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tommy_g's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Schizophrenia/Psychosis and Toxic relationship
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Grief
rebcamuse's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
This was my first Woolf, and I struggled a bit, but I think that was partially due to the audiobook format. Written in 1927, the story centers on the Ramsay family, with a particular focus on the perspectives and thoughts of Mrs. Ramsay--at least in the first part of the book, which is set prior to the war at a vacation house in the Hebrides. The title, "To the Lighthouse" serves as a metaphor of sorts, but does actually describe the trajectory of the "plot" from prior to the war, during the war, and after. The plot, much like a post-Impressionist/abstract painting by Lily Briscoe, the Ramsay's houseguest, is more of an echo from the amalgamation of mundane activities that cover up the inner tempests and struggles of the characters. When little James Ramsay wants to go the lighthouse, an approaching storm sends his parents into a philosophical and gendered struggle which lets the reader know right away that this is not a plot-driven book.
Nicole Kidman provides a fine reading, with a certain passivity that channels the Victorian sensibilities that are an ever-present undercurrent in the book and are perhaps to blame for the Ramsay's inability to truly communicate with each other. I think I would have enjoyed it more in print, and may read it later on in that format. That said, Woolf's language was poetry and Kidman's fluid reading really brought that out. I try not to read too much about a book before I read the actual book, because I feel it biases whatever relationship I'm going to establish with the book. So while I did not know what to expect, and I can't say I'd like to listen to a lot of books with this same approach, Woolf's writing and insights (and occasional razor-sharp wit) were enough to pull me through to the end.
Nicole Kidman provides a fine reading, with a certain passivity that channels the Victorian sensibilities that are an ever-present undercurrent in the book and are perhaps to blame for the Ramsay's inability to truly communicate with each other. I think I would have enjoyed it more in print, and may read it later on in that format. That said, Woolf's language was poetry and Kidman's fluid reading really brought that out. I try not to read too much about a book before I read the actual book, because I feel it biases whatever relationship I'm going to establish with the book. So while I did not know what to expect, and I can't say I'd like to listen to a lot of books with this same approach, Woolf's writing and insights (and occasional razor-sharp wit) were enough to pull me through to the end.
Content Warnings
Moderate: War
Minor: Death
pencilspeaker's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Death, and Misogyny
Moderate: Sexism and Racism
Minor: War
jeremie's review against another edition
5.0
i loved this novel as soon as i read it but for some reason the more i think about it the more i adore it. so many passages from this have stuck with me. the way the writing flows is just wonderful. highly recommend for anyone who is looking to get into modernist literature but is a bit scared of james joyce.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Death of parent, and Grief
monahed's review against another edition
reflective
relaxing
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death of parent and Death
Minor: Misogyny
ameliasbooks's review against another edition
challenging
reflective
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I didn't love this as much as Orlando, but its dreamlike quality and its philosophical introspection somehow lured me in.
The second part lost me a bit, but overall this is an example of a book that only works, if you are picking it up at the right time in your life.
Take your time with it, let it sink in, read parts several times. For me it helped a lot to be listening to it on audio, it transported the atmospheric writing of Woolf really well for me.
The second part lost me a bit, but overall this is an example of a book that only works, if you are picking it up at the right time in your life.
Take your time with it, let it sink in, read parts several times. For me it helped a lot to be listening to it on audio, it transported the atmospheric writing of Woolf really well for me.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Racism, Death, Death of parent, and Grief
Minor: War
tamara_joy's review against another edition
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Moderate: Grief and Misogyny
Minor: Drug use, War, Bullying, Infidelity, Classism, and Death
clevermird's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The fifteenth installment in my quest to read the 'great classics' of Western literary canon, To the Lighthouse was a rather anticipated step, as it seemed less "high school reading list" and more "high brow literary" than most of what I've covered before, at least by impression. I've enjoyed this project well enough so far, but I wondered how I'd fare with something like that.
Turns out, both quite well and somewhat badly.
To the Lighthouse takes place on an island in Great Britain where the Ramsey family and assorted guests are staying for the summer. The Ramsey children (particularly the youngest, James) are excited about a proposed boat trip to a lighthouse, but Mr. Ramsey and several of the guests declare that bad weather is on the way and the trip will have to be postponed. From there, we follow the thoughts and minor happenings of the house's various residents over the next twelve hours or so, jumping back and forth in time and place to paint a portrait of a very normal evening in a slightly dysfunctional family's life before jumping forward ten years to see how those relationships and personalities have developed.
