A review by edwardian_girl_next_door
Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

challenging emotional inspiring reflective sad fast-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? Character
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? Yes
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

This is my second time reading this book, and it is still one of my favourite reads of all time. Call me corny, but this is the book that changed how I look at expression and writing in fiction. The prose, almost water-like, flows through London over the course of one day, exploring lost loves, failures, mental illness, and the effects of colonialism and WWI. Each stream-of-conscious phrase is made with tenderly chosen words, full of Woolf's poigniant observance that makes the world almost painful to observe. It is a female-centred novel, with snippets of monologs from women of all different classes peppered throughout the unconventional narrative. I am forever impressed by how many threads Woolf manages to pack into one story, from the death of the old order to female agency in a metropolitan environment. There are so many little details to work out, and yet the whole thing glides so smoothly along that you don't want to stop reading! It's not for everyone, especially those who don't like the Modernists, but it takes my breath away every time I read it. I think if you're interested, give it a shot! It certainly can't hurt! (Check the content warnings though).
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