the hours

I like the book thus far. I think Cunningham does a good job keeping the reader interested. I enjoy the three different stories and hope to see them progress in an optimistic way from here on out. I find myself questioning the connections between the women. I like Laura's story i find it to be the most realistic in a sense, i feel like her story is less obvious in term of the connections to the other characters and the main themes, whatever they may be. Although, it does seem like all the characters are sort of stuck in a middle stage, not happy but not terribly unhappy. This sort of bugs me because it's kind of depressing to read about people who in essence don't really care about life, its almost as if there is a universal inability to satisfy their everyday needs and wants, this could change tho. Also it is i find it strange that each story is set in a different time period, i wonder whats up with that? Overall I have enjoyed the book up to this point, I'm interested in reading further to see what happens.

Pete and Repeat were on a boat Pete fell off who's left?

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.

hmmm....

Overall, I feel like this book has absolutly no representation or similarity to Mrs. Dallowy or the other three characters. It seems that the characters within The Hours are only trying to find a happy medium in life, a place in which they are not utterly unhappy. Their life circumstances are obviously quite different from that of the other original characters.
The Hours only seems to turn in circles, never really getting a true point across, although I could just feel this way due to my mass of confusion. I find some of the characters lives disturbing such as Richard. Sleeping with Louis and then Clarissa, hmmm...not quite sure how I feel about this Richard. Anyways, I am just a bit dazzled by these confusing characters, and where they exactly stand.

Lots of Hours

I really enjoy reading the hours so far. I like that i can relate the story of Clarissa Vahgn to Clarissa Dalloway and make subtle connections as i read. Also i think Laura Brown's story is very interesting because it seems to trivial in retrospect but there is definately more to come. I can easily relate the characters to each other event though they are separated by three different time periods because they all have similar attitudes and behavior towards the events of their everyday lives. They each give off a sense of recollection or desire to be elsewhere, live elsewhere. Laura dreams of a life exploring her hidden talents and lost possibilities because she feels trapped as a pregnant mother and spouse in a fairly ordinary life. Clarissa thinks back to how her life could have played out had she stayed lovers with Richard instead of Sally. Virginia think of how she feels starved of London, and her suburban life lacks the excitement of the hustle and bustle of city life. So far all three characters have expressed their feelings of entrapment and their inability to fulfill their lives according their exclusive dreams and desires. The end of each chapter seems to give resolution by bringing the characters back to reality and grounding them to their current situation. I am enjoying The Hours much more than i thought i would having already read Mrs. Dalloway.

Thus far I really enjoy reading this book. I find it very poetic and smooth to read. The plot structure Cunningham uses with the three women makes the book very interesting. It holds your attention all the way through and makes you wonder how they all pertain to the larger picture. Although Cunningham is somewhat modernizing Woolfs Miss. Dalloway i enjoy his use of Virgina Woolf as a character. She may be a fictional character but there is a perose to it. It gives us a different perspectuse angle to anilitacly look at Miss. Dalloway. Mrs. Brown, Ms. Dalloway and Virgina Woolf are all meaningful characters that are interesting to read about. I am exited to learn more about the rest of the book and how it unfolds between these women. At the time they are nearly entirerly seperate with few relations like the novel Ms. Dalloway. I commend Cunningham in reproducing Ms. Dalloway and adding in his own twist and plot to it. They are deffinetly different novels but have many relations. I like it so far.

Las Horas

The Hours is a alright book but it kind of gets to me, it is almost the same as Mrs. Dalloway which is a book that we have already read. With this fact existing in the back of my head I feel sometimes that I shouldn't read this and since I am reading it why should I read this besides the fact that it is required by you? But even though I would rather not I do have admit that it is pretty descent. The main thing is that I keep getting sucked into the illusion that this is the real Virginia Woolf and not a fictional character that Cunningham can use at his disposal at any time.

The Hours is mostly a waste of time.

This is really not an appealing book at all. The only parts that are even vaguely interesting are the bits about Virginia Woolf. The exploration of an insane person's mind is actually really interesting, similar to how the only good part of Mrs. Dalloway was Septimus. I find Clarrisa Vaughan's chapters to simply be a rehashing of Mrs. Dalloway to the point that it feels like I'm simply rereading Mrs. Dalloway but in a different setting. Mrs. Brown is somewhat interesting but she really just sounds annoying (probably what Cunningham wants to sound like because she is pregnant) but reading about a whiny hormonal housewife isn't really my kind of thing. Also is it just me or does Mrs. Brown seem almost bipolar? one second she is anguishing about her son and wanting to ditch him the next she's filled with a "spasm of love" (79).
One of the worst parts of this book so far is the seeming lack of point in both the novel itself and in our act of reading the book. It seems to mostly just be a clone of Mrs. Dalloway, which we already read, so what is the point of reading The Hours?

agin?

didnt we already read a better version of this book? i feel like the differances in plot and characters are just about as differant as mirricle whip is to mayonase. both add the same thing to the sandwhich (haha) virginia wolf just spreds so much better in my opinion, this is just an educated guess into the mind of virginia wolf, there are qualities and beauty to cunninghams observations and like any novel there are new messages to be found. for me its just hard to read a book thats goin to leave me feeling(most likely) the same as a book i have already read. or even worse take away from the experience wolf gave me.

