Reviews

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

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ejwilf98's review against another edition

reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.75

The best way to read this book is just to let it wash over you.

This whole book reminds me a bit of the famous fig passage from The Bell Jar, but, despite a lot of deep sadness, it feels more hopeful somehow. There are so many choices in life, and maybe you will always wonder, but life will go on.

Also, as a general note, I’ve read a lot of books lately with middle-aged female protagonists and I’m really loving it. It’s so nice to not feel like life ends in a woman’s 20s!

claudiacharlie's review against another edition

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slow-paced

jujudepamplemousse's review against another edition

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3.0

Virginia Woolf remarked that some books have the ability to change shape with each reading:

At each fresh reading one notices some change in them, as if the sap of life ran in their leaves, and with skies and plants they had the power to alter their shape and colour from season to season.

After my first reading reading I’m pretty sure Mrs. Dalloway is such a book. While, on the surface, nothing much seems to happen, Mrs Dalloway is in depth extremely expansive. And to be honest, I feel like I missed out on quite a few scenes. For sure some of them will come to light on another reading, after other life experiences. Which makes me think that my appreciation might increase on another reading.
On a side note, I found the language and form incredibly beautiful.

castral's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

chris_dech's review against another edition

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2.0

Not interesting enough to warrant a proper review, honestly. All the longwinded pretence of To The Lighthouse with none of the outstanding characters or interestingly crafted ideas.

It's like being dragged to your parents' friend's house as a child but not knowing anyone there.

dom_raton's review against another edition

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challenging slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

1.0

I would like to start by enforcing that I am probably not the targeted audience for this book. I got it as a "boring book challenge" I had with my wife, and boy she definitely won the round.

Here is how I see this book. Imagine a flock of pigeons. Each pigeon is randomly flying around, sometimes colliding with one another, but the flock itself barely moves.

And that is it. Nothing really happens in this book. The characters are essentially complaining about their boring lives (which I get, I have one such boring life, but I don't read to be reminded of it). And not only that, the complaining character suddenly changes a lot, and I get repeatedly lost trying to figure out who is talking now. This was even harder because I was actually listening and not reading the book.

Again, this may hit very differently if you are the targeted audience, but if not, it will definitely be something you will forget about very shortly.