To the Lighthouse
by Virginia Woolf
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Book Reviews of To the Lighthouse
Book Review: Bold experiment, yes - timeless classic, no
Summary: 2 Stars
To The Lighthouse was an ambitious, brave experiment in literature, a bold venture into stream-of-consciousness techniques and profound themes relating to the fundamental differences between the sexes. It deserves to be recognized as an important contribution to 20th century fiction. Alas, that does not mean that it deserves to be read. It was far too tedious, and relied to a great extent on style and literary technique to drive it forward. And while I rarely go searching for "an easy read," nor do I seek out plot-driven novels, this book was simply too far towards the opposite extremes to be enjoyable.The most highly regarded of Virginia Woolf's many books, To The Lighthouse focuses on the Ramseys, a British family in the 1910s and their interactions with family friends at their vacation home in Scotland. I wish I could say more about the plot, but frankly, not much happens. Oh, sorry, they keep talking about sailing out to the Lighthouse (and eventually they do, even). But this book is not about plot. It is about the emotional and philosophical ruminations of Woolf's characters, none of whom is particularly sympathetic or engrossing. Woolf juxtaposes the rational, abrasive Mr. Ramsay with the pleasant, introspective Mrs. Ramsay in an attempt to make profound statements about the differences between men and women. Woven into this central issue are the themes of love and art. Perhaps this book was revolutionary when it was first written, but can it appropriately be considered timeless? Given its limited appeal to even the most avid, intelligent readers of today, I think the answer is 'no.'
Book Review: Great Writing Style Overcomes Average Story Line [34][15][T]
Summary: 5 Stars
Written nearly one hundred years ago, this book is more distant from today's reader than the great Lighthouse may have been to the inhabitant's of Woolf's village island.
Centering on a large and dysfunctionally polite family, the book has three very different parts: first when the majority of the family is still young; second when certain life-changing events occur to members of the that family; and last a trek to the Lighthouse by a few members of the family - a trek which was the subject of disdain and scorn between father and son in the first part.
Written with an almost ADHD style - where comments of the events are interwoven with the thoughts of characters, and at times the two interwoven with dialogue -- the book shifts and turns and rocks, much like the sailboats of the island's denizens. This makes the book unique, and I warn readers that it also makes the reading more difficult.
This is deemed a classic - but it is not a classic for the story, but rather for the prose and narrative form. You read this to honor the writer, not to honor the story created by the writer.
If you wish to read a great writer's greatest novel, try this. If you like this, follow with Mrs. Dalloway. And, if you like each, read Cunningham's The Hours, which seeks to honor Woolf as a writer by copying much of her style while incorporating much of her life with her stories.
Book Review: Interior monologues by a gifted writer. Just not for me.
Summary: 4 Stars
Virginia Woolf wrote this book in 1927. It must have been courageous for her do so at the time as it's all stream of consciousness and she lets the reader get a glimpse inside her thought processes. The very slight plot focuses on a vacationing British family and their guests and there's a constant interior monologue about every little thing. The first part, entitled "The Window" is by far the largest section of the book and the reader has to plow though a complex web of the author's thoughts as she focuses on one detail after another using all her senses. True, she's a gifted writer and deeply explores the relationships between men and women, focusing mainly on Mrs. Ramsay, the matriarch of the family. It's as if everything is in the background and the only thing in the foreground is what she has in her head.
The second part, entitled "Time Passes" is perhaps the strongest part of the book. It focuses on an empty house and its details of decay over a ten year period. It is masterfully done.
The third part, entitled "The Lighthouse" is about the remaining members of the family, who come back to the house in order to take a trip to the lighthouse which has been postponed for ten years. It's all very symbolic and the reader is left to draw his or her own conclusions about the meaning of it all.
This is the only Virginia Woolf book I've ever read and although I can appreciate the skill of the author, I'm not interested in reading any more of her works and can recommend this book only for fans of hers as well as those with a curiosity about her writing.
Book Review: Perfect for the lit-crit-for-clits claque...
Summary: 5 Stars
This is not a book for everyone. It wasn't meant for me, and it is not one that I'll ever re-visit, but I can acknowledge that it is a minor classic.
Much like the far superior Under the Volcano, this book focuses on how the thing is said, and not the thing itself. The plot is spare and banal, and what little action there is is tangential: what matters to Woolf is the inner psychology, the interpersonal dynamics, the thoughts, perceptions, emotions and feelings.
The book has a calamitous exordium, populated with clunkers such as this:
"Then, up behind the great black rock, almost every evening spurted irregularly, so that one had to watch for it and it was a delight when it came, a fountain of white water, and then, while one waited for that, one watched, on the pale semicircular beach, wave after wave shedding again and again smoothly, a film of mother of pearl."
But, gradually, the lyricism and prose pick up, and become almost sublime in many parts. Woolf does not have much to say, but she says it very beautifully, once she's found her sea-legs.
To the Lighthouse is very overrated at #15 on the MLA 100...it should be ranked far beneath All the King's Men, Appointment in Samarra, and the incredibly brilliant Pale Fire. (Most English professors would doubtless disagree.) That said, it does deserve a spot on the list, and is not an aesthetically devoid waste of time like Wide Sargasso Sea.
Book Review: Inability to understand vs. bad literature
Summary: 5 Stars
I must say that I was amazed when I saw that a novel such as To the Lighthouse has averaged only four out of five stars. That a classic of literature wich has proven the test of time would score only four stars, when many poorly written contemporary novels receive five, is truly an irony of our age. As I looked over the reviews, I noted that there were some that gave the novel only one star! Usually these were from individuals that had a difficult time comprehending the book and could not make a distinction between that lack of comprehension and a piece of world class literature. Although one reviewer did acknowledge that she knew this was a fine twentieth century work, she still went on to give it one star. I think that this type of written review is necessary in order to let other readers know that it will be a difficult read; however, by giving it one star, the reviewer misleads by implying that the book is not worth reading, and this might discourage others from making the effort, and perhaps getting much more out of the novel than its one-star reviewers.
To the Lighthouse is worth the struggle if one is willing to put in the time. My recommendation to serious readers is to go to outside sources - either through Amazon, online resources, or the library - that will help in understanding the book. In this way a profound novel will get its due and readers will have the beautiful experience that only this book can afford.