Last semester, I took a class about English literature. We read several short stories and poems, but
only one book: Mrs. Dalloway by
Virginia Woolf. Mrs. Dalloway takes place after World War
I in England. It is the story of one day
in a woman’s life told through different perspectives of several people. The story converges at a party hosted by the
main character, Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway. The
characters all receive some terrible news yet none seem to be affected by it
except for Clarissa.
My opinion of this book differed greatly from my
professor’s. While he thought this was
one of the most incredible books he had ever read, I had the typical college
student’s opinion. I didn’t like it, and it dragged on and on and
on. However, I seemed to enjoy it more
than my classmates (who found it confusing how you could switch from being in
one person’s head to being in another’s in the same conversation). When my
professor asked us our opinions of this book, I gave a slightly more positive
review than my classmates (maybe because my psyche can’t handle all the time I
wasted reading this book; I had to
justify my lost time somehow).
Though I thought this book was a tedious read, I did enjoy
some aspects of it. Much like in real
life, the relationships and opinions of the characters in this story shift
frequently. I thought the author captured that
beautifully. I also enjoyed how the characters could look
at something mundane and find some value in it.
I can relate to that. Another thing I liked about this book was the
character Ellie Henderson. She’s mentioned only a handful of times throughout
the entire story, but she has so much depth.
There may be a time later in my life where I will decide to
give this book a second read. Maybe I
will come to appreciate it then. For
now, I’m going to stick with something that will hold my attention.
And to my English professor: If you’re reading this, I
thoroughly enjoyed this book.
--Reviewed by Miss Shayne
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