Virginia Woolf and Other Notes

Just a short post today. It'll be a day for running errands that I've put off; taking my new laptop to Staples to see if they'll download the Microsoft 2024 and a few other things. 😁 Nothing new to report on either the reading front or new books. 

The Woman in the Wall

The Woman in the Wall

A quick comment on an excellent, powerful TV mini-series that Jo and I watched the other day, The Woman in the Wall. It's set in Ireland and stars Ruth Wilson and Daryl McCormack. It's a mystery but also so much more than that. I won't ruin it for you but this is the synopsis of the story, taken from Wikipedia.

"Lorna (Wilson) wakes up to find the apparently dead body of a woman in her house. Lorna has a long history of trauma-based sleepwalking that stretches back to her time spent in Ireland’s controversial Magdalene Laundries."

Ruth Wilson is fantastic. Check it out.

Women Whose Work I've Enjoyed - Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf

Virginia Woolf was born in London in 1882 and died in East Sussex in 1941 at the young age of 59. She was one of the founding members of the Bloomsbury Group along with her brothers' intellectual friends. She married Leonard Woolf in 1912 and the two of them founded Hogarth Press which published most of her work. 

Over her life, Virginia wrote 9 novels, numerous short stories and also works of non-fiction. I haven't explored her work as much as I should, having only completed two of her novels thus far. Both display her unique writing style. I'll provide my reviews of both to give you a feel for her stories.

1. Mrs. Dalloway (1925). This was Woolf's 4th novel. 

"Mrs Dalloway is my first exposure to the writings of Virginia Woolf. It wasn't an easy book to read but once I got into the flow, I enjoyed it very much. It's a unique style, one long chapter that flows from one character to another over the course of a single day. It's like a wandering vine; one story branches off and then by a circuitous route through other vines, it once again joins the main story.

That main story focuses on Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway, wife of Richard Dalloway, a British Member of Parliament, as she prepares for a party at their home. Over the course of the day, the tale branches off to that of Peter Walsh, an old boyfriend who returns to London from India to arrange for his marriage with a married woman and drops in to see Clarisse; there is Rezia Warren Smith, Italian wife of shell-shocked Septimus Warren, trying to get him help for his condition, plus all of the sundry characters that people this story.

The switch from one character to another is often swift and if you're not paying attention you might not realize it. It happens when a chance crossing of paths occurs and the story switches to that particular character. Even if they don't meet, there are links with characters that interact with both; Dr Bradshaw attends Clarissa's party and also treats Septimus.

It's a fascinating story, somewhat limp ending maybe but all in all quite an introduction to Virginia Woolf. (4 stars)"

2. Between the Acts (1941). Her last fiction novel.

"Between the Acts is the 2nd book by Virginia Woolf that I've read. It was her last novel, published in 1941. the year she ended her life. I can't say that I necessarily understand the ultimate point of this novel, but it is a fascinating journey.

The basic story is the annual pageant hosted by Pointz Hall, the estate of the Olivers; Giles and Isa and their young children, and father Bartholomew and aunt Lucy. The pageant is a play put on in the grounds of Pointz Hall, the purpose to raise money for the local Church. The play was organized by Miss La Trobe (some reviewers seem to think she is Virginia Woolf).

So that is the foundation. The story takes place over one day, the morning of the play, the play itself and the final hours of the day. We meet so many people, delving into their thoughts and emotions; especially the 4 main ones, but also Miss La Trobe, wealthy Mrs. Manresa, and others.

The story is like climbing a sand dune trying to grasp individual pieces of sand as you struggle to the top. Each provides a picture, an insight, a bit of color description. When you reach the top finally, you might still not see the complete picture but the portrait painted is still pretty darn amazing. Woolf has a way with words, with description, using dialogue to provide a picture. I struggled at times with the pacing of the story but then other times it just moved along breathlessly.  I think I'll read more of Woolf's work. (4 stars)"

Actually, I haven't read more of Woolf's works yet but I do hope to. An excellent portrait of her life and works can be found at this link. Enjoy searching out more about her.