The Hours

Michael Cunningham has a unique writing style, his choppiness makes it difficult to follow, yet makes it interesting at the same time. Overall, I find this to be an appealing literary piece. Throughout the book I have been able to make many connections with other stories I’ve read and movies that I have watched. For example the mysteriousness of the movie star, is similar to that of the figure in the cab. In Mrs. Dalloway, everyone is enchanted by the idea of having a star in their presence, yet is unaware of the true identity of the character. Another tie that I have made is with Richard and his shattered desire to go to the awards ceremony. This is similar to Arthur Abbott, in the Holiday. Arthur fears that in going to the ceremony there will only be a few people there to watch him hobble down the isle in his old age and applaud his work. Yet both have come to inspire numerous people through their works. I don’t believe that this book is just a mimicking of Mrs. Dalloway, through Michael Cunningham’s writings; I believe that he is trying to make connections between writer and character. Though, it is strange that he has deemed himself worthy of telling the story of Mrs. Woolf. This book is semi-interesting, I look forward to reading more.

slow Hours

Though this book is easy to read and goes fast, I don't feel myself retaining very much. I like the writing, it flows well, but it flows right in and then out again.
I think that I don't retain that much is because nothing has really happened, most of the book has been the women reflecting or thinking or whining, and to me it seems pretty dry. Im sure that some of it is deserving of literary merit, but its really not that interesting. I feel more involved in books where I can either connect to the characters more or more stuff is going on. However, Cunningham makes it work by tying the women together and by splitting the passages up. By the time you are ready to move on to another character, Cunningham changes it up, and your interest is renewed in this new character. This book isn't my favorite, but its not my least, and I'm interested in how he will tie the characters and the book up.

Cunningham & The Hours

To start things off, I must say this book is much more enjoyable for me than Mrs. Dalloway. Although the concept of time and the fact the whole novel takes place in one day is Mrs. D were aspects I did enjoy, The Hours is simply an easier read. Personally, I think I need to pay more attention to the symbolic and representational details, such as the many things that connect characters in the book to each other. Just at face value, however, I very much enjoy the three main characters split by chapters. Cunningham's vivid descriptions and intricate, slightly different tones he uses in each section make the book interesting, and pretty different than anything we've read. Even though Braithwaite's narration in Flaubert's Parrot does resemble Cunningham's point of view and interpretation of Virginia Woolf, the general makeup and format of The Hours is vastly different that Barnes' work. In short, I like this book. Although no characters really stand out to me and the storyline seems pretty simple, it's nice to get through a book with ease and simplicity.

Who Cares?

I have, so far, enjoyed this book. It is easy to read and goes real fast. In reference to what others are saying about the creativity of the author and his originality, I say, who cares? When I am reading a book, looking at a piece of art, or listening to music, I am not thinking about who should get what credit and who deserves what. If you are entertained, the product is therefore good. Like hip-hop, this book sample and borrows from a previous artist. And if you don't like it, so be it. But do not judge any kind of art off of who deserves what, judge it on whether or not you enjoy it or if it moves you.

The Hours Review-thing

So far, I have really enjoyed The Hours. The style is a nice change from a lot of the heavier books we have read. In the first chapter I was somewhat irritated by the mimicking of Mrs. Dalloway, (Couldn't Cunningham come up with his own story?) but as the Virginia Woolf and Laura Brown chapters were introduced, and Clarissa's story diverged from Woolf's version, I started liking it a lot more. The writing is pretty but easy to read, and the plot, though comprised only of mundane events, is interesting (not gripping but..). The characters are very different but completely relate-able, and remind me (as was probably the point) of the characters in Mrs. Dalloway, not only by their actions and personalities but by the way they (or Cunningham) merge deep, philosophical trains of thought with everyday observations. I don't think it really copies Woolf's book. Mrs. Dalloway is used as a point of departure, in the way that an artist can base a painting off of a photograph, and then change the color-scheme. It would probably have been better if Cunningham had been completely original, but I like what he has done with this. Besides, what is completely original? All inspiration comes from somewhere, though the source is usually warped beyond recognition in the product.

The Hours

To avoid procrastination and probable confusion on my part, I’m just going to come out and say that I am not impressed by this novel. Don’t get me wrong, it is “pretty”, as Lavender would say, but it seems to pale in comparison to not only Woolf’s writing, but practically every book we’ve read in English class since Freshman year. I have yet to finish the book, however, so I’m hoping that my opinion will change as the characters are brought together more and more, but at the moment, I’m slightly bored with this story. Cunningham’s Mrs. Dalloway section feels almost forced (her appreciation of the world around her does not sound nearly as sincere as the true Mrs. Dalloway, rather, it sounds like she’s high or simply has a puerile state of mind), the Mrs. Woolf section feels almost too personal for a reality-based-fictional character, and the Mrs. Brown section is depressing (not to mention the son is incredibly creepy).

