To the Lighthouse

Rating:
Summary: Quite possibly the worst book I have ever read.
Review: This book is quite possibly the worst book I have ever read.

If you ever took a literature class in college you will remember that there are a variety of ways to critique a book. Most classifications include basing your critique on how well the work teaches true principles, the form of the work, the background and ambience of the work and the author, and how well the work stands the test of time. This work fails abysmally in all of these areas.

First of all this is a book about nothing and nothing happens. There is no plot and the author does not say anything worth thinking about or reading twice to get the meaning. Some critics claim that this is why the book is so good. Some even claim that Woolf is trying to say something about hum-drum life, family structure and even, absurdly, male and female roles. Don't believe it! Don't waste your time reading this.

Secondly, this book has no form, no climax, no denouement, no nothing. I suppose you could say that this means the form is that literary word used to describe books that make you want to commit suicide when they are assigned in an English course taught by some spinster Lesbian - stream-of-consciousness. Well there's no stream and no character in the book is conscious. Obviously the author did carefully construct the inner and external dialogues so it is emphatically not stream-of-consciousness. Read Joyce and then this garbage and you will see the difference.

Thirdly, there is no point looking into the life and ambience of the author and period of writing if this is the best book she wrote. (And it is generally considered the best book she wrote)

Lastly, this book fails the test-of-time standard. It is becoming more and more irrelevant.

Now you may ask why did I read this then? Because it was assigned reading. This book is the written equivalent of strychnine. Every page is so utterly bereft of anything of value that your mind and intellect writhe in agony as you force your abused eyes to read the next sentence. Be kind to yourself and tell your literature teacher you would prefer self-immolation to having to read this.

Rating:
Summary: My Boeuf with Virginia
Review: Here is a small point with a larger purpose: Virginia Woolf does not know Boeuf en Daube. Or at any rate, Mrs. Ramsay, the heroine of "To the Lighthouse," does not, and there is no suggestion of any irony in her thought on the topic:

"Everything depended upon things being served up to the precise moment they were ready. ... To keep it waiting was out of the question. Yet of course tonight, of all nights, out they went, and they came in late, and things had to be sent out, things had to be kept hot; the Boeuf en Daube would be entirely spoilt."

Well, if you know anything about the kitchen, you know that this is nonsense. Boeuf en Daube is probably the last thing that needs to be "served up to the precise moment ..." As Elizabeth David says in her "French Provincial Cooking:" "there must be scores of different recipes for daubes in Provence alone... essentially a country housewife's dish." And more to the point, per Ms. David:

"The daube is a useful dish for those who have to get a dinner party when they get home from the office. It can be cooked for 1 ½ hours the previous evening and finished on the night itself. Provided they have not been overcooked to start with, these beef and wine stews are all the better for a second or even third heating up."

I wonder how many English majors from the 1950s sold their souls for a good Boeuf en Daube (did Sylvia Plath have the recipe?) - and how much better off they would have been if they'd seen through it: understood that Mrs. Ramsay did not get the point, because Ms. Woolf did not get the point. Indeed, strictly speaking, the creation is not Mrs. Ramsay's at all, but you'd have to be a sharp-eyed reader to catch on: it is the servant who does the work and delivers the finished product and she, I suspect, knows better than her mistress how flexible and compliant it may be. There is an irony here and it is lost, I suspect, on the mistress and on the mistress' creator.

All of which leads to a larger point: Virginia Woolf does not know servants. Instance in particular her observation of Mrs. McNab, the old char who comes to reopen the summer house after long disuse. We get an elaborate set-piece description of Mrs. McNab, and it is not pretty: indeed, it is mean-spirited and dismissive in almost every way. Mrs. McNab "lurches" and "leers" She "was witless and she knew it;" she sings "like the voice of witlessness." Now, if this is true, it is inexcusably rude: one may want, for some artistic purpose, to show her lurching and leering for, but here it serves no purpose, unless you count its actual function in throwing light on the author. Anyway, the chances are it is not true. My guess is that Mrs. McNab has operated under far more constraint in life than either Ms. Woolf or Mrs. Ramsay ever dreamed of. Witless people do not survive under the iron whim of a Mrs. Ramsay; poor chars who do learn to survive will find that it takes all the skill one can muster.

