I love Virginia Woolf and To The Lighthouse Is my favorite of hers. one of the best novels I have ever read and reread because I keep going back to it from time to time. Great review. I enjoyed watching it and sharing your love for this novel
I've just finished my 5th time reading this novel, and I can't express how much I love and appreciate it. It truly is a masterpiece. I like how you say that this is the height of her artistic vision because although The Waves is this vision on steroids (🤣), Lighthouse is the mastery of her writing philosophy as a whole, much in the way that Beloved is to Morrison, Slaughterhouse to Vonnegut, Ulysses to Joyce, Fences to Wilson, Streetcar to Williams or Salesman is to Miller. There are other masterpieces by these writers and maybe other favorites, but objectively I'd argue they are the epitome of their overall oeuvre. For me, however, with Woolf, this is also my favorite of all her novels (and I love almost all of them). I agree with you that it should be revisited, but for me once a decade is too little. 🤣I'd also agree that it isn't the best place to start with due to its difficulty, but I would definitely argue that it's worth the effort and there is so much more to gain each time it's revisited. I wouldn't discourage someone from listening to the audiobook though because my first time trying to read this, I was completely lost and the audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson oriented me and saved me from abandoning the book altogether. I felt as she was reading that the shift in perspective made much more sense and that the thoughts were my own going through my mind as I multitasked, feeling much more connected to the characters. It may be different per person but it could be worth checking out. Overall, I'd suggest starting with another novel to ease you into her style as you progress (Jacob's Room or Mrs. Dalloway) and trying the audiobook if you want to. With 5 reads and 2 audiobook listens, I think it's clear I'm an advocate for the novel in any form. 🤣
My favourite part of the book was the beginning of part two. I remember being taken aback and not wanting that part to end (ironic I guess given its title). Really liked the ending as well. Great review!
Thanks for the kind words. I really enjoy Part Two. It’s a section that I have reread several times over the years. The parenthetical updates on the characters are such sharp sensations amid the beautiful writing.
This was my first Woolf and I need to reread it. Mrs Dalloway is more reader friendly. That second section is beautiful and ominous. As I have gotten older I have come to think that Woolf is better than Joyce
Whoa, those are strong words, Brian, though I’m happy to support either Woolf or Joyce in terms of style. The concise way Woolf communicates ideas and emotions is really extraordinary, though the maximalist fury of Finnegans Wake might draw me in for a reread in a decade. I hope you have a great trip. Cheers, Jack
If you enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse is equally good. If you were frustrated by Mrs. Dalloway, I doubt To the Lighthouse will give a different reading experience. I hope you have a great trip, Jim. We just returned from ours. Cheers, Jack
you might be interrested in Ken Kesey´s books: one flew over the cuckoo´s nest and sometimes a great notion. they have great characters and they are funny. it is also has some psychedelic influences since he wrote alot of the things on LSD in the 1960s. I have a copy of Mrs. Dalloway in my norton anthology of litterature so I´ll get to reading it sometime in the future. now you mentioned: the sea the sea by Murdoch, would you recommend starting by reading that book first over some of her other books? (assuming you have read other by her) i have a : a Severed head and it is alot shorter. by the way, the end sections of these videos is a very nice edition.
Thanks for the kind words. Sorry for the delayed reply as I was on vacation with family. If you have not started any Murdoch works yet, The Sea, The Sea is probably her strongest book, but it is very dense. The Black Prince, The Unicorn, and The Green Knight are each more accessible but don’t quite pack the same power. I have not read A Severed Head. Cheers, Jack
Where do you gain the introspective knowledge on these books and about the author's themselves? For example how do you know Woolf was particularly proud of the dinner party scene (through her letters?) Is it through biographies, or do you do research on the internet or something? Genuinely curious. Thanks for the insightful video.