Yet, I do have hope for this book; it did, after all, win the Pulitzer Prize so there must be something I’m missing.

The Hours

So far my feelings on this book have been rather neutral. I've enjoyed some parts and I've hated a few others. The parts about Virginia leave me feeling as if she is a fictional character, and not a real person at all. At the same time the Dalloway parts mirror Woolf's Dalloway so much that I find myself not really enjoying reading them, as I feel it's a total repetition with different names and different settings. As for the Laura Brown parts, these parts often leave me feeling empty-headed and distracted and I feel that though there are some interesting facts and happenings in these sections of the book, I do feel that they detract from the story as a whole. However, this book is incredibly easy to read and I have not had any problems completing the assignments, and I do often find myself reading ahead. Something else that makes this book easier to read is that Cunningham's language is much simpler than Virginia's and it seems the messages he wants to carry through are easier to recognize and interpret than Virginia's were. The book as a whole doesn't really seem as audacious in its depiction of Virginia's life, mainly because when I get as deep into the book as I often do when I read I forget that she does have a real life, and that she is instead a fictional character and that Cunningham could do whatever he pleases to her because her life is subject to his depictions. Overall these feelings have left me with a fairly neutral perspective on the book. I haven't really enjoyed that much of it. But at the same time I don't find it much of a problem to read. I believe that I will finish this book fairly quickly and that after finishing it, though I will still retain some of the words and scenes from it, it will likely slip quickly from my mind.

Wordplay

To me this book is 66% frustrating, but 33% amazing. The Mrs. Woolf chapters completely enthrall me. I'm not entirely sure why, but I love reading these chapters that most people find "presumptuous" and aggravating because he tries to inhabit the mind of one of the best authors of the 20th Century. To me they are so well-crafted that the discrepencies and guesses that he takes about what went on in her mind as she wrote her most famous novel fade away and I start reading the chapters as if she is just another character he created for the novel.

On the contrary, the character he created solely for this novel, Mrs. Brown, I find to be depressing chapters about a woman obsessed. Though she has sort of a revealation where she decides that "She will want this second child," it just seems that she is too obsessed with the novel. It makes me angry reading about how she is dealing with the question of suicide. (Woolf also explores it, but in an indirect way as she is going to have Dalloway kill herself). I just find the desperate connection too much to bear. It seems so forced and monotonous that I dread when I see the "Mrs. Brown" heading on a page.

Likewise the "Mrs Dalloway" chapters aggravate me. I don't like the shameless mimicry that Cunningham continually executes in this chapters. Though I must admit that they are growing more interesting as the novel progresses, they still tend to dredge up a book that I had already put down (not that Mrs. Dalloway was bad in any sense). I grow to just point out where he is bringing in either specific events or broad themes that were in Mrs. Dalloway rather than try and accept this book as his own and divulge into its imagery, not Woolf's.

Yet, seeing as I tend to contradict myself constantly, I cannot say that I find this book poor in anyway. Though I have major faults with two of the storylines (so far), I love reading connected story lines and have begun to try and see where one story hints at the future of the other. In this way I think the book has begun to take a life of its own that requires no defense for the criticism it recieves as a "reanimation" of Mrs. Dalloway.

I Like The Hours

Simply stated, yes, I do in fact like The Hours. Pretty good book if you ask me, easy read, language is understandable, flows nicely, and who doesn't like the nice combination of mental disorders, lesbians and pregnant women. Out of the three, I really do like Clarissa's time slots in the various chapters; she's by far one of the more personable characters, and is portrayed very spunky and like someone I would enjoy having coffee with, or what have you. The relationship between her and Richard is also very intriguing; I like the internal conflict she has with whether she made the right choice not to be with him for the rest of her life. Keep in mind, yes he is gay, yes he has AIDS, yes he is borderline crazy, but no big deal. Personally I think she made the right decision, and yet the fact that both of them are gay, doesn't seem to phase her in the slightest; she still questions what "could have been". The Mrs. Brown parts are interesting as well, except I feel that Cunningham kind of undermines the housewife in those areas. When talking about the glorious cake-to-be she compares it to a beautiful work of art, and then goes on to contradict herself in saying that maybe she was being to generous to herself. I don't think so. I don't think what Cunningham realizes is that a birthday cake from a wife, or baking a cake with your son, could be as emotionally pleasing as a beautiful temple or what have you. Don't ever underestimate the work of a house wife... The Dalloway parts are okay, I don't know how I feel about Cunningham exploring the life of this famous writer, and especially of her thought process as she wrote one of her most popular novels. Overall, however, I think that Michael Cunningham has done a really great job on this novel.

