Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf (Penguin Popular Classics)

Description

“Mrs. Dalloway” is a novel written by Virginia Woolf and published in 1925. It is considered one of Woolf’s most influential and celebrated works and is renowned for its innovative narrative style and exploration of the inner lives of its characters.

The novel takes place in a single day in June 1923 and follows the thoughts and experiences of Clarissa Dalloway, an upper-class woman in post-World War I London. The story intertwines the events of Clarissa’s preparations for a party she is hosting in the evening with the inner monologues and perspectives of other characters.

Through the stream-of-consciousness technique, Woolf delves into the consciousness of various characters, revealing their thoughts, memories, and perceptions of the world. The narrative weaves seamlessly between past and present, blurring the boundaries of time and capturing the complexity and fluidity of human experience.

While Clarissa is the central character, the novel also explores the lives of other individuals, such as Septimus Warren Smith, a World War I veteran suffering from shell shock, and Peter Walsh, an old suitor of Clarissa’s. Woolf examines the effects of war, societal expectations, and the limitations imposed on individuals, particularly women, by the social structure of the time.

“Mrs. Dalloway” is known for its lyrical prose, rich characterizations, and profound insights into human consciousness. It explores themes such as identity, the passage of time, the nature of memory, and the search for meaning and connection in a fragmented and complex world.

Woolf’s novel is considered a significant contribution to modernist literature, as it experiments with narrative form and challenges traditional notions of plot and structure. It captures the essence of the modernist movement by exploring the interior lives of characters and depicting the shifting, subjective nature of reality.

“Mrs. Dalloway” remains a highly regarded and widely studied work, appreciated for its psychological depth, evocative prose, and its portrayal of the complexities and intricacies of human existence. It stands as a seminal work in Virginia Woolf’s literary legacy and continues to resonate with readers for its exploration of themes that are still relevant today.