Rating: 
Summary: better than the movie
Review: So, I went to see the movie when it first came out because of all the hype and high praise surrounding it. But I came away from it like, "Wha...? Either that was a terrible movie or I'm missing something major here!"What I was missing was the book! The inner dialogue of these characters is the driving force of the book and even actresses of the caliber in the movie couldn't convey the spectacular journeys of the psyche these women went on. I've read all of Michael's other books and I think this really is his crown jewel. I think the characters are utterly delicious and the story is thoroughly thought-provoking without giving you a migraine. In short I'm very happy I read the book!
Rating: 
Summary: Will make you think of decisions in your life
Review: This book is a searing depiction of three vastly different women, leading three different lives, but tied together ingeniously by the words in the novel Mrs. Dalloway. Sometimes exposing the characters so much as appear defenseless, the book bravely shows the thoughts and decisions that each woman has made that has, unfortunately, led to their sad lives. This novel does not sugar-coat life: we all know that Virginia Wolff commits suicide and Cunningham alludes to this several times. Only at the end do the pieces come together to reveal the entire picture. Read this book, then go see the beautiful film.
Rating:
Summary: Interesting- A Teen Take
Review: It was difficult for me to get absorbed in this book. I would think that anyone who likes parallel stories will like this book, but while I love parallel stories, I found that this parallel was not as prominent as I had wished, and it took me a long time to totally get it. The actual story is full of twists and turns, and there is a lot of connection of which the reader needs to be aware. As I said, the parallel is not very prominent, but it comes together nicely at the end. In essence, the book does keep one guessing. I look forward to seeing the movie, and perhaps I will then re-read the book. In my upcoming high school and college years, I may read Mrs. Dalloway, and perhaps in having read The Hours I will better appreciate the works of Virginia Wolf. I learned a bit about people, and their struggles through reading this. The characters are all very well developed. I thought that every action or thought that a particular character might have was incredibly fitting for the personality of that character. Some of the spontaneous actions that readers may not foresee are later obvious seeming when reflecting on the book.
The book was slow, until the end, when it finally came together for me. I found myself wondering why I did not anticipate the events and relationships. I probably would have better enjoyed this book had I read it in fewer sittings, and I recommend that it is read over a shorter period. I don't think that there is a "type" of person for whom this book is perfect. I do think that people who enjoy analyzing and such would very much like it. Of course, that is just my teenage opinion; I could be wrong.
Rating:
Summary: Stunning!
Review: The Hours is quite possibly the best written novel I have read in years. It fully deserved its Pulitzer. What's great about The Hours is that what's great about The Hours is something different for everyone. Writers and avid readers will appreciate its shockingly unique style. Michael Cunningham sort of trusts us to know what he's talking about. We hear a lot less "Virginia carefully approached the child so as not to alarm her..." and more "She approached the child with caution..." (note: not a direct quote) It's nice to her a lot more pronouns that names and a lot less "she said." He seems to grasp that we know who he's referring to, allowing the complex story to get on with itself and unfold. People with problems in their lives and people looking for life-assurance will find the provocative power of the book to be of some comfort. If you don't leap from your seat, your heart doesn't stop, or you aren't left to think for (no pun intended) hours after you set the book down, you may want to consider yourself legally dead. Those who feel they are connected to others in the world will find the strings of three women's lives, brilliantly woven and unwoven throughout the book, to be incredible. All the stories are richly intertwined. It's as if Michael Cunningham took a handful of each woman and blew it gently across his pages, writing more of a collage than a novel. Details are sprinkled throughout each woman's life that also appear in another woman's life, showing us that we are not alone in this universe. Brilliant, beautiful, and deep; you must read The Hours!
Rating:
Summary: Beautifully written, surprisingly gripping!
Review: I bought this book the moment I saw it, and even though later I thought I might regret it, that never happened.
I was astonished by how Michael Cunningham managed to penetrate so deeply into the persoonalities of every character. One could call him a "brave author" referring to his ability to reveal thoughts and truisms that secretly absorb most people. But he also manages to create complete and interesting characters who embody these thoughts.
Cunningham illuminates every moment of a seemingly casual day in each character's life, and makes the reader see how important it all is, how these tiny detailsare essential pieces of life.
Through these details emerges a gripping and vivid plot that makes this book so absorbing.
I enjoyed all three parts equally, and I thought that the part about Clarissa Vaughan really wasn't a cover of "Mrs.Dalloway"
The part about Laura Brown was a brilliant depiction of the claustrophobia in a seemingly perfect life, while the part about Virginia Woolf exceeded expectations.
The only fault I found was that we didn't really see why "Mrs.Dallloway" affected Laura so much, in my opinion.
I really loved this book, and also thought the movie was excellent and it made me love the book even more!
Rating:
Summary: Little on plot, but big on depth
Review: This is the story of three women in three different eras, all connected by a book by Virginia Woolf, "Mrs. Dalloway." A strange concept for a book, and one that is not conducive to a meaty plot, but Cunningham makes it into a wonderful and lyrical novel. Emotions are never far from the surface in this book, and the reader can almost experience themselves the suffering and repression that the characters experience. Truly remarkable is the way in which Cunningham intertwines the lives of his characters, despite their separation by time and space. This book doesn't have a climax necessarily, and it won't shock or scandalize. But it will make you feel and think, which is the hallmark of a good book.
Rating:
Summary: All the hype is true -
Review: Michael Cunningham's "The Hours" is remarkable. The idea of intetwining three women around a famous novel is a relatively simple idea, but when combined with Cunningham's flowing prose, the book simply dives into one's soul.
Rating: 
Summary: Don't see the movie first
Review: I saw the movie first and wanted to read the book to see if there was any explanations for a bunch of stuff I found confusing. The book was almost exactly like the movie for the first 50 pages, so I got bored and stopped reading it. It now rests in the bookcase between an Authentic Italian Cookbook whose recipes were way too complicated, and my Young Lady Chatterley DVD. If you're really into literature, I suppose you'll love it, if you're a casual reader, you'll probably grow bored.
Rating:
Summary: ick
Review: One of the worst books I have read all year. This novel never picked up and was extremely contrived and moved at the speed of sludge. You would be much better off purchasing Mrs. Dalloway.
Rating:
Summary: Better than the book it is based on
Review: This is the story of three women - Virginia Woolf; Mrs Brown, and 1950s housewife; and Clarissa, a book editor in the 1990s. The story is told in alternating vignettes, the connecting thread being the book 'Mrs Dalloway'. It builds slowly, carefully building the ties that bind these three very different women. In places the writing is *very* self-conciously trying and pretentious, almost unbearably so. It redeems itself, however, with some beautiful stand alone sentences, and especially the wonderfully captured sense of despair and futility felt by Laura Brown. The obvious literary style is infuriating at times, but there are some passages of true beauty, and the three seperate lives work well. This book is worth reading if well written prose is what you are after.
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