The Hours

Michael Cunningham's novel The Hours is an interesting book. On the one hand, I enjoy it a lot. The simplicity that Cunningham uses is a nice change of pace from the previous books we've read. On the other hand I don't enjoy it at all. It feels like Cunningham doesn't have enough creativity or originality to create a novel of his own. In my opinion if you can't come up with something original then don't write at all.
Mrs. Brown is by far my favorite character. This is probably because she is the most original character. Mrs. Vaughn follows much of the same pattern that Clarissa Dalloway followed in Mrs. Dalloway. Mrs. Woolf is too similar to the real Mrs. Woolf, however Mrs. Brown is this totally new character. The best part of Mrs. Brown is that she doesn't really conform to your typical 1940's housewife. On the outside Mrs. Brown has this perfect life, her husband is perfectly content with everything he does, she has a son and another child on the way, she bakes cakes and buys perfect presents. But on the inside she's so independent and non-conforming. She would rather read in bed than be this perfect little housewife. She would rather not think about her imperfect cake, she has no idea if she's a good mother or even how to be a mother. To me all of this show a level of independence. However, the way that Cunningham writes Mrs. Brown is sort of depressing. He has this undertone of pity and stereotypical beliefs. It's like he's saying that Mrs. Brown should be perfectly content with her life, he writes kind of like a sexist.
For the most part I really like The Hours, the sexuality that Cunningham explores in all of his characters is sad, exciting, and funny all at once. The way that Cunningham delves into Woolf and the other Mrs. Dalloway does shed new light on old characters. However, I believe that the original Virginia Woolf wrote Mrs. Dalloway the way she did becuase that's the way she saw her. I don't think that Woolf wanted Dalloway to be the lesbian character and for this reason I think that Cunningham is kind of butchering Mrs. Dalloway.

My Thoughts of The Hours

The Hours is a unique book on how Cunningham took the characters and made them in different time periods. At the same time all of the women interconnect in some way and this is intriguing to me. When I first starting reading the book I didn’t really like how the chapters are broken up by the characters, but after reading more and more it grew on me. Now when the chapters switch from character to character I like it and it is like a break from the other character so you don’t get bored of the one characters. My favorite chapters are Mrs. Dalloway’s, I think this is because it takes place the latest in time and I can relate to it more. Overall I am enjoying this novel and look forward to finishing it.

The Hours vs. Mrs. Dalloway

The Hours has been quite switch of type of writing compared to the other books we have read in Lit. The writing is more excessable and contemporary, which makes it an easier and quicker read. For me, as the reader, I enjoy this style of writing much more because I do not have to overthink the story. Furthermore, Cunningham still uses figurative language and complex sentances to enhance the writing. This combination makes for a beautifully written, but easily read novel that went on to win awards and became quite popular.
Overall I am enjoying this book so far. I am not sure how the characters are going to meet/really interact, but it is getting there. The different settings (time and place) add to the contrasting personalities and lives of the characters. This also helps the reader to differentiate between Mrs. Woolf, Clarissa, and Laura Brown along with how to relate them. The direct connections between The Hours and Mrs. Dalloway makes reading this book even more worthwhile and deep. When the movie star in her trailer, maybe Meryl Streep or Vanessa Redgrave, the scene from Woolf's novel immediatly pops into my mind. This adds the importance and understanding of reading this. Along those lines, I have been enjoying how we read books in pairs almost. Madame Bovary and Flaubert's Parrot corresponded as do these two books I have been writing about. I would like to continue this coupling of books because I think it helps that they build upon one another and helps you understand each one individually and together.

hours. yeah

my veiw on this book is not very positive. i believe that cunningham's re-creation and interpretation of Virginia Woolf is mediocer and should be regarded as a piece of shit. just kidding... but not really. it seems as though we have gone over all of the things that Cunninghamn is trying to capitalize on, like time, and luminouse halos and all of that good stuff. if i didn't have a life i would write a book just like this and call it The Hours II and get rich because everybody would read it thinking that im smart and intelectuall when really i just copyed someone else's work.... yeah

The Hours

Mrs. Dalloway was a story about the life of Clarissa Dalloway. In her life many things happen, most of the notable occurances have to deal with her love life. It seemed that love was always holding her back. She was in love with a woman so, she never lived with her because of the societies beliefs about lesbians. Now on the flip side, in the Hours clarissa and sally are living together, and they are open about it. Cunningham takes Dalloway, and puts different aspects in it. The similarities are very close, but the stuff he changes are pretty cool. The different chapters relate to different perspectives. Clarissa is the same person as Clarissa in Mrs Dalloway, as well as Mrs. Woolf the writer. He pretty much copy’s all the aspects of Mrs Dalloway, but he adds a new character of his own Laura Brown. This book is pretty cool, although he does copy the original idea, I like it better. It is not as dull as Mrs Dalloway was.

because I have nothing else to post. :]

Sometimes it helps to see the brighter side of things and sometimes you can become lost while trying to always see the silver lining. lost between the ability to adapt and simply let go of small grievances to find your upside and the ability to use and gain something from someone in exchange for the small grievances they cause you. . . It's not that kind of silver lining...

