Jenny Jaybles reviewed Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf’s novel chronicles a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, a politician’s wife …
I really loved parts of it
4 stars
If the entire book was just about Septimus, the young man with trauma from being in the war, and his wife and their story I would have thought this the greatest book ever. For some reason most of the book is about some snobby rich people and the two most interesting people are just a little side plot. Yes it's absolutely beautifully written and I cried about Septimus; but, I think this is going to be my least liked of Woolf's books. I have a feeling I might enjoy her other books better. I understand why people rave about it but I just could not bring myself to feel nothing but irritation and sometimes loathing for Mrs. Dalloway and the terrible people around her. If that was the point of the novel than it was well done but somehow I think I was supposed to feel bad for Mrs. Dalloway …
If the entire book was just about Septimus, the young man with trauma from being in the war, and his wife and their story I would have thought this the greatest book ever. For some reason most of the book is about some snobby rich people and the two most interesting people are just a little side plot. Yes it's absolutely beautifully written and I cried about Septimus; but, I think this is going to be my least liked of Woolf's books. I have a feeling I might enjoy her other books better. I understand why people rave about it but I just could not bring myself to feel nothing but irritation and sometimes loathing for Mrs. Dalloway and the terrible people around her. If that was the point of the novel than it was well done but somehow I think I was supposed to feel bad for Mrs. Dalloway for some reason, even though she's just an awful person. It is impressive how such tremendously beautiful and skillful writing could make character's I care nothing about make me feel interested enough in them to keep reading. A lot of authors are just not capable of this.
