the characters are handled with a type of care that is rarely seen in today's novels. Both characters have parts of their characters that are dearly loved by their children, even as those same children loathe other parts of their parents' characters. It captures well the complexities of human nature and family.
4. I love that I had just read a Walter Scott novel (Bride of Lammermoor) before starting To the Lighthouse. It enhanced my understanding of Mr Ramsey and the questions of identity he faced. [You caught me, I cheated. This is something I loved about my reading choices more than something I loved about To the Lighthouse]
5. I love how this book lends itself to countless essays and reflections. It's a great book to read and both to teach. Unlike say Scarlet Letter which is a great book to teach because it also lends itself to countless essays and reflections, but is not a great book to read.
6. I love this specific edition of this book. The editor (Margaret Homans) does a great job selecting autobiographical writings, texts that inspired Woolf in her writing, and critical essays/reviews of the book for the appendices of the book. I also love that the literary sources (or pertinent excerpts) that Woolf cites in To The Lighthouse are included as appendices. I would flip to these literary sources as they came up in the story, enriching my understanding.
All-in-all, To the Lighthouse is a phenomenal book that I will likely re-read. It has also inspired me to explore Woolf's other works
1. I love the modernist writing. The stream of consciousness. The shifting perspectives mid-chapter and even mid-paragraph. The way simple actions trigger chains of internal thought. The way it's amenable to - even demands - re-reading. I actually love Woolf's writing style, unlike some of her contemporaries. For example, I mostly admire but rarely love James Joyce's writing. And I very much do not like Henry James' writing.
2. I love the use of time in the narrative, with parts 1 and 3 focused on a day in the life of the main characters. And part 2, the shortest part, spanning 10 years and the loss of many lives in World War I. I love how part 2 mostly shows the passing of time through the summer house falling further into disrepair. I love how this use of time allows Woolf to explore significant themes like the meaning of life, finding an identity, and the changing of societal norms.
3. I love the ways Woolf's father and mother inspired the characters of Mr and Mrs. Ramsey. I love the ways both Woolf herself and her sister Vanessa inspired the character of Lily Briscoe (and Thoby inspired James). I love the way Mr and Mrs Ramsey are handled, as a typical patriarch and matriarch pair of Victorian societal norms which are being actively challenged with the changing times. There are parts of these characters that are outright bothersome if not detestable, but the characters are handled with a type of care that is rarely seen in today's novels. Both characters have parts of their characters that are dearly loved by their children, even as those same children loathe other parts of their parents' characters. It captures well the complexities of human nature and family.
4. I love that I had just read a Walter Scott novel (Bride of Lammermoor) before starting To the Lighthouse. It enhanced my understanding of Mr Ramsey and the questions of identity he faced. [You caught me, I cheated. This is something I loved about my reading choices more than something I loved about To the Lighthouse]
5. I love how this book lends itself to countless essays and reflections. It's a great book to read and both to teach. Unlike say Scarlet Letter which is a great book to teach because it also lends itself to countless essays and reflections, but is not a great book to read.
6. I love this specific edition of this book. The editor (Margaret Homans) does a great job selecting autobiographical writings, texts that inspired Woolf in her writing, and critical essays/reviews of the book for the appendices of the book. I also love that the literary sources (or pertinent excerpts) that Woolf cites in To The Lighthouse are included as appendices. I would flip to these literary sources as they came up in the story, enriching my understanding.
All-in-all, To the Lighthouse is a phenomenal book that I will likely re-read. It has also inspired me to explore Woolf's other works