It's hard to admit that you can't always see the silver lining, and that would make it that much harder to really face yourself and realize that you're actually looking at the grey dingy silver lining that lines the border between the reality of instant, but short-lived happiness that we created and have grown accustom to living, and the long-lived happiness that comes with honoring something more than yourself. selflessness. happiness. by honoring something more than the instant gratification that we've come to accept as means of "substantial" happiness for the few precious moments we have to ourselves after long hours of working just to live another day to play with the meaningless toys of transient happiness.

young children find joy in the simplest things, while I, myself have trouble remembering that kind of joy. That kind of joy feels far away, but it's not. We just have to look at why it's gone to get it back. as we grow older we begin to understand more the world that we have been thrusted into and adapt to fit this new age while simultaneously forgetting that we deserve a true lasting happiness. We are always looking for something more because we just have little tastes of happiness and can no longer find joy in small things. We cannot remember what imagination is like; cannot fathom keeping your mind busy with things you think up yourself when there are so many other people who can create better things with their minds. Come on guys, we aren't even giving ourselves a fighting chance. It's like we just agree to let "the man" take control of our lives and just agree that these temoporary fixes of little things that keep our attention will forever suffice.

No man can survive eating money. No man can live in the house he built in a Sims computer game, nor can he bathe in the SOUNDS of the ocean errupting from a side table alarm clock with "soothing sounds" and everything. We cannot communicate or befriend or connect with the fascinating creatures we see on the discovery channel, the ones that should be in our backyards or back country, where instead we have buildings and factories and trainyards and so forth.

Don't let the small, insignificant things bring you the "sufficient happiness", for you will dearly miss the sincere happiness you will find when you finally find freedom. Everything has been built to keep us from thinking and questioning our happiness, thinking and connecting thoughts and theories, to keep us from finding a way out..

Maybe this day will come soon, that we remember that we have been opressed and we will pull apart this intricately designed safe hold. Positivity is a good start. I ask please that we be extra cautious in these times not to become lost, and that we take extra consideration into thoughts before they turn into rash decisions. I'm skeptical about some of the things Barack Obama anounced at the inauguration, but things will unfold in due time, but he's right, we all must stand up and place a firm foot in history, stand up together and decide what WE ALL think is best for our lives. Stand up tall for something you believe and be heard, instead of being pulled into the current of casualities that walk around dead cuz they forget their purpose. They don't know they don't deserve the shit in exchange for innocent service.

Help a brotha out. Buy somebody lunch. Smile sometime. Be nice, you'll find it easier to find peace where there is no war. lmao. and try not to let fear of the unknown evolve into an angry fear that may further impede you on your road to something new and great. Laugh in the face of the unknown for your smile will brighten any day.


mad g kul. real spit from the top of the dome. take at least a little bit to heart please.

*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.

this book..

I really dislike this book for many reasons. To begin with I have already read Mrs. Dalloway and I didn't like that book either. Now that I have to read about the girl writing Mrs. Dalloway, I am more upset. I didn't like the author of Mrs. Dalloway before I even read about her. I hated her just because she wrote this dumb book that bored the hell out of me. So, going in to reading the Hours I already had negative thoughts about one of the characters. Also, their is no significance in "re-writing" a book because any half ass author could re-write any ones book. They might even be able to make it into an incredible story that wins all of these awards; I still would not like that book. What is the problem with coming up with your own adventures. I would have given this book a chance if Cunningham would have made up his own story instead of replicating a horrible book. Even though it was a New York Times Bestseller I just can’t find any sympathy for it, the book sucks. I hope that in the future we can expand the types of books we are reading, I would like to read some thing that is a little bit more adventures and some thing that doesn’t put me to sleep at night

the hours

This book in my opinion, is a parasite that has leeched on to the book Mrs. Dalloway and sucked the life out of it. I find nothing about this book interesting in the least bit. It is like a copy of Mrs. Dalloway minus the plot. I can't relate whatsoever to these women or their problems. Cunningham's writing may be easy to understand, but there is no depth to it. The most original thing in the book is Laura Brown, the story of someone baking a cake. Anyone can write about someone baking a cake, it's not very significant.

The Hours

"The Hours" is an interesting interpretation of the famous novel "Mrs. Dalloway" with characters such as the author of "Mrs. Dalloway" Virgina Woolf, along with a young woman placed some hundred years later reading the novel as the story proceeds, the other main character is a woman who is referd to as Mrs. Dalloway but in reality just resembles the famous character. I enjoy Michael Cunningham's view on the three women and the interactions made. Although these three women are years apart each has similar insecurities that must be overcome. For instance each is striving for normalcy in their hectic lives, but when you think about it what is normal? Is it mearly impersonating what everyone expects you to be? Or is it more than that? Is it finding who you are in a sea of pretenders? Can it be managed when overbearing men are involved? And arn't normal people simply boring?

