Mrs. Dalloway: The Virginia Woolf Library Authorized Edition

Virginia Woolf

Aug 2005 · Sold by HarperCollins

About this ebook

The authorized, original edition of Virginia Woolf’s masterpiece and one of the most “moving, revolutionary artworks of the twentieth century” (Michael Cunningham), with a foreword by Maureen Howard. 

In this vivid portrait of a single day in a woman’s life, Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway is preoccupied with the last-minute details of preparation for a party while in her mind she is something much more than a perfect society hostess. As she readies her house for friends and neighbors, she is flooded with remembrances of the past—the passionate loves of her carefree youth, her practical choice of husband, and the approach and retreat of war. And, met with the realities of the present, Clarissa reexamines the choices that brought her there, hesitantly looking ahead to the unfamiliar work of growing old.

From the introspective Clarissa, to the lover who never fully recovered from her rejection, to a war-ravaged stranger in the park, the characters and scope of Mrs. Dalloway reshape our sense of ordinary life and reshaped English literature as we know it. 

“Perhaps her masterpiece…Exquisite and superbly constructed…Required like most writers to choose between the surface and the depths as the basis of her operations, she chooses the surface and then burrows in as far as she can.” –E. M. Forster

Ratings and reviews

Mrs. Dalloway-Virginia Woolf- I admit I have trouble with classical writings and tend to steer away from these reads. However, as a writer, I feel I must discipline myself. So, on occasion, I will choose a novel such as this as I believe it helps me as an author with my own creativity and style. In spite of the traditional award winning writing style of the time, this is an enjoyable read. With patience and willfulness one can endure the difficulty of the read. I had to read over parts several times and even flip back within the book to re-read something which tied in with something else further in the book! This story is packed full of emotion and is simply a wonderful story. A fantastic read if you are prepared to do a little “skillful” reading!

Its a very dull book

Intellectual rhapsody

About the author

VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882–1941) was one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century. An admired literary critic, she authored many essays, letters, journals, and short stories in addition to her groundbreaking novels, including Mrs. Dalloway, To The Lighthouse, and Orlando.