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A review by samarakroeger
To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
a book I plan on returning to and rereading after time has passed.
this book features the most exquisite, lush, and beautiful prose I have ever read. It can be a bit confusing and esoteric at times; feeling like I missed something, I would look up some literary analysis and feel reassured that I didn’t misunderstand much.
an experimental narrative approach allows us to ruminate on perception, art, and memory from shifting perspectives. The strong sense of place grounds the narrative throughout all three parts as the house itself acts as a witness to the passage of time.
I’ll be thinking about this small little book for a while, I think.
~~~~~
update upon reread (March 2023): raised from 4.25 to 5 stars.
This was just one of those books that I knew was only going to grow on me but I needed to give it time first. Woolf’s gorgeous prose kept coming back to me last year, long after I finished reading it. After finally reading Mrs. Dalloway earlier this year (and finding in it a new all-time favorite, easily my favorite read of the year so far), I couldn’t wait to revisit To the Lighthouse. It feels like a springtime book to me, one that I hope to continue returning to year after year.
this book features the most exquisite, lush, and beautiful prose I have ever read. It can be a bit confusing and esoteric at times; feeling like I missed something, I would look up some literary analysis and feel reassured that I didn’t misunderstand much.
an experimental narrative approach allows us to ruminate on perception, art, and memory from shifting perspectives. The strong sense of place grounds the narrative throughout all three parts as the house itself acts as a witness to the passage of time.
I’ll be thinking about this small little book for a while, I think.
~~~~~
update upon reread (March 2023): raised from 4.25 to 5 stars.
This was just one of those books that I knew was only going to grow on me but I needed to give it time first. Woolf’s gorgeous prose kept coming back to me last year, long after I finished reading it. After finally reading Mrs. Dalloway earlier this year (and finding in it a new all-time favorite, easily my favorite read of the year so far), I couldn’t wait to revisit To the Lighthouse. It feels like a springtime book to me, one that I hope to continue returning to year after year.