Reader discussion: Mrs. Dalloway

Public reader discussion about Mrs. Dalloway in the WeRead Catalog by Virginia Woolf.

What book did you have to read several times before understanding it, but was worth the effort?

By EmmaLovesBooks

I’m reading *Mrs. Dalloway* right now, and I do like it, but I’m having a hard time figuring out what I’m supposed to take from it. A friend told me to read it, then watch *The Hours*, and then go back to the book again. I’m pretty sure I’ll try that and hopefully it’ll click. It also made me wonder how many other books are like this—stuff that doesn’t really sink in on the first go and ends up needing a second try.

Mrs Dalloway in bond Street - Virginia Woolf. Is struggling to read this book a thing or is it just me?

By KateReads

I’m only through the first chapter and I’m honestly pretty lost. I can’t quite follow how people are being introduced or how the characters even fit together—everything feels kind of foggy, especially the way the setting gets described. Like, I’ll read a paragraph and I’m fine with the idea of her walking around, but then it jumps to other names and I’m like… who are these people? She’s going down the street to get gloves, then suddenly Justin Parry gets mentioned—who is he even? And Jimmy Dawes shows up too. Then Hugh Whitbread starts talking to her, and Scope Purvis and Mrs Foxcroft appear in the middle of it all. After that they basically just get named and we’re supposed to know what’s going on, but I don’t. And I haven’t even really learned much about Mrs Dalloway yet, not even her full deal or anything, so my brain is just juggling all these other names while I’m trying to figure out who’s who. Also the “right under the horses’ noses” line threw me. Did she almost get hit? Because the next bit is her left on the curb stretching her hand out, which just doesn’t click for me at all. So yeah—does this kind of confusing style usually get easier as you go? Or is this book kind of known for being harder to read than average?

Where should I start with Virginia Woolf: The Lighthouse or Mrs Dalloway?

By couplet

Or honestly, I’d be good with any of her books, but I’d rather start with one of the two I already have. I’m totally new to her writing, so I’m just trying to find the easiest place to jump in. Thanks!

Virginia Woolf? Snob! Richard Wright? Sexist! Dostoyevsky? Anti-Semite! - The New York Times

By Fallen_Deep186

I feel like we’d all read better if we stopped acting like the writer is the one from the past showing up in our time. When you grab an old novel, you aren’t really deciding whether the author would “fit” today or counts as enlightened enough—you’re basically stepping into their world and looking around there.

Passage from Mrs Dalloway

By DMole

He said he sometimes wished he’d gotten along better with her father. Clarissa snapped back that he’d never really liked anyone—especially not our friends—and I could tell she regretted bringing it up, like it made Peter feel awful again for wanting to marry her. Of course I did, he thought. It almost tore him up. He was sure he’d never been this miserable since. And he acted it out without meaning to, like when you’re on a terrace at night under all that moonlight—he inched closer to her, held his hand out, then let it drop. The moon hung over them, and it felt like Clarissa was there with him too, quiet and sad, just staring up in the same light. “She’s got Herbert now,” she said. “I don’t go there anymore.” And then it was that awkward terrace moment again—when one person starts feeling guilty about being bored, and the other just sits there too quiet, not wanting to talk. Peter fidgeted, noticed something weird on a table leg, moved a leaf, cleared his throat—then said nothing anyway.

Should I Power Through Mrs. Dalloway?

By MotionBandor1983

I grabbed a really gorgeous edition of Woolf’s *Mrs. Dalloway* as a Christmas gift to myself, and I was pumped to start it. I’m a couple days in and only about 40% through, which feels kind of slow for a book that isn’t that long. I’m having a hard time really getting into it. I usually don’t mind stories that take their time and focus more on characters, but the whole stream-of-consciousness thing is making it harder for me to connect with the people in the book. Because of that, I’m not feeling super invested in the plot or the characters. I get that Woolf matters a lot for Modernism and I think I’m starting to understand what it’s going for, but right now it still feels like a grind. Do you think it’s worth pushing through? What did you think?