Some Dribble About The Hours

If one considers the subject matter and how much one can get out of it, Cunningham's book is fairly intriguing. He is able to turn some incredibly boring situations into somewhat entertaining, masterfully written, reads. I do not deny that Cunningham has structured this book beautifully. The words flow, things connect, sentences and paragraphs sound right. This, perhaps, is the only reason that one could become entwined in this book. If it wasn't for Cunningham's adeptness at structuring sentences and whatnot, this book would be a loser. I mean, he practically rewrites Mrs. Dalloway. I'm a little shocked that he didn't get charged with plagiarism or anything close to that because of the similarities between this book and Woolf's Mrs. Dalloway. It's not word for word or anything but it's pretty obvious that he was just looking at Woolf's book and going page by page but twisting names and characters around. The two books are very similar. And what about Cunningham delving into Woolf's head? That seems not only intrusive, but incredibly inaccurate. How can Cunningham know anything about what goes on in Woolf's head? The readers may know more than he does. It seems as if the only completely original section of the book is Laura Brown's section which is the stimulating tale of an ordinary woman baking a cake. Pretty boring. On a more serious note, however, I have enjoyed the book so far, if only for the connections made between the three characters and the masterfully written sentences.

The Hours!@#$%^&*()) :^)

The Hours so far has not been a bad book. At the beginning of the book I felt as if it was but a mirror image of its counterpart Mrs. Dalloway and that I was basically going to be rereading Mrs. Dalloway for the second time. They even started the book out at the flower shop and for sure I knew I was going to have a hard time reading this but once I got into the book a bit more I started to be interested with the idea of taking Mrs. Woolf and making her a fictional character. The author, although using many similar scenes from Mrs. Dalloway, had a diffrent way of portraying his version of the book and I like the way the author writes and explains the characters throughout the novel even though I still get a bit confused on who is who. One of my favorite parts of the novel is when they bring Laura Brown into the picture. I enjoy how the author compares the cake to a novel and the unsatisfactory of both Mrs. Brown and Virgina Woolf with the work that they see as being finished but say it not what they portrayed in there minds.

The Hours

So far this book is one of the easier reads we have had this year. I like the way in which Michael Cunningham separates the chapters by the 3 different characters. They way in which he develops his characters make this split easy to follow and not disjunctive, the way all of their lives seem to intertwine around Mrs. Clarissa Dalloway. I'm most intrigued about Laura Brown at this point and how exactly she intertwines with the other two characters.

I am enjoying this book and am looking forward to the rest of the novel.

Claytons take on The Hours....

So far The Hours has hardly done anything other than bore me. The way it is written (modeled after Mrs. Dalloway) is not incredibly intriguing. We have already read the original and I honestly didn't enjoy it enough to have the urge to read a more modern take on it. It is the same basic story, with less description and "author tricks". I feel that the way in which Virginia Woolf wrote Mrs. Dalloway conveyed much more depth and personal feeling, in not only the tone and the characters, but in the reader as well. When I am reading in The Hours and Cunningham includes an excerpt from Mrs. Dalloway I find that i am immediately drawn in. The details and things that Woolf includes almost blow Cunninghams less descriptive more straightforward detail straight out of the water. By including passages from Mrs. Dalloway, Cunningham is cutting his own writing down by showing the work of a more gifted author.
I do not think Michael Cunningham is a bad writer, i just believe that by including the writing of a much more accredited author he is discrediting his own work.

Simply a Reproduction

Michael Cunningham's reproduction/add-on of Mrs. Dalloway isn't exactly a novel I would choose to read on my own. I like the idea of including multiple characters that all tie together in the novel, but on the other hand the constant exchange of point of views and inconsistency to fully get a point across leaves me with not only a frustration but a lack of interest to actually read anymore. I find the character of Laura Brown to the be the most interesting because she is original and not just a carbon-copy that just barely matches of another character. Clarissa Vaughn... i feel like anyone could reproduce her in the way that Cunningham does. He simply chooses another time, similar circumstance, and the same feelings and connections to relive what Woolf wrote about Clarissa Dalloway. The reproduction of the character is not only redundant but simple. Writing about Woolf, i feel that Cunningham pulled lots of connections that Woolf made to herself in Mrs. Dalloway to create his pieces about the suicidal author. Writing about a person who existed, especially one who expressed through her writing multiple aspects of her own beliefs, seems risky and like we don't really know what's true. I feel as though overall Cunningham uses The Hours as a work of reproduction that could be done without. The story of the three women can be intriguing, but the idea that we have read all of this before leaves is bland and uneventful. Maybe this book would be different, more of mystery and less of a guided reproduction in the reader's eyes.

Mrs. Dalloway Remade

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.

JZ blog

At first glance, this book seems fairly lackluster, but then again, I recently finished the Three Musketeers. Overall, however, I will admit that I do enjoy reading this novel. I feel that I wouldn't enjoy it as much had I never read Mrs. DAlloway, for I would have no basis on which to compare this book. While I feel that Cunningham has really stepped out of his boundary by writing about V-Woolf, and recreating her story, I will simply subject myself to the story, and go along with it. I suppose I like the idea of having three separate stories that are all connected. In brief, I feel the true merit in this novel, for me at least, is being able to compare it to Mrs. Dalloway.

