Rating: 
Summary: Disappointing
Review: I read this book because it received so much hype I felt I HAD to. Also, because it's based on Mrs. Dalloway, which I think is one of the finest novels ever written. Having read it, I can see why it's gotten the attention it has--it's just the sort of referential--and reverential--book that academics love. But it's boring and full of cliches about contemporary urban life as well as suburban life in the late 40s. It has none of the subtlety, brilliance, and depth of Woolf's own writing. Not one of its characters engages the reader's interest--instead, they're all dull shadows of Woolf's sharply drawn originals. You won't waste much time reading this book, as it's very slight both in length and content, but if you're looking for good writing and true insights in human character you'd be better off reading Mrs. Dalloway again,.
Rating:
Summary: Well-Written but Boring
Review: If you want to read this book because it won the Pulitzer, don't be so stupid. Granted, this is a very well-written book, replete with great metaphors and a very successful omniscient narrative. But it's so boring, even though it's about lesbians. Wait until this book is made into a movie, or becomes a prerequisite for a college class.
Rating: 
Summary: Very well written novel
Review: This book was an amazing book. The thoughts and the concepts that Cunningham brings up in the book are very well thought out. The way in which the characters fit together at the end is very well done.
Rating: 
Summary: So good, I later read Mrs. Dallowy
Review: Although I read this book over four months ago, I still find myself thinking about it. I have just now finished Mrs. Dalloway, the book which Cummingham so imaginatively uses as a reference point and I now think even more highly of The Hours. Do read Mrs. Dalloway first if you can. You will be surprised by the similarities and impressed by Cunningham's own take on the passing of our hours.
Rating:
Summary: One of the all-time best...
Review: This is one of the best books I have ever read, and I've read my fair share. The only contemporary novels that can touch it in excellence, to me, would have to be Toni Morrison's "Beloved" and Michael Chabon's "The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier and Klay." This isn't a large book, but it is an exceptional book because of what Cunningham makes his characters perceive about themselves and life in general. Every sentence is a celebration- there is not a false or thrown-away word in the entire novel. You could either have an 800-page piece of garbage, or you could have a concentrated masterpiece that is consistently engaging.As for the reviews I have read, I do not know what to make of them. People call this book melancholy and depressive. I myself cannot why that must be so. The characters go through various ordeals and the occasional tragedy, but at the end of the day they are themselves, and they acknowledge "the physical manifestation of the central mystery itself"- that life is composed of the small, insignificant moments. With that practical realization in mind, they all survive, happy with what they end up with. There are moments of indescribable beauty in this book, with Cunningham being our tour guide through the beauty of an ordinary day. The nuances and connections with "Mrs. Dalloway" throughout this book are brilliant and at times overwhelming. This is a book that fully deserved the Pulitzer Prize, I don't care what anyone else says, and I think it's triumph there centers around how it is a very small book (220 pages, with large print) and how the majority of its characters are gay. But that doesn't matter. "The Hours" is the definitive homage to Virginia Woolf, and my favorite novel ever.
Rating:
Summary: oddly compelling
Review: This book was oddly compelling and one of the best books I've read in a long time. Not much happens, yet every time I put the book down, I couldn't wait to pick it back up again. Contrary to other reviews here, I did not find the writing pretentious. I thought the writing was direct as much as it was poetic, precise and uncomplicated. The ideas are deeply layered, the overall effect absorbing. If you haven't read Mrs. Dalloway, I recommend doing so (or even watching the movie) before you read The Hours. The experience will be much richer.
Rating:
Summary: DESERVING OF THE PULITZER
Review: "The Hours" is a brilliantly written tribute to Virginia Woolf, paying thoughtful homage to her last work, "Mrs. Dalloway." Cunningham intertwines three women into this intricate plot; Clarissa, a neoteric urbanite, living the quintessential urban existance,Laura, an unhappy, disconnected homemaker of the 50's, and Virginia Woolf, struggling to complete "Mrs. Dalloway" while sinking into the depths of madness. Cleverly, the credence of each of these ladies to one another is discovered as the highly original plot unfolds. Lyrical prose and an exceptionally inventive format, make this a deseserved Pulitzer winner. A grand read! I highly suggest reading, "Mrs. Dalloway" prior to "The Hours" so you won't miss the subtleties of character nuances.
Rating: 
Summary: Call me naive and provincial....
Review: but I felt that I wasted my time reading this book. I disliked it and felt that the overall mood was depressing and fatalistic. I was not an English major and am sure that most of the references to Woolf were lost on me. By the same token I don't demand Sound of Music at the box office. Call me provincial but I don't like to be dragged through mud by a book and made to feel worse after reading it. If you really get off on melancholy you'll love this book.
Rating:
Summary: A whole new way of writing
Review: When I first picked up this Pulitzer prize winner, I was impressed by its rotating chapter titles. The stories of three women from three different decades were told in an intertwined fashion. The style is noval, but the complication, as a result, is sometimes beyond my comprehension. Therefore I'm rolling out a 3 stars for this book.
Rating:
Summary: Didn't Like This Book
Review: I really didn't think this book deserved a Pulitzer. I have read many more richer and more satisfying novels. In fact I hated the book and wish I hadn't invested the time reading it. I'm sorry
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