Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf Continued

Along with detailing the thoughts and feelings of Mrs. Dalloway, the unhappy couple Septimus and Rezia, Peter Walsh, the novel follows the thoughts of the Dalloway's housekeeper, who considers the Dalloways, "from the most worthless of all classes-the rich." We see the bitter side of their housekeeper Mrs. Kilman as she converses with Elizabeth Dalloway and makes rude remarks to herself. We trace along with Peter Walsh as he walks through the lovely parks of London and tries to figure out what it is he so happens to be attracted to about Clarissa and then decides he must attend her party and bring her something special as he is planning to confirm his love to her. After all, "it is a thousand pities never to say what one feels." At home preparing for her party in the evening Mrs. Dalloway gets an unexpected visit from her husband Richard before he leaves to attend a committee that Clarissa mixes up the name of. He comes bearing roses, and how she loves him so for it, but her only desire is that he would be able to say he loves her, but she decides she can see he is trying to say it and that the words themselves are not entirely necessary. She ponders to herself if she should have married Peter for there is such a difference in her and Richard's relationship to that of her and Peter; her and Peter would converse and perhaps argue, but with Richard there was nothing to argue about, as the other ladies said she was spoiled because he listened to whatever she said, but was there a certain passion missing Clarissa wondered? Septimus doesn't seem to want to have children and because it is all Rezia desires, she takes Septimus to a doctor who confirms there is nothing physically wrong with him, but that he is in a phunk and must be institutionalized. Elizabeth Dalloway's teacher takes her to the market and Clarissa seems to have doubts about the sanity of the woman. All this is so much to take on upon the eve of her famed party.

Woolf somehow portrays Clarissa is a woman with much character and an amazing spirit, though she considers party giving, "her gift. Nothing else had she the slightest of importance; could not think, write, even play the piano. She muddled Armenians and Turks; loved success; hated discomfort; must be liked; talked oceans of nonsense: and to this day, ask her what the equator was, and she did not know." Curious to find out if Peter Walsh will proclaim his love to Clarissa, how Septimus will fare in the institution, how the rest of Elizabeth's life will turn out, and just how successful the party will end up being? Don't wait to find out.

Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf

Mrs. Dalloway chronicles the life of a very vibrant woman named Clarissa, throughout a single very important day, during which she is supposed to be hosting a party of her own. At first I found the novel a little challenging as it is not broken up into chapters, so some ideas seem to flow into others without breaks, causing the lines between character thoughts and certain events to be blurred. However the reader does catch on to the acclaimed Virginia Woolf's style to writing literature; she frequently changes character perspectives and locations in periodic intervals throughout her work. This is helpful in giving the reader a sense of multiple character's views about various occurrences. Though a bit hard to understand when first reading the novel, this style helps keep the novel interesting and flowing well.

Throughout her day of preparing for the party Clarissa is confronted by those from her past, including Mr. Peter Walsh. The two have not seen each other since he left for India years ago, and last Clarissa heard he was engaged and to be married to some woman he met on the ride over. She was utterly shocked by his visit and he clearly still illustrates he has feelings for the girl he has known since early childhood days. Although he tries to cover up these feelings by pretending he is "in love again" he dearly wishes Clarissa had not married Mr. Richard Dallowy in the years past. Clarissa recalls at this time the way she and Richard met, how they were a perfect pair, despite her first few incorrect introductions of him. When Clarissa is speaking with Peter Walsh her daughter unexpectedly enters the room and she introduces her little darling sweetly with a mother's admiration, yet it somehow seems to anger Peter the way she does so. The novel also follows a couple of whom the wife has become increasingly unhappy as she has had to move to Enlgand which she hasn't come to fancy and their marriage is falling apart. She uses the excuse that her fingers are too thin to wear her wedding ring, but her husband is not fooled. Mrs. Dalloway decides to invite Peter to her gala that night as he is abruptly leaving her home. Care to see how the events of the day will unfold for the multiple characters present in this novel? Will an old flame reappear or die out for good? To find out pick up a copy of the famous author's work that inspired the hours. You'll certainly end up enjoying it.