The first thing that stands out about this story is the unique way in which it is told. The narrative floats freely from character to character, event to event, seeming almost to be writing out every individual thought that comes into the head of whoever we are following at the moment. At first, this was overwhelming, leaving me lost trying to follow what was going on. But after about twenty pages, I realized that this wasn't a book where it was important to keep track of each individual event or pay close attention to what events were occurring. This was a book to feel, to let the prose flow over you and immerse yourself in the characters' minds and once I figured it out, it wasn't difficult to keep up.
That being said, this was also the first book I've read in a long time that made me feel like I wasn't smart enough to understand it. I know there's more going on beneath the surface than I picked up, asides and moments that I didn't catch that would have built the characters and themes deeper.
Without them, however, the book was still enjoyable enough. A bit slow, but never truly boring with a lot to say about human relationships and the complexities of perception, musing on questions like "is it ever possible to truly know another person?" and the ways in which our opinions of others change with time and circumstance. Ultimately, most of these questions are left unanswered, but Too the Lighthouse isn't interested in providing answers, merely examining life as it is. Unlike in many narrative books, this one felt real to me, as though this could have happened to me, perhaps stemming from the stream-of-consciousness style that brings you so close to the minds and hearts of the characters. I experienced the story instead of merely heard about it.
Even still, while I enjoyed the book much more than I would have thought I would from the description, it did feel overly long at points and several individual scenes dragged as well, particularly towards the end, and I would have appreciated a slightly tighter focus on Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey and their relationship, as well as a bit more explanation for a specific shift in one character's attitudes in the last few scenes. Perhaps it was covered and I simply missed it, but it seems to occur for no real reason - or perhaps that is the point?
A very different reading experience than most things I've tried before, Too the Lighthouse might not be a "fun" book in the traditional sense, but it was a fascinating glimpse into writing as an art form that was well worth the time invested.
Turns out, both quite well and somewhat badly.
To the Lighthouse takes place on an island in Great Britain where the Ramsey family and assorted guests are staying for the summer. The Ramsey children (particularly the youngest, James) are excited about a proposed boat trip to a lighthouse, but Mr. Ramsey and several of the guests declare that bad weather is on the way and the trip will have to be postponed. From there, we follow the thoughts and minor happenings of the house's various residents over the next twelve hours or so, jumping back and forth in time and place to paint a portrait of a very normal evening in a slightly dysfunctional family's life before jumping forward ten years to see how those relationships and personalities have developed.
The first thing that stands out about this story is the unique way in which it is told. The narrative floats freely from character to character, event to event, seeming almost to be writing out every individual thought that comes into the head of whoever we are following at the moment. At first, this was overwhelming, leaving me lost trying to follow what was going on. But after about twenty pages, I realized that this wasn't a book where it was important to keep track of each individual event or pay close attention to what events were occurring. This was a book to feel, to let the prose flow over you and immerse yourself in the characters' minds and once I figured it out, it wasn't difficult to keep up.
That being said, this was also the first book I've read in a long time that made me feel like I wasn't smart enough to understand it. I know there's more going on beneath the surface than I picked up, asides and moments that I didn't catch that would have built the characters and themes deeper.
Without them, however, the book was still enjoyable enough. A bit slow, but never truly boring with a lot to say about human relationships and the complexities of perception, musing on questions like "is it ever possible to truly know another person?" and the ways in which our opinions of others change with time and circumstance. Ultimately, most of these questions are left unanswered, but Too the Lighthouse isn't interested in providing answers, merely examining life as it is. Unlike in many narrative books, this one felt real to me, as though this could have happened to me, perhaps stemming from the stream-of-consciousness style that brings you so close to the minds and hearts of the characters. I experienced the story instead of merely heard about it.
Even still, while I enjoyed the book much more than I would have thought I would from the description, it did feel overly long at points and several individual scenes dragged as well, particularly towards the end, and I would have appreciated a slightly tighter focus on Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey and their relationship, as well as a bit more explanation for a specific shift in one character's attitudes in the last few scenes. Perhaps it was covered and I simply missed it, but it seems to occur for no real reason - or perhaps that is the point?
A very different reading experience than most things I've tried before, Too the Lighthouse might not be a "fun" book in the traditional sense, but it was a fascinating glimpse into writing as an art form that was well worth the time invested.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship and Sexism
Minor: Death of parent, War, and Death
thatone2112's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Sexism, and Grief
Moderate: Pregnancy, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: Classism, Racism, War, and Toxic relationship
hjb_128's review against another edition
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief and Death
Moderate: Death of parent, Misogyny, and Sexism
Minor: War and Child death