Mrs Dalloway: Section 7

By black_bee1987

Tomorrow’s part is apparently really, really long, so I’m going to have to pick a decent spot to stop and post the line there. I’m a little over halfway from “You brute! You brute!” where we left off, and this is the last line for the eighth section: “That’s what I do it for,” she said, speaking out loud, to life.” Discussion Prompts - Honestly, I had a hard time with this chapter. The shifting points of view are kind of tough to keep track of. Hope it’s going better for everyone else than it is for me! - Reiza first seems sorry for the old woman singing, but then changes course and decides unhappiness is just a “silly dream.” A lot of this book feels like one person inventing a whole reality in their head and then getting proven wrong by the actual world. Am I way off here? - Septimus. There’s a lot here about his past, his illness, and how he’s not dealing with Evans’ death in WWI. I did like the idea that he went to war to save an England made up of Shakespeare’s plays and Miss Isabel Pole. How did you all handle the big Septimus section? (Yes, I’m basically summarizing half the chapter in one broad question.) - Is Septimus dealing with shell shock/PTSD and just getting terribly bad treatment? Not being able to feel anything sounds pretty awful. - My copy doesn’t line up with the chapter breaks posted here, so I’m probably going to stop and find a good break point for tomorrow too, since that section is so long! - Anything else from this chapter to talk about? Links: Project Gutenberg Standard eBook Today's Last Line: “You brute! You brute!” cried Septimus, seeing human nature, that is Dr. Holmes, enter the room.

anyone who has read the waves by Virginia Woolf?

By ClearKey7

How long did it take you to finish it? I finally decided to start getting into Woolf’s stuff, and I thought *Waves* felt like the best place to begin. I’ll be honest, “poetic novel” made me expect something totally different (but I’m still really enjoying it). It’s kind of a rough read at first—around the quarter-way mark I was ready to quit. Then I don’t even know what clicked, but I realized it’s basically written as streams of consciousness for the characters, and that genuinely blew my mind. After that, I felt like I understood the whole book way better. I’m loving it a lot now, but it’s been like two months and I’m only halfway through. I can’t really binge right now with exams and school stuff going on.

The Waves by Virginia Woolf

By Winter40

Hi! I’m a big Woolf fan and I really love her stuff. I’ve read *Mrs. Dalloway* and *To the Lighthouse* so far, and both of them messed with me in a really intense way. I get why some people say her writing just isn’t for them, but I personally really click with her stream-of-consciousness style—like honestly, I feel like my own thoughts bounce around in pretty similar ways most of the time. I’ve been trying to get through *The Waves* for over a month now, and wow… it’s a lot. It doesn’t feel boring or monotonous to me, but it’s still insanely hard to sink into. Woolf apparently said it’s her most difficult book, and I’m starting to see why. I’m just not sure if I’m the one struggling or if it’s meant to be this hard/haunting to get into. Curious what you all think?

Mrs Dalloway: Section 1

By prologueCarrot

Hey everyone—this is the first Mrs. Dalloway thread for our group. If you’re jumping in for the first time, welcome! Just reply to the prompts below (or toss in whatever you’re thinking about what we’ve gotten to so far). Two ground rules: please don’t spoil anything, and be decent. Prompts: 1. What’s your take on Woolf’s writing style so far? 2. What are you feeling about Clarissa Dalloway so far? - It sounds like her ex Peter is still a big deal for her. Does that relationship vibe seem good, or kind of unhealthy/complicated? - Clarissa says something like “the sayings one remembered.” What do you find yourself holding onto most about people who aren’t in your life anymore? - She basically feels like her husband swallowed her whole—like she’s invisible, not really known. Do you get what she means? Thoughts? - Anything else you want to bring up? Links: Project Gutenberg / Standard eBook Final line: “Dear, those motorcars,” said Miss Pym… and she comes back smiling like the whole thing is somehow her fault, holding sweet peas.

A Peek at the Upcoming Centenary Edition of Mrs. Dalloway

By EmmaInLondon

I’ve been really looking forward to the new NYRB Classics centenary edition of Mrs. Dalloway, and it’s finally out! From what I can tell, it brings back the text from the first edition, with Woolf’s own changes worked in, and the cover is such a nice throwback to the original Hogarth Press look. Also, I’m glad they’re planning to do the same kind of centenary edition for To the Lighthouse and The Waves in the next few years, with NYRB Classics and Mendelson.

