Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf, Maureen Howard
I quite liked that. Such a dramatic difference from Orlando. The range and depth of characters on display here is so much greater. London as a setting is shown off with much skill.
I was wondering how septimus was going to show up to the party (because i knew he had to somehow), and i like how Woolf integrated his storyline into the final scenes. he knocked clarissa right out of her moment and brought everything back to earth.
The contrasts between the different classes of society were portrayed brilliantly. woolf very clearly had disdain for her contemporary field of medicine and put its failings on display quite admirably.
It was so sad to read that Richard cannot tell his own wife that he loves her. I wonder what the reason is. Does he feel forced to tell her, because this is what husbands do? I had to think about how he told himself how holding her hand is happiness. But someone who tells themselves "this is what happy feels like" does not seem to be truly happy?
Or maybe it is prudishness, something that one does not do? Too emotional for a man to say? I wonder if Clarissa and Richard ever had a phase of passion in their marriage.
The way that time was played with was very clever. characters living in the past and the past living around the characters. i would have much preferred if the story had been titled The Hours instead of Mrs Dalloway because i think it'd be a more accurate representation. clarissa is just the nexus for the story but i wouldn't really call her the main character.
5 stars, I might even go watch the movie sometime soon.
