*SPOILERS!!!* PLEASE DO NOT READ UNTIL YOU HAVE FINISHED THE BOOK!!!!!!!!!!

The Hours, by Micheal Cunningham is an extraordinary book. I feel that it is written with beautiful prose and wonderful connections between the three main characters.
While we are introduced to Virginia Woolf as she is drowning herself - trying to rid herself of insanity, lifting the burden of herself off of her shoulders - this is not a depressing book. Even though Richard kills himself also to escape insanity - to be free - this book does not state that killing yourself is better than dying of some illness. Although Mrs. Brown attempts death, invites death, and is the 'lover of death' she prevails and lives. This is a book taking place within the hours of a day in June, the years of 1920, 1949, and 1999.
Virginia Woolf -a real person; author, wife, sister, victim of suicide- is portrayed in this June day when her sister Vanessa comes to visit, when she begins Mrs. Dalloway (originally entitled The Hours) when a tiny, female bird dies and her niece Angelica lays her on the deathbed of roses. "She would like to lie down on it herself." (120) Clarissa Dalloway, the character developing in her mind suddenly becomes: "not the bride of death after all. Clarissa is the bed in which the bride is laid." (121)
This is one of the moments when we know that Cunningham is being presumptuous, but as readers of Mrs. Dalloway, we also know that he is striving to capture Woolf's brilliance in the most beautiful way possible. It takes courage to publish the assumed words, thoughts, and actions of a brilliant novelist. I respect Cunningham for taking the risk of going inside the head of such a woman, which results in such an intricately woven web of stories. It is not counterfeit when he writes Clarissa Vaughns story, and it is not arrogant when he writes about a woman that he regards with reverence.
Despite the amount of death in this book, (Julian holding death in his hands: "Does he believe the bird has left a residue of death on his hands?" Laura wishing to be free. Woolf knowing "She is herself. She knows she will leave almost before she decides to leave." Richard, slipping from the window, the dark -almost black- blood staining the sidewalk that cracked his skull.) the story lines are not depressing. It is almost a confirmation that death is not the answer -suicide is the last option. And for that much, it is uplifting. It is written so beautifully that it cannot be rendered as depressing.
Finally, I saw so many connections between Mrs. Dalloway and these three distinct stories. When Louis visits Clarissa (so obviously playing the role of Peter Walsh) he thinks to himself "...until he could feel the presence of his own soul, or whatever you wanted to call it;" I believe that Cunningham understands everything that he could have for Virginia Woolf in this book, seeing as Woolf did not believe in the existence of the soul. I find that Cunningham's stories that seem to be Woolf's have indeed become his own, making this a spectacular novel.