The Hours

In general, my reaction to Cunningham's The Hours has been respectful boredom. The plot is, by far, the worst part of this book, primarily for the fact there hardly is one. The most action was the introduction, and the only "excitement" since the has been Laura Brown's dramatic "cake dumping". That said, i genuinely enjoy Cunningham's use of language, and I often find myself smiling at some introspect full sentence of humorous bit of wording. The idea behind the book, that of rewriting and exploring Mrs. Dalloway is one that surely is difficult to pull of with the success that Cunningham did, and i am lead to believe that this book was not, as he claimed, a tribute to Wolf, but one to himself and his own literary abilities. Micheal, next time do as your idol Wolf did, and put the book before yourself. Shockingly, high school students are net reading your book to have you brag to them through writing.

Relevant Writing

Many may complain that Michael Cunningham fails to create a stimulating plot in the novel The Hours, but he does portray characters that are realistic and that readers can easily relate to. These characters serve to convey some of Cunnigham's most powerful thoughts. Revelations achieved by characters are very bold and true, these powerful statements are capable of enlightening the reader. These sections serve as the engines that thrust this novel from mediocrity to a powerful (and more importantly valid) piece of literature. Without these enlightening moments The Hours would merely be a plotless failed attempt at a novel, instead, we find a surprisingly interesting piece that intertwines the lives of it's characters and forms powerful themes even more effectively then the original Mrs. Dalloway.

The Hours is very relevant and valid to me, I'm enjoying it to say the least.

This book is original in its own way. It is so unoriginal that it has almost reached a sort of paragon of innovation. The Hours really was a ballsy move on Cunningham's part; it is not something that everyone else is doing. It is not merely plagiarism, but rather an expansion of Mrs. Dalloway, involving the writer and her process as well. Having that said, there has got to be something more to this book. More than the fact that this is a remake of Mrs. Dalloway. More than the fact that all three women are living parallel lives. I keep waiting for something more profound to happen. In some way this book has to be worth reading on more levels than the fact that it is an interesting positioning of characters and inclusion of Mrs. Dalloway and Virginia Woolf. In parts of this novel, Cunningham is a fabulous writer, and in other parts he falls short of himself. I think that the best parts of the novel are in the chapters with Clarissa Vaughn and with Virginia Woolf. I feel like Mrs. Brown is a dispensable character, and, had I written this book, I would not have included her. Sometimes the way that Virginia Woolf is portrayed is annoying; I wonder what she would say about the depiction of her if she were still alive. The connections between characters are sometimes obnoxiously obvious, but sometimes they are very intricately interwoven. The book seems sort of inconsistent. Because I know from the better parts that Cunningham has the ability to make this book great, I keep waiting for it to get better, and I really think that it will.

Slaughter-House-Five

Over Christmas break I read the novel Slaughter-House-Five, by Kurt Vonnegut. It's a very interesting book about a man named Billy Pilgrim. He had been in WW11 and he had been captured by the Germans in the Battle of the Bulge. Many parts of this book go back to memories of when he was in war and being held captive which makes for some intense sections.

However, much of this book is a time trip. The book bounces around all over the place including in the future when Billy is abducted by aliens. He is taking to the planet Tralfamadore where he is treated like an animal. He is put in a cage with Wildhack. The aliens are very amused with these two.

Through the events during the time change, Billy finally dies due to gangrene. He had gotten it due to his clogs he had to wear after the Germans had captured him. They had stripped him of his gear and gotten him sick.

Overall the book is completely scattered and many people probably will not like this style of writing. I, however, loved it. It sends your mind on such an incredible journey. Vonnegut truly goes beyond the normal thought process.  It was a very easy read and I would definitely recommend it anyone who is looking for a new book to read.

All the Pretty Horses

If you are looking for a action/adventure book with a short romantic twist then All the Pretty Horses is for you. Cormac McCarthy does a good job drawing you into the western/Mexican setting and really getting the reader involved in the two main characters lifestyles. First there is John Grady Cole, a sixteen-year-old farm boy and our central character. He seems to be sheltered and lives his life by a strict code. The most important thing in John Grady's life is horses and he is extremely gifted when it comes to handling them. The plot revolves around his journey to Mexico as he escapes the Texas ranch in which he has spent his whole life. He does not travel alone however, he is joined by his best friend Lacey Rawlins. Rawlins is loud and impatient and less intelligent than John Grady. Rawlins remains loyal to Cole, sticking by his side throughout their adventure, but when they encounter their most difficult experience he feels that he cannot go on any longer. The third but less important character's name is Jimmy Belvins, a young boy who follows them and ends up joining them on their voyage. He is a shy boy, one who doesn't handle embarrassment and mockery very well. He found them after he ran away from his abusive father. He pays for his sensitivity in the end. During their passage they look for a stolen horse, work for a Mexican rancher, one falls in love with the daughter of his employer. They experience entrapment, love, loss and death. It is a well written story that takes you through the expedition of three young boys who are trying to find more inside themselves. I highly recommend it.