I could go on, but I need to stay within Amazon's 1,000 word limit. The point is not that "To the Lighthouse" is a bad book. It's actually quite a good book; or at least it is a book full of good paragraphs, and Virginia Woolf seemingly cannot write a bad paragraph. It is as bad novel, because Virginia Woolf has little of the capacity for imaginative empathy that makes a really good novelist. They say that Shakespeare stands as a void at the center of his plays because he has poured every part of his being into his characters. Virginia Woolf takes almost all of her characters into herself. It is well done, but often we get to know more than we really want to know.

Rating:
Summary: "Stream of consciousness" style
Review: Virginia Woolf writes using a stream of consciousness, which provides for an interesting read as she explores the psychological effects of same events on different characters and permits the reader to study the characters in the novel to a greater extent. She doesn't speak from the first-person point of view of each character, but uses the third-person instead, so that all characters, no matter what age, have similar intellectual capacity as it appears. You'll need to devote a great deal of attention to the novel; it is hardly a light book, and you would probably only enjoy it to the full extent if you like this type of writing. Personally, Woolf's style is not one that I prefer, and I had a hard time getting into the novel. I also think that I would enjoy it far better the second time around: I often re-read books and find many things that I had failed to notice the first time. If you've never read any of her works previously, it is a pretty good novel to begin with to determine whether this style is to your liking.

Rating:
Summary: To the Lighthouse
Review: To the Lighthouse is a novel about a boy named James Ramsay who is growing up during World War I. "The Window" opens up by telling us how James longs to go to the lighthouse that is just across the sea. He hates his father because he takes joy in being rude to his eight children and his wife, Mrs. Ramsay who would not say a mean word about anyone. The Ramsays' house a number of guests at their home in Hebrides. Mr. Tansley is a present day "understudy" of Mr. Ramsay who is a metaphysical philosopher who doesn't think his profession is impacting anyone. Mr. Tansley worships Mr. Ramsay because anything he says, Mr. Tansley is always backing him up no matter whose business he's intruding upon.
Lily Briscoe is also a guest at the home. She is a painter who like Mr. Ramsay feels her artistic abilities are getting her nowhere in life. She admires Mrs. Ramsay and starts a portrait of her, however never finishes it. Mrs. Ramsay introduced her to William Bankes who was a friend of the family. Her plan was to get them to marry one another but it did not work out that way. She did manage to arrange one wedding which was between Paul Rayley and Minta Doyle.
During the next chapter, "Time Passes", World War I spreads over Europe. The Ramsay's eldest son is killed in battle. Also one of their daughters, Prue died from a birth defect. During this chapter, Mrs. Ramsay passes away suddenly. James is left in a tough situation. He has to cope with the loss of his mother, but also come to the fact that his abusive father is the only one left. Through all of this misfortune, the summer house in the Hebrides is no longer visited.
Ten years pass and Mr. Ramsay decides to take James and James' sister, Cam to the lighthouse. James has turned into the kind of man that his father is, he is very moody and stubborn. When they get close to the shoreline to the lighthouse, bonding between son and father occurs. Mr. Ramsay is proud of his son because of person he came to be. Just as they arrive at the shore, Lily, the aspiring painter finishes one of her paintings.
I enjoyed this book overall. It was slow in the beginning but after the first few pages, I really came to enjoy reading it. It made me realize my life's worth even though my life has yet to start. No matter where it takes me, I now know to never give up and be persistent with what I like to do. If I continue on that path even with the bumps along the way, by the end my life with be put in perspective for me.

Rating:
Summary: Stunning, if You're in the Mood for It
Review: Take my word for it--if you've not read Virginia Woolf before--you need to be in the mood to read her. I think her books can be unbearable otherwise. However, I was in the mood for "To the Lighthouse," and I thought it was terrific.

I've been much more intrigued by Virginia Woolf after Michael Cunningham's "The Hours," (and the subsequent film) brought her back into the limelight. She was fascinated with the degree to which everyday, seemingly trivial details of life can seem to be matters upon which the state of the world hinge in the lives of those experiencing them. Therefore, in Virginia Woolf's world, the decision as to whether or not a vacationing family will visit a lighthouse on the following day becomes the focus of everyone's thoughts--to a little boy, it seems as if his world will end if he doesn't get to go; to the father, his ability to determine whether or not they will go gives him a sense of power and authority over his wife and children.

And at the center of all this non-drama is Mrs. Ramsay, wife and mother, who is the foundation upon which the family is built. Woolf is expert in communicating the influence Mrs. Ramsay has on those around her. Everyone is struck by her beauty, her bearing, her very existence. It's this quality in her that makes so many wives and mothers the center of their respective families, which gives "To the Lighthouse" a sort of universality that resonated very strongly with me.