Recommendations for a book club

By driftsPocket93

A couple of friends and I are kicking off a book club. It’s all guys in our late 20s, and everyone keeps saying they’ll read basically anything, which honestly makes picking a book a little annoying. We’re looking for something more of an adventure vibe, but also something that’ll make you think a bit so we have stuff to actually talk about. Any suggestions?

I do not understand Virginia Woolf's writing

By ivory-lynx67

I read a lot, and most of what I pick up is classic stuff. Usually I’m totally fine with it—language and all—so I can get through things like Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, Jane Austen, Mary Shelley, Dostoevsky, Conan Doyle, the Brontës, whatever. But Virginia Woolf’s writing just completely baffles me. I tried *Mrs Dalloway* recently and it was exhausting, like I couldn’t really follow what was going on or why it was written that way. I don’t even know what it is about her style, but it feels impossible to understand. I’m not a native English speaker either, but I can still understand pretty much everything else I read, so that’s why this is extra frustrating. Does anyone else struggle with Woolf? And if you’ve managed to get into her books, do you have any tips? I really want to, I’m just stuck.

Which Virginia Woolf book should I read?

By basilcomet77

I’ve had her books on my list for ages and I can’t really decide—should I go with To the Lighthouse, Orlando, or Mrs. Dalloway?

If you were not aware, this beautiful collection by Vintage Classics exists

By drifts-teacup2

Looks like we’re getting more new editions this year too! NYRB is putting out *Mrs. Dalloway*, and Vintage has limited editions of *Mrs. Dalloway*, *A Room of One’s Own*, and *To the Lighthouse*—they’re using Vanessa Bell’s original cover art.

Thoughts on Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf?

By coral-yard

I read *Mrs. Dalloway* during my senior year AP Lit class, and it honestly ended up being the only thing from that whole year that really stayed with me. The discussions were pretty rough though—most people didn’t actually read it or weren’t that interested, so it never really felt like we got anywhere. I understand it can be confusing at first with the stream-of-consciousness vibe and everything happening kind of “all in one day,” but once it clicks, *Mrs. Dalloway* feels like it has way more going on. Septimus is the one I can’t stop thinking about. Any part with him or Rezia always felt almost painfully beautiful. And when he finally jumps, Rezia is right there trying to shield him until the end. I actually found Septimus’ storyline more gripping than Clarissa’s, even though the way they fit together is really striking. To me, the end kind of makes it clear that both of them are chasing this “center” that they can’t reach, and Septimus choosing death feels like his way of trying to get through to something—like he’s still trying to explain what he needs. That makes Clarissa and Septimus seem a lot more similar than I expected. They live totally different lives, but they’re both stuck feeling dissatisfied and unseen. It’s not like they’re just bitter or ungrateful or totally miserable in a simple way—it’s more that even though life is beautiful and messy, it still doesn’t feel like enough. There’s always this sense that there’s something else they’re trying to get to. I could talk about this book forever, but I’m genuinely curious what other people think. In class, it mostly came down to “Clarissa and Septimus are ungrateful” and “it’s hard to get through.” I don’t really see it that way. I feel like there’s way more in the novel, and it might end up being one of my favorite books ever. What do other readers think about *Mrs. Dalloway*—especially the characters and the ending?

Fundraising for Short Film based on Mrs. Dalloway!

By midnightcarrot1972

Hey everyone, Hope you’re all doing okay. Just using a burner account since I’m not really on here that often. I’m a grad student and I’m trying to raise money for my thesis—I'm making a short film built around the party scene in *Mrs. Dalloway*, mostly the back-and-forth between Peter and Sally. My goal is for this short to basically act as a proof of concept for something longer later on, if I can get there. So I thought posting in a place with people who actually love Virginia Woolf would make sense. If you’re able, please donate through my IndieGogo link, and if not, sharing would still really help. Either way, thanks for reading.

