I almost feel as if The Hours is too much like Mrs. Dalloway. Perhaps the originality of this new novel will bloom later on in the novel, but for now I feel as if I am re-reading Mrs. Dalloway. The connections that Michael Cunningham creates in his writing to Virginia Woolf's writing are too obvious for me. Although, Cunningham does structure his novel with credible modernist perception, I think that because he uses so few of his own ideas it takes away from the entirety of being a modernist.
Don't get me wrong I do enjoy connecting all three of Cunningham's characters together and relating his book to Woolf's, however it makes me wonder if the main idea may be a little too simplistic for classic literature. The Hours is a fun read that makes you feel intellectually sound in the reading arena, but is the writing truly legit or just too much of a copyright? In Flaubert's Parrot the story was unique and seemed like a separate entity than Madame Bovary (and it's probably because it wasn't directly focused on Madame Bovary) but there were still subtle connections to be made.
Thus far, Laura Brown seems to be the most intriguing character. Laura's story is different and one that we haven't heard, and the connections are less obvious, and harder to figure out. I look forward to the rest of the novel and hope that the "flow" that begins in the beginning continues until the end.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
3 comments:
"Too simplistic for classic literature"...
I think you've got a point here, Maddie, and a valid one--it may be not only that "The Hours" is too derivative, but that it reads too much like a literary 'exercise' to be enjoyed only by the cognoscenti (those who are familiar with "Mrs. Dalloway"). That said, I agree with you that the Mrs. Brown strand represents the most originality, and I'll be curious to hear if you think that, as you progress into the second half of the book, Cunningham's novel manages to leave the source book behind--or not.
Good post!
I do agree with you that it is a bit simplistic, but at the same time I think Cunningham is trying to take Woolf's overall notion of the inability to completely understand one another and perhaps show that it can be done; that it isn't impossible to relate to a different person. The 'moments' that continue to occur in the novel, perhaps, will lead to Cunningham's overall notion that people can, and will, connect on another level.
I agree with Maddie but I also like what Sar said about Cunningham trying to take Woolf's overall notion of inability to completely understand one another and show it can be done. The correlation between all the characters shows this and the way Cunningham has each character relate and connect through their actions or feeling is proving the point. My favorite part of your blog Maddie was the title ha.
Post a Comment