There has been a lot of literary study on the psychology of the novel (especially Freudian), which has become somewhat less interesting as Freud has become commonplace. I would instead appreciate it for the utter mastery of language exhibited by Woolf, and the insights she has into male/female relationships.

"To the Lighthouse" is one of those books that left me feeling incredibly sad in a very satisfied way, and I can't even tell you why. I don't always enjoy such ethereal writing (I don't even enjoy other books by Woolf) but in this case I enjoyed every word.

Rating:
Summary: What a Beautiful Book!
Review: I'm a senior in high school, and when I picked up To the Lighthouse for my summer reading this summer, I had no idea how much it would inspire me and change my perspective on life and writing. The book is not concerned with plot, but more with symbolism and human emotions and truths about life and the role of women in 20th century English society.
For someone who had never encountered Modernist writing style, I found Woolf's stream of consciousness wrting style extremely refreshing. It switches between characters' thoughts and the story so fluently that although it is occasionally confusing, overall, it makes the book more of a cohesive whole.
Of course, I can't deny that I used Sparknotes to fully understand the book. But that was because I had to comment on symbolism in my reading log, and some of Woolf's symbolism is hard to understand. However, you don't need to use Sparknotes to understand this book. I understood everything without them but still used them because I love this book so much that I wanted to know everything about it! (And I have never felt that way about summer reading before.)
This book was really fascinating and was an interesting insight into the social heirarchy of the 20th century and the roles of women in that society. I thoroughly enjoyed reading about Lily Briscoe and Mrs. Ramsay, and I think that their struggles are those that any woman can relate to. Overall, I would say that To the Lighthouse is a masterpiece and is a must-read for any woman, especially women writers. I know that it has changed my perspective on being a woman writer and has inspired me to consider pursuing writing as a career.

Rating:
Summary: Great Writing but Short on Plot
Review: Virginia Woolf is a genius at creating and evoking intense moods in reference to seemingly banal attributes of our existence. Such as eating dinner with your family and guests, the trivial conversations that occur during the dinner, and, most importantly, the drifting inner thoughts of her characters and their unspoken conversations underneath the surface. All that is fine and good and worth a read, but I found myself struggling a bit to finish To The Lighthouse due to the lack of any major plot conflicts or action. Virginia Woolf takes up a huge portion of the book describing a character's inner thoughts and feelings as she tries to finish a painting. I know, that's the point of the book, and I see its value, but if I'm in a mood to explore the literary subconscious, I prefer Faulkner, who weaves in compelling plots in addition to the inner lives of his characters.

Rating:
Summary: Possibly Virginia Woolf's Best
Review: The Freudian take regarding To the Lighthouse has been almost beaten to death. I think that anyone who focuses too much on the phallic symbolism of the Lighthouse itself in this work does so to their own detriment. Why? Because To the Lighthouse could perhaps be Virginia Woolf's most finely crafted work.

If one were to look too deeply into the symbolism they may miss the beautifully painted character portrait of Mrs. Ramsey as the stolid maternal who really holds the family, household, and social interactions of her husband together while he goes about dreaming and philosophizing, only to have to pick the pieces up later when she dies and he is left alone.

To the Lighthouse is filled with wonderful and memorable characters. Not just Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey, but also Lila Briscoe the aritst, and Minta Doyle the carefree young almost self absorbed girl in a woman's body. Then there is Mr. Carmichael who appears kind of an old wizened sage who remains somewhat aloof but finally finds success as a poet at the end of the novel. There's Tansley the anti-social atheist intellectual who may still have a softer side somewhere beneath his cold exterior...the list goes on and on...and by now I'm probably rambling, but anyway, To the Lighthouse is Virgina's Woolf best and everyone who reads it should be able to find something they can appreciate about it.

Rating:
Summary: What is all the fuss about Virginia Woolf?
Review: I know I shouldn't judge an author based on only one of her novels, no matter how boring it may be. If I were to recommend reading this novel, it would be only to someone like myself who is just trying to get a feel for why a "classic" is called a "classic" and then try another book by the same author. I am not too sure that this novel gives the author justice. And so, if you were to read this novel, and you are like me, and were not really sure what to make of it, I would recommend reading another of the author's novels in addition to this one. I will be reading Mrs. Dalloway to see if there really is something about Virginia Woolf worth noting. This book, however, was sorta interesting, but nothing to get excited about.. why is it a classic? I have really no idea.

