To the Lighthouse

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Summary: A sort of It's A Wonderful Life
Review: This book is essentially divided into two parts: a day in the life of a British family and their guests at a seaside cottage, and ten years after the death of the matriarch, Mrs. Ramsay. The writing is an example of 20th century excellence. The narrator may change from page to page, but the reader always knows who is speaking. Although some paragraphs are incredibly long, in the Henry James style, there is clarity throughout. Peppered here and there are little essays which can stand on their own. The character of Mrs. Ramsay is central and is seen through her own thoughts and through the thoughts of the others on one day. In the second half of the book, most of the original characters return to the house sometime after Mrs. Ramsay's death and we feel their loss. What is this loss that they and we feel? She has held up the potential and promise of the destinies of the others, even though they may never reach it, a lighthouse beacon which survives her mortality.

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Summary: What a beginning and an end!
Review: I thought this book was pretty good as I kept on reading. At the beginning the author went on and on with that stream of consciousness stuff. I thought that toward the end of the first of the three parts it was getting interesting. It is about a middle class British family that goes through life in a typical way except that people stay at their house. Considering there are eight children and a husband and wife, that is a lot of people in one home. Overall the book was pretty good and i like how lily briscoe finished her painting. This book revolves around Mrs. Ramsay the main character who is portrayed similiarly to the lighthouse. She is the central lady who does all the work and solves all the family problems. She is like a lighthouse where everything is around her. She wanted to go to the lighthouse so I think that is why Woolf named it this.

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Summary: this book is boring.
Review: this book is one of the most boring books i have had to read this semester. if it wasn't for a class i would have THROWN IT AWAY. spare yourself the torture, don't buy it. on the other hand, if you have trouble sleeping, feel free to pick up a copy as soon as possible.

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Summary: Technically tight but uninspiring
Review: After completing the incredible Woolf novel "Mrs. Dalloway" I eagerly dived into "To The Lighthouse" expecting similar (if not greater) satisfaction. Unfortunately, from the very beginning I felt that the stream of consciousness narration betrayed itself with the excessive unrealistic "deep" thoughts and ponderings of the lesser characters. Sure, we all know Mr. Ramsay is a ponderous metaphysician and we expect such soul-searching from him - but from all the others as well, and at all times? Every character seems to be CONSTANTLY measuring their self worth and working out a personal philosophy while they go about their otherwise mundane daily existence. To be sure, we all have these "moments of reflection", but Woolf overdoes it here. I suppose the critical eminence of the book and its assured position in the canon still make it a must-read, but I would advise first time readers to reduce any high expectations concerning the novel's psychological realism.

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Summary: To the Lighthouse
Review: An excellent read about a family who is completely dependant on their mother. However, as time goes on so does life, even without Mrs. ramsey. The book is a great read for intellectuals and those who enjoy art.

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Summary: An apple of gold in a picture of silver
Review: Once upon a time Samuel Johnson travelled an overland route to Skye. He predicted that the weather would be rainy for the next half year. The temperature was not warm but 57 degrees. In To the Lighthouse, the Ramsays repeatedly indicate that the weather is your biggest enemy. This book is a good springboard for learning about observation charts, barometer reading, temperature differences, prediction skills. I was inspired to find answers to the following questions. What is the oldest navigational aid? Where and when was America's first lighthouse built? What was the name of the first lightship? (NORE) Which lighthouse is located on the eastern shore of Lake Michigan? Ida Lewis was the keeper of which lighthouse? (LIME ROCK) What is the name of the British ship that Rececca and Abigail Bates turned back from the shores of Scituate, Massachusetts? Name two fuels that have been used to light a beacon?

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Summary: The light is on but no one is home (in the lighthouse)
Review: Although a stunning achievement, the key difficulty with TTL is that Woolf's perspective is limited to that of a middle class / middle age woman and as such the stream of consciousness technique, although working well on Mrs Ramsay, fails to deliver powerful insight into the younger people or male characters. Her method rather than opening a door closes one. No accident surely that the avant-garde reached their peak in this period whereas other mediums have progressed towards the arguably hollow victory of full abstraction.

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Summary: 20th Century Masterpiece
Review: A modern classic, arguably in the top ten along with the likes of Gatsby, Ulysses, Heart of Darkness, In Search of Lost Time, etc. An absolutely flawless work in which every word contributes to the overall effect and the author demonstrates her gift for stretching the English language to its most beautiful and striking extreme. A must-read for those interested in modern literature.

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Summary: My Favorite Novel
Review: Yes, this is the best novel ever written using stream-of-consciousness narrative, Joyce not excepted, but it's unfair to introduce it that clinically. Simply put, if you want the privilege of living briefly inside the minds of some of the most ordinary and yet most compelling characters ever conceived--and such a paradox is a tribute to Woolf's genius--read this book. Well worth the delicious effort.

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Summary: Indisputably great LITERATURE
Review: Literature is the key word here. If you're just looking for a good story, stick to the bestseller lists. This book, like all real literature, "pushes the light of ... language a bit further against darkness" (E. M. Forster). Open your mind; give it a chance-- 50 pages at least. It is a transcendent experience!