"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself"

A truly brilliant novel, quite a challenge to read until you settle into the 'stream of consciousness' style. Its a study of sadness & sanity, the disconnectedness one can feel from events and the great ebb & flow of humanity and weight of history. Clarissa has regrets about decisions made, paths not taken, and of growing old burdened by unfulfilled promise. The book does tend towards the melancholic, and is especially poignant considering Virginia Woolf's tortured life and tragic early death; but, in the end, the books strengths are in its unique hypnotic style, and the real raw human emotions that we can all recognise. As with the best writing, its about the human condition, not always comfortable, but ultimately hugely rewarding.

"She felt very young, at the same time unspeakably aged. She sliced like a knife through everything, at the same time was outside, looking on."

Released on Monday, August 04, 2003 at Sent to Bookcrossing friend by post in Cambridge, England United Kingdom.

Arrived in the post yesterday. Thanks, Bookgroupman! You must remind me if I need to send this back to you once I'v read it, or on to someone else - mind like a sieve!

It took me a little while to get into her style of writing and so this has taken me longer to read than I had hoped, plus Bookgroupman recommended giving this some decent reading time, rather than reading 'between the raindrop' and unfortunately I've been lacking chunks of time to read lately - so I fear I have not given this the attention it deserved. However, once I got into it, i thoroughly enjoyed it - and now I feel I ought to go back to the beginning and read again to appreciate it more! But I ought to send this copy on to anyone else waiting for it.....and I will look for my own copy to read again and keep....I also have 'The Hours' to read next, so am looking forward to getting started.....

Sent this off to VeganVixenUk today, to continue it's journey with 'The Hours'....

Received in the post today.
Will pass on with The Hours when i have read them both.
Thanks Jo!

Decided this book would be better going to another bookcrosser at the moment as i seem unable to get into it.
If I read another copy at a later date i will amend this journal entry with my thoughts on the book.
Off to HeathWitch. Hope you enjoy it!

Received as a RABCK, and now on Mt TBR. Thankies! :)

Sending to safrolistics' OBCZ :)

Received with "The Hours" (amongst lots of other books) from Heathwitch, thought I'd give them both a go before releasing at an OBCZ



alt="Click here to join bccov">
Click to join bccov

CONTROLLED RELEASE NOTES:

Posted out as an Xmas RABCK

Many thanks for the books off my wish list, it's much appreciated.

24 Sept 10 - I have just finished this book which is only the second I have read by Virginia Woolf. I find her writing style unusual and that I really have to concentrate or I end up havingto go back a couple of paragraphs to reread them, for this reason I don't enjoy them as much as I think I should. Overall I found it quite a sad story.

This book has been released to raise awareness of LUCIA , a small charity which supports women and orphans in Ethiopia. BookCrossers around the world are taking part in a challenge in September 2010, where we will be releasing hundreds of books with a word relating to women's roles, or women's names in the title. If you would like to donate to this worthwhile charity, please  click here . Thank you for your interest in this book and LUCIA!

Mrs. Dalloway has arrived my home this morning! This has been quite a travelling book :) I've read all kinds of opinions on Virginia Woolf and I'm really looking forward to reading the book and knowing what is my own. Thank you, kingfan30, for the generous RABCK! It was much appreciated :)

I've finished reading today and really liked it! I had never read anything by Woolf before and it was a good surprise. I love how she describes our human condition so well. I'm kind of an amateur philosopher but most of the time I spend thinking about these matters I come up with theories that I've found to be quite comparable to the ones Virginia Woolf registered in Mrs. Dalloway. I didn't think it was sad; it's kind of a stoic mirror of our lives and fears. So being, I completely understand what the author has "printed" on the characters. It is a little bit hard to read sometimes (especially since my mother tongue isn't English) but the ideas are explicit and clear. There were some points that confused me quite, especially because there was no "ending" to them, there seemed to be no purpose - but then again, it's all part of Woolf's writing style, I guess.

Thanks, kingfan30, for sharing! It was much appreciated :)