One thing to keep in mind is the tremendous effort it sometimes took for Virginia Woolf to achieve that sense of spontaneous, free-floating impressions being received moment-by-moment in her characters minds. I've read that some parts of "Mrs. Dalloway" came to VW with relative ease, while in other parts of the novel she might have laboured all day just to produce a 50-word paragraph that readers now take in and move on from in a matter of seconds.
The Waves was also my first book of Woolf's that resonated. In fact, your experience sounds exactly like mine. I still don't enjoy all of the novels (The Years and The Voyage Out are favorites), but oh how I admire her writing. If you haven't read To the River by Olivia Laing, I highly recommend it as a chaser.
I've determined to go back a complete some classic DNF's this year. So far, I've scratch Catcher in the Rye off my list. I struggle with the narrator so much. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is a similar novel, and I loved it. That one I recommend, but not everyone has a taste for Rye.
This is beautiful and how I felt exactly when first approaching Woolf! After some time of going back and forth with Between the Acts and The Years… Orlando, The Waves and her essays on writing, women and fiction were it for me. I was studying modernism alongside reading them and my mind went crazy. I also read Jacob’s Room which went completely over my head (I felt literally dumb). Mrs Dalloway I thoroughly enjoyed! I’m planning on reading the rest of her work this year!
Orlando was my first Woolf read. It took me a long time, but that reading that book totally changed me, and how I view and make art. I'll admit i've only read half of the waves. I grasp it and then it slips away from me. I'll finish it one day, but I always take a while to chew on her words. but taking the time to wrestle with her language is so so so worth it.
My experience was similar with Woolf! I find that every book has its moment to be read. As I get older my understanding of the novels improves and I gain more from each reading. I haven’t read all her work and that in itself is a joy as I know I have so much more to discover. So pleased to have found you all here to help me in my understanding and increase my love of Virginia Woolf and her work.
I've had a copy of The Waves for years, and still haven't read it. I just didn't think I could follow it after trying to read the first page or two. Failing with The Waves didn't stop me from buying Mrs Dalloway, yet it too is still unread, even though I loved The Hours (and I have a copy of Daisy & Woolf which I really want to read). I stumbled across Wolfish (through Footnotes and Tangents) just as a fellow Bookstagrammer encouraged me to read To The Lighthouse - your read along couldn't have been better timed. Thank you, thank you for the added encouragement to try again. I feel my changes of failing again will be diminished with the help of your guidance :-)
One thing to keep in mind is the tremendous effort it sometimes took for Virginia Woolf to achieve that sense of spontaneous, free-floating impressions being received moment-by-moment in her characters minds. I've read that some parts of "Mrs. Dalloway" came to VW with relative ease, while in other parts of the novel she might have laboured all day just to produce a 50-word paragraph that readers now take in and move on from in a matter of seconds.
Exactly. Yes, I read that too.
The Waves was also my first book of Woolf's that resonated. In fact, your experience sounds exactly like mine. I still don't enjoy all of the novels (The Years and The Voyage Out are favorites), but oh how I admire her writing. If you haven't read To the River by Olivia Laing, I highly recommend it as a chaser.
Oh I LOVE 'The Years' too. ('The Voyage Out' is still in my TO READ pile.)
Thank you for the recommendation re Olivia Laing. I've noted it down!
I've determined to go back a complete some classic DNF's this year. So far, I've scratch Catcher in the Rye off my list. I struggle with the narrator so much. Sylvia Plath's The Bell Jar is a similar novel, and I loved it. That one I recommend, but not everyone has a taste for Rye.
This is beautiful and how I felt exactly when first approaching Woolf! After some time of going back and forth with Between the Acts and The Years… Orlando, The Waves and her essays on writing, women and fiction were it for me. I was studying modernism alongside reading them and my mind went crazy. I also read Jacob’s Room which went completely over my head (I felt literally dumb). Mrs Dalloway I thoroughly enjoyed! I’m planning on reading the rest of her work this year!
Sorry, Victoria, I thought I'd already replied to your comment! It sounds like we had a really similar experience :)
Orlando was my first Woolf read. It took me a long time, but that reading that book totally changed me, and how I view and make art. I'll admit i've only read half of the waves. I grasp it and then it slips away from me. I'll finish it one day, but I always take a while to chew on her words. but taking the time to wrestle with her language is so so so worth it.
It IS so so so worth it.
I'm really looking forward to Orlando. It's in the pile!
I have been hearing so much about Virginia Woolf and The Waves lately. I’m gonna take it as my sign I really need to read it.
Do! It's fantastic. Almost a blend of poetry and prose.
My experience was similar with Woolf! I find that every book has its moment to be read. As I get older my understanding of the novels improves and I gain more from each reading. I haven’t read all her work and that in itself is a joy as I know I have so much more to discover. So pleased to have found you all here to help me in my understanding and increase my love of Virginia Woolf and her work.
I've had a copy of The Waves for years, and still haven't read it. I just didn't think I could follow it after trying to read the first page or two. Failing with The Waves didn't stop me from buying Mrs Dalloway, yet it too is still unread, even though I loved The Hours (and I have a copy of Daisy & Woolf which I really want to read). I stumbled across Wolfish (through Footnotes and Tangents) just as a fellow Bookstagrammer encouraged me to read To The Lighthouse - your read along couldn't have been better timed. Thank you, thank you for the added encouragement to try again. I feel my changes of failing again will be diminished with the help of your guidance :-)