I love Virginia Woolf and To The Lighthouse Is my favorite of hers. one of the best novels I have ever read and reread because I keep going back to it from time to time. Great review. I enjoyed watching it and sharing your love for this novel
I've just finished my 5th time reading this novel, and I can't express how much I love and appreciate it. It truly is a masterpiece. I like how you say that this is the height of her artistic vision because although The Waves is this vision on steroids (🤣), Lighthouse is the mastery of her writing philosophy as a whole, much in the way that Beloved is to Morrison, Slaughterhouse to Vonnegut, Ulysses to Joyce, Fences to Wilson, Streetcar to Williams or Salesman is to Miller. There are other masterpieces by these writers and maybe other favorites, but objectively I'd argue they are the epitome of their overall oeuvre. For me, however, with Woolf, this is also my favorite of all her novels (and I love almost all of them). I agree with you that it should be revisited, but for me once a decade is too little. 🤣I'd also agree that it isn't the best place to start with due to its difficulty, but I would definitely argue that it's worth the effort and there is so much more to gain each time it's revisited. I wouldn't discourage someone from listening to the audiobook though because my first time trying to read this, I was completely lost and the audiobook read by Juliet Stevenson oriented me and saved me from abandoning the book altogether. I felt as she was reading that the shift in perspective made much more sense and that the thoughts were my own going through my mind as I multitasked, feeling much more connected to the characters. It may be different per person but it could be worth checking out. Overall, I'd suggest starting with another novel to ease you into her style as you progress (Jacob's Room or Mrs. Dalloway) and trying the audiobook if you want to. With 5 reads and 2 audiobook listens, I think it's clear I'm an advocate for the novel in any form. 🤣
My favourite part of the book was the beginning of part two. I remember being taken aback and not wanting that part to end (ironic I guess given its title).
Really liked the ending as well.
Great review!
Thanks for the kind words. I really enjoy Part Two. It’s a section that I have reread several times over the years. The parenthetical updates on the characters are such sharp sensations amid the beautiful writing.
This was my first Woolf and I need to reread it. Mrs Dalloway is more reader friendly. That second section is beautiful and ominous. As I have gotten older I have come to think that Woolf is better than Joyce
Whoa, those are strong words, Brian, though I’m happy to support either Woolf or Joyce in terms of style. The concise way Woolf communicates ideas and emotions is really extraordinary, though the maximalist fury of Finnegans Wake might draw me in for a reread in a decade. I hope you have a great trip.
Cheers, Jack
I have To the Lighthouse on my shelf, I have only read Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf, now I'm more curious to read To the Lighthouse.
If you enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse is equally good. If you were frustrated by Mrs. Dalloway, I doubt To the Lighthouse will give a different reading experience. I hope you have a great trip, Jim. We just returned from ours.
Cheers, Jack
@@ramblingraconteur1616 Thanks Jack. Mrs Dalloway was a four star book for me. So it encourages me to try To The Lighthouse.
you might be interrested in Ken Kesey´s books: one flew over the cuckoo´s nest and sometimes a great notion. they have great characters and they are funny. it is also has some psychedelic influences since he wrote alot of the things on LSD in the 1960s.
I have a copy of Mrs. Dalloway in my norton anthology of litterature so I´ll get to reading it sometime in the future. now you mentioned: the sea the sea by Murdoch, would you recommend starting by reading that book first over some of her other books? (assuming you have read other by her) i have a : a Severed head and it is alot shorter.
by the way, the end sections of these videos is a very nice edition.
Thanks for the kind words. Sorry for the delayed reply as I was on vacation with family. If you have not started any Murdoch works yet, The Sea, The Sea is probably her strongest book, but it is very dense. The Black Prince, The Unicorn, and The Green Knight are each more accessible but don’t quite pack the same power. I have not read A Severed Head.
Cheers, Jack
Where do you gain the introspective knowledge on these books and about the author's themselves? For example how do you know Woolf was particularly proud of the dinner party scene (through her letters?) Is it through biographies, or do you do research on the internet or something? Genuinely curious. Thanks for the insightful video.
Woolf wrote about that particular scene in her letters to friends as she was completing the novel and then once it was published.
Cheers, Jack