Rating:
Summary: Men, women, gender roles & stream of consciousness.
Review: The time span in "To a Lighthouse" is from 1910 - 1920. And time is a critical element in this novel whose beginning paints a very insular setting, the small-scale world according to
Mrs. Ramsay. The season is summer and it is an annual event that she, her husband and eight children, a coterie of Mr. Ramsay's academic-type admirers and a spinster with a love of painting, adjourn to the Ramsay's seaside household.

The story's unfolding is mirrored in the manner of Mrs. Ramsay's thinking...all internal: about her husband; her children; their family friends; an anticipated engagement; marriage in general and her own in particular; and her husband's preoccupation with his academic career. Without a doubt, Mrs. Ramsay is the glue that holds this little, private cocoon together.

Mr. Ramsay, succinctly put, is self-centered. He's introspective; he's occupied with his achievements; and "reaching Z" is an all-absorbing goal! Contemplative walking and pacing seem to be among his favorite pastimes and his amblings provide him more space to contemplate "I, I, I" as aptly described by Lily Briscoe, an amateur artist. At times it seems as if being the father of eight, even though his wife shields him from much of the routine of family life... including household expenses...serves as a hindrance to his further achievements. He is a man of logic and will not even tolerate his youngest child's yearnings to go to the lighthouse because the weather on the following day will most assuredly not "be fine" as Mrs. Ramsay tries to assure the child it will be.

There is an occasional sadness and distance about Mrs. Ramsay that manifests following her husband's frequent petulant scenes. Nonetheless she plays her roles to absolute perfection: mother, wife, and nurturer to all including their guests. She sees their shortcomings but accepts them and fosters each in her own way according to their perceived needs.

Women are relegated to minor roles; it is the men who are the intelligent ones. And Mr. Ramsay conjectures that much of what his wife reads she may not understand. Yet the couple loves one another... each person according to his own capacity. Mrs. Ramsay is obviously her husband's fan, the one who bolsters him and protects and nurtures him...and the reader is privy to all her thoughts accordingly. There is a glimmer, too, of her disappointment in him, his self-centeredness and his sole reliance on logic.

Age (a mechanism employed to show the passage of time) is also a theme in "To the Lighthouse". Mrs. Ramsay was a beauty, is yet considered a beauty despite her age. Her aging husband, however, is still considered handsome and attracts and welcomes female attention...female flattery. This is appropriate for a man; a woman may gain admiration for her skills and her looks but it would be inappropriate to call attention to herself.

The world of children, weather, guests and their idiosyncrasies, Mrs. Ramsay's desire that things remain the same thus assuring her children never having to grow up to face life's problems, takes a huge leap and the reader is propelled from the previous protected cocoon into "real life".
Mrs. Ramsay dies, son Andrew perishes in World War I, her daughter Prue is escorted down the aisle by her father, and one year later dies giving birth. Yet, the author is ingenious about holding fast to the internal world of the characters, with only an occasional external utterance.

Everything has changed. Without the foundational piece, the cement that holds the household and extended household together, the summer place is abandoned, dusty, rotting, decrepit, unattended. No one has vacationed there for 10 years. Subsequently, orders are generated to a former household staff member to re-open the house for a smaller onslaught of visitors.

Nothing is the same without Mrs. Ramsay. She is mourned, especially by Lily Briscoe. Only three of the Ramsay children have accompanied their father to the summer retreat. He is still the bully that he was in their childhood. Their world still operates according to his moods, whims and orders. James and Cam, now 16 and 17, are morose and it always seems as if they are waiting for the "other shoe to drop". Nothing must go awry or their aged father will be irritated and critical.

Mr. Ramsay's preoccupation is still with himself and it is the guests' duty to pity him, fawn over him and focus their attention on the pain dealt him. Lily Briscoe refuses to do this (she is adamant that marriage, as espoused by Mrs. Ramsey as a must, is not necessarily so). She braces herself to deliberately focus her efforts on her art and its composition. She seeks balance in a painting that just doesn't seem to come together. This could be deemed symbolic of a search for balance in her own life and a challenge to attain some personal resolution to her grief over
Mrs. Ramsay's death.

"To a Lighthouse" is a masterpiece; it succeeds as a group and character portrait While a difficult "read", the story, the plot, the character definition, and the passage of time...largely accomplished through internal dialogue... is ingenious!