Mrs. Dalloway: Chapter 10

By Superuser

Not sure what to make of this part’s discussion stuff—bring your own prompts is fine, but the links seem messed up, so I guess just ignore them. Also, I’m kinda stuck on what else there is to talk about besides the ending, where she has to go back and figure things out, like she’s searching for Sally and Peter and then comes back in from that little room.

What do you think is Virginia Woolf's best work (and why)?

By poemCrow16

Lately I’ve been craving some Virginia Woolf. About two weeks ago I finished *A Room of One’s Own* and I mostly loved it—her whole vibe/personality is what really pulled me in. Right after that I picked up *Mrs. Dalloway*, and I liked it too, but I know I’m going to have to reread it because I’m not sure I caught everything the first time. I struggled a bit with the stream-of-consciousness parts, but I still enjoyed it. It also felt like she was able to put into words things I’ve never managed to describe on my own. She’s really sharp, and somehow also super eloquent—like she picks up on the little, everyday details that actually matter. I started *Orlando: A Biography* yesterday and I’m already pretty into it. So far it feels pretty different from *Mrs. Dalloway*. I just love that she doesn’t stick to one style and keeps experimenting. I’m planning to read a lot of her work eventually, maybe even all of it. Anyway, question for you: what do you think is Woolf’s best book, personally, and what makes it stand out to you?

I Tried to Read as Many All Time Greats as I Could in 2023. Here is How I'd rank them:

By wilddog1979

- Absalom, Absalom! - William Faulkner - I think this is the deepest I’ve ever felt in a piece of art. - Beloved - Toni Morrison - Just absolutely crushing, and a really good foil to Faulkner. - Blood Meridian - Cormac McCarthy - Judge Holden really does deserve his spot as one of the great American villains. - Jane Eyre - Charlotte Bronte - I really liked how readable it was, and the sort of feminine spin she gives the hero’s journey. - Things Fall Apart - Chinua Achebe - Maybe the clearest and most concise of them all, with an insanely well-built tragic hero. - One Hundred Years of Solitude - Gabriel García Márquez - How am I lucky enough that this isn’t even in my top 5 for the year? - On the Road - Jack Kerouac - I feel like the aura around this book kind of overshadows how good it actually is. - Wuthering Heights - Emily Bronte - My #1 book pretty clearly owes a lot to this one. - Gravity's Rainbow - Thomas Pynchon - On the one hand, Pynchon might be the smartest writer here. On the other hand, well, you know what Shakespeare said about brevity. - The Stranger - Albert Camus - Stylish, reflective, and pretty unlike anything else. - The Wind-Up Bird Chronicles - Haruki Murakami - I never quite bought the ending, but I can’t tell if that’s a flaw or part of the point, or maybe just a cultural thing. - Crime and Punishment - Fyodor Dostoyevsky - I liked it, but it didn’t hit me nearly as hard as the reputation made me expect. - The Catcher in the Rye - J. D. Salinger - With the way people talk about it, I honestly expected it to be about a mass shooter. - The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn - Mark Twain - I keep thinking the strange ending might actually be the most brilliant part. - A Tale of Two Cities - Charles Dickens - The prose can be incredible, but most of the characters feel pretty flat and the ending is kind of corny. - The Book of Disquiet - Fernando Pessoa - The missing narrative structure made this hard to get through, but man, that voice is so distinct. - Jude the Obscure - Thomas Hardy - This one keeps getting better for me. - A Tree Grows In Brooklyn - Betty Smith - She really shows how much caring about the subject can make a story work. - Pedro Paramo - Juan Rulfo - For some reason this one just didn’t really hook me. - Gulliver's Travels - Jonathan Swift - Pretty boring in places. Probably the last one on this list I’d pick up again. - Murder on the Orient Express - Agatha Christie - Super entertaining, but totally lacking depth, plus the stereotypes are rough. - Mrs. Dalloway - Virginia Woolf - I know it’s highly respected, but I honestly didn’t understand most of it. I’d really love to hear what people think about any of these, any recommendations, or your own 2023 reading list. Thanks r/litterature for being such a good place to talk about classics once I’m done with them!