As I Lay Dying

The book As I Lay Dying is a story about a very poor southern family whos mother is on the verge of dropping dead. The mother Anse Bundren was a nice kind women and all she wanted in life was to buried with her family in a Mississippi graveyard far from home. The trip was not an easy one though and throughout the journey they fall in to alot of contraversy. The book written by William Faulkner was a good one in my opinion and was very much so a book containing mass amounts of dark humor. The way he descibes the rotting corpse throughout the book is fantastic and he doesnt leave out a single detail. I felt as if I could smell the rotting flesh just through the description he gave the reader. One of my favorite parts in the book not counting the description of the water loged corpse was the part where the youngest Bundren child, Vardaman, associates his mother's death with that of a fish he caught and cleaned earlier that day. After the coffin was made he went into the barn where it was lying and drilled holes in it so that his mother, who he thought was a fish, could breath. He was found the next morning sleeping by the coffin and when they opened the coffin to check if the body was untouched they found that Vardaman had drilled a whole into her skull and many other places. This is only a taste at what is in store for those who dare to read this grueling book.

The Red Tent

The Red Tent is an incredible novel that brings its readers into the life of a woman in the times of the Book of Genesis. Through the eyes of Dinah, the main character, readers are immersed in a new culture. This culture entails polygamy, Judaism, the challenges of siblings, and the troubles that come with being a woman. This incredible tale includes a multitude of different characters such as Dinah’s four mothers, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah as well as her twelve brothers and her father Jacob. Jacob has very different relationships with each of his wives as well as the different relationships he has with his sons and Dinah. This novel often discusses the role of women in this society and displays their conflicts with men and their expectations. Men are depicted as nothing more than “A nuisance…[who are] always hungry.”
Anita Diamant began writing as a journalist in Boston in 1975. She had written for many magazines and newspapers until she finally began writing about Jewish practices and community. She is known best for her five books that encompass tails of contemporary Jewish life. She mainly wrote non-fiction works until this novel which then became a New York Times best seller. This novel was by far one of her biggest successes as an author, as she depicts the role of a woman in a biblical time period. This novel continued from the United States, and was published in twenty five different foreign versions. After this novel she continued by writing another contemporary novel titled Good Harbor which illustrates the female importance for friendship.
The author writes in a manner that is truly exquisite through Dinah’s point of view. Dinah throughout the novel is often treated as an outsider. Being that she is the only girl out of thirteen kids, she is often treated differently than her twelve brothers. This plays a large role in the outsider’s perspective on the plot. Every instant is told in a way that seems almost disconnected which proves to be very effective in the situation of this novel. In the book, women have no control over their own fate, so the outsider’s perspective is very effective. As a result of the fact that women are disconnected with their future, this disconnected language illustrates this aspect of the culture perfectly
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone in their adolescent years or older. The meaning of the text would be difficult to understand for someone of a young age, but I feel that this book could be very beneficial for men and women of almost any age. Any man who is confused about the female gender would have a greater appreciation for women after reading this novel. Women, on the other hand, would be appreciative of their current rights and would feel a greater obligation to exercise those rights more frequently. This book really impacted my view on life and I believe that it not only would inform people of another culture but would show them how far we as a human race have come as it pertains to gender equality.

The Red Tent

The Red Tent is an incredible novel that brings its readers into the life of a woman in the times of the Book of Genesis. Through the eyes of Dinah, the main character, readers are immersed in a new culture. This culture entails polygamy, Judaism, the challenges of siblings, and the troubles that come with being a woman. This incredible tale includes a multitude of different characters such as Dinah’s four mothers, Leah, Rachel, Zilpah, and Bilhah as well as her twelve brothers and her father Jacob. Jacob has very different relationships with each of his wives as well as the different relationships he has with his sons and Dinah. This novel often discusses the role of women in this society and displays their conflicts with men and their expectations. Men are depicted as nothing more than “A nuisance…[who are] always hungry.”
Anita Diamant began writing as a journalist in Boston in 1975. She had written for many magazines and newspapers until she finally began writing about Jewish practices and community. She is known best for her five books that encompass tails of contemporary Jewish life. She mainly wrote non-fiction works until this novel which then became a New York Times best seller. This novel was by far one of her biggest successes as an author, as she depicts the role of a woman in a biblical time period. This novel continued from the United States, and was published in twenty five different foreign versions. After this novel she continued by writing another contemporary novel titled Good Harbor which illustrates the female importance for friendship.
The author writes in a manner that is truly exquisite through Dinah’s point of view. Dinah throughout the novel is often treated as an outsider. Being that she is the only girl out of thirteen kids, she is often treated differently than her twelve brothers. This plays a large role in the outsider’s perspective on the plot. Every instant is told in a way that seems almost disconnected which proves to be very effective in the situation of this novel. In the book, women have no control over their own fate, so the outsider’s perspective is very effective. As a result of the fact that women are disconnected with their future, this disconnected language illustrates this aspect of the culture perfectly
I would strongly recommend this book to anyone in their adolescent years or older. The meaning of the text would be difficult to understand for someone of a young age, but I feel that this book could be very beneficial for men and women of almost any age. Any man who is confused about the female gender would have a greater appreciation for women after reading this novel. Women, on the other hand, would be appreciative of their current rights and would feel a greater obligation to exercise those rights more frequently. This book really impacted my view on life and I believe that it not only would inform people of another culture but would show them how far we as a human race have come as it pertains to gender equality.