Four words: This book is amazing! I was afraid I wouldn't like it, but I realized once I started reading that it was just like Mrs. Dalloway only modernized, a little more crass, and intellectual in a simple but complicated way. Okay, so that made very little sense; when I read Mrs. Dalloway, I felt like there was some hidden meaning embedded in her words but I couldn't seem to graps them until I discussed it with other people. With Michael Cunningham's writing, I can understand the meaning right off the bat without having to reread passages over and over again. And the more I read, the more connections I can make through all the characters.
Personally I don't really care about the whole "Literary grave-robbery" thing, or that Michael Cunningham delves deep into the thoughts of Virginia Woolf and puts his own words to her actions. One must make their own interpretations of someone who they never knew, basing it off of deep, intensive study, of course. And even though he took the structure of Mrs. Dalloway, I think that it is his own story in its own way - his tone, his word choice, his descriptions and his own thoughts make it his story, his writing.
Can't wait to finish the book. It's awesome.
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4 comments:
I agree that the writing and connections are well developed and engaging, but what do you think of the plot it'self?
This is an interesting interprtation of the novel. I agree that it is okay for him to put his own spin on the world of Virginia Woolf as long as he makes it a fictional interpretation otherwise i find it disgusting. He is a great author and can make Mrs. Dalloway relatible
I agree with how you NEVER have to re-read passages to understand them and I love that about this book too.
Hannah,
A good post (not the least of which for the comments it has engendered). I am of course glad that you are enjoying the book (and while I agree that Cunningham's prose is easier to process than Woolf's, I don't really think that it is any less elegant).
I'm going to be interested to hear both your reaction to the latter half of the novel, and to Dee's critique of it (which we'll be reading next week--I suspect you'll have a fun time taking him on!).
Again, good post!
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