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hjb_128's review against another edition
- 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
Graphic: Death and Grief
Moderate: Misogyny, Sexism, and Death of parent
Minor: Child death and War
atamano's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Moderate: Death, Misogyny, Grief, Death of parent, and Classism
Minor: Racism, Pregnancy, and War
rowanelisa's review against another edition
- 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
4.25
Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Suicidal thoughts, Grief, Death of parent, War, and Injury/Injury detail
aserra's review against another edition
- 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? Yes
3.75
Quite honestly, I don't think I'm intelligent enough to fully grasp the profundity and implications of everything in the novel, but that didn't detract from my contentment with the text. Others undoubtedly comprehend and therefore appreciate the book much more fully than I do, just something to consider if you are reading this one review and wondering whether to pick this up.
Woolf's eloquent prose scrutinizes human nature and connection, highlighting, despite stark differences, subtle universalities with the extremely fluid and volatile POV. It is very worth noting, however, that this is a very white, privileged scrutiny of white, privileged people. This creates one's of the novel's few downfalls: it reinforces a white gaze within English literature. To expect diversity from this novel would be to set one's self up for disappointment. In the interest of balancing a deep admiration of Woolf's poetic prose and recognition of the stifling whiteness (Woolf was very actively ingrained in the myopism of white, upper class, 20th-century English society), this book earns a hearty 3.75 from me; an enjoyably challenging, reflective read from an excellent author who didn't express much interest in and subsequently did not venture outside the white world view in a work that examined the nature of humankind (which is, of course, not majority white).
Minor: Death, Sexism, and War
theremightbecupcakes's review against another edition
- 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
4.5
Moderate: Death, Emotional abuse, Sexism, Death of parent, Gaslighting, and War
Minor: Classism
jodar's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The point of view is not ‘the Eye of God’ but instead one that penetrates within the very hearts of the characters and observes their emotions even as they feel them. Relationships between family and friends and estranged friends are the focus, and attitudes towards each other vary between characters – and even within the same character within a few minutes – with psychological realism. Later there is tragedy and grief, but also mixed feelings aroused from a sense of loss of the departed.
Part Two is lyrical and serves to locate the human microcosm within an overarching perspective of the natural world, space and time.
Part Three does not so much resolve the human relationships from Part One but rather strives to discern what our humanity may ultimately signify. This is explored especially through the private reflections of Lily Briscoe: “What a power was in the human soul!” but from the outside “who knows what we are, what we feel?” Although no “great revelation” may ever appear, little daily events and individual endeavours may be able “to make of the moment something permanent ... [and create what] was of the nature of a revelation.”
(I read it both times as an epub ebook, converted from the MOBI ebook at https://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=2537610 which was proofread against the Hogarth Press edition, imprint of 1963).
Moderate: Grief
Minor: Death
jaan's review against another edition
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? N/A
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
To the Lighthouse is a wonderful, wonderful meditation on marriage and partnership, death and grief. I do think it necessitates a great many more rereads before I can really get a handle on it, though—will they happen? Probably not! But I want them to.
Graphic: Grief
Moderate: Animal cruelty and Death of parent
Minor: Death and War
cdua's review against another edition
4.0
Minor: Death
jessthanthree's review against another edition
- 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
Moderate: Child death, Death, and Death of parent
Minor: War
chloevienna's review against another edition
- 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
4.0
Moderate: Child death, Death, Grief, and Death of parent