'I am making up "To the Lighthouse" - the sea is to be heard all through it' Inspired by the lost bliss of her childhood summers in Cornwall, Virginia Woolf produced one of the masterworks of English literature in To the Lighthouse. It concerns the Ramsay family and their summer guests on the Isle of Skye before and after the First World War. As children play and adults paint, talk, muse and explore, relationships shift and mutate. A captivating fusion of elegy, autobiography, socio-political critique and visionary thrust, it is the most accomplished of all Woolf's novels. On completing it, she thought she had exorcised the ghosts of her imposing parents, but she had also brought form to a book every bit as vivid and intense as the work of Lily Briscoe, the indomitable artist at the centre of the novel. ABOUT THE SERIES: For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe. Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship, providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features, including expert introductions by leading authorities, helpful notes to clarify the text, up-to-date bibliographies for further study, and much more.
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To The Lighthouse is one of the greatest elegies in the English language, a book which transcends time (Margaret Drabble )
It is an elegy for lost times and family life (The Week )
Thrillingly introspective (The Independent ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
It is an elegy for lost times and family life (The Week )
Thrillingly introspective (The Independent ) --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.
Book Description
Rediscover Virginia Woolf - the definitive edition of her moving exploration of time, family and human experience (20040624)
--This text refers to an alternate
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54 of 56 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
To the Lighthouse is Virginia Woolf's fifth novel and one of her most widely read. In three parts, it tells the story of the Ramsay family before and after the First World War: The first one describes a September day spent by the family and some of their friends on the Isle of Skye. The second part deals with the change in the holiday residence and the gradual decline of the house in the following ten years as well as with the life and the fate of the family members. In the last part, Woolf tells us how Mr. Ramsay and two of his children come back after the long absence and how the journey to the lighthouse promised ten years ago finally takes place.
With her usual gift of understanding and reflecting people's thoughts and feelings, fears and longings, griefs and joys, Virginia Woolf steps into the background and leaves it to the characters' reflections to tell the story of their life in an astonishing and beautifully lyrical way.
We read about childhood, marriage, loss and death, grief and love, but also about British society and patriarchal family values during the transition from Victorianism to the Modern times.
I really enjoyed reading To the Lighthouse, because Virginia Woolf's knows, like nobody else, how to combine the thematic challenges she sets herself with a beautiful fluent and lyrical style. What is striking is the identification of the author with the inner state of her characters. You just can't stop reading and deeply regret having reached the final page of the novel.
With her usual gift of understanding and reflecting people's thoughts and feelings, fears and longings, griefs and joys, Virginia Woolf steps into the background and leaves it to the characters' reflections to tell the story of their life in an astonishing and beautifully lyrical way.
We read about childhood, marriage, loss and death, grief and love, but also about British society and patriarchal family values during the transition from Victorianism to the Modern times.
I really enjoyed reading To the Lighthouse, because Virginia Woolf's knows, like nobody else, how to combine the thematic challenges she sets herself with a beautiful fluent and lyrical style. What is striking is the identification of the author with the inner state of her characters. You just can't stop reading and deeply regret having reached the final page of the novel.
41 of 44 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
To the Lighthouse was my first Virginia Woolf book, and I did enjoy it, although I was slightly taken aback by the difficulty of the stream-of-consciousness style. It is probably helpful to read some research on the author, or at least to be a little familiar with her work, before approaching this book. Within Virginia Woolf's books, I believe that To the Lighthouse is rated as "average" difficulty, so it probably should not be the first to read, as I did.
In any case, it is an excellent novel from a literary point of view; it is beautifully well written and projects intense feelings on the reader. The book should not be approached as an ordinary novel; you should not expect a conventional plot, because that is not what the writer is aiming at. Instead, you will be able to feel as if you were part of each character, which is a breath-taking experience.
40 of 44 people found the following review helpful
By R.J.W89
Format:Paperback
Is it a cliche to argue that books can alter your life? I firmly believe that 'To The Lighthouse'(TTL) does. I first read this when I was 14 and rather uneducated Literature wise, but I believe this book is what sparked off my interest in Literature, and I've gone back to read TTL repeatedly and I am yet to be bored by it.
The plot is basic. It centers around the lives of a family who holiday up in Skye one long summer. The book is split up into 3 sections. There is relatively little action in the whole of the novel. In fact, I'd say about 50% of the novel is in 1 day or afternoon, and about 10% of the novel skips time about 10 years.
To really get to grips with TTL it is essential you come to the novel with an open mind. Really appreciate the focalisation on individuals. Woolf is famous for her place in the stream of conciousness movement which included Joyce etc. The beauty of this novel comes from the interactions between different characters. She can focus on the thoughts of the young son in the family, then she can zoom out and focus on the reactionary thoughts of the mother who is engaged in conversation with her son.
Moments like these are what makes TTL a masterpiece. If you haven't read any Woolf then I would recommend TTL as a good initiation. You could read 'Mrs Dalloway' which receives more publicity, but frankly I find it slightly dull.
TTL, however, is far from it and I firmly believe that this will be a book that comes back to haunt you long after you close it.
The plot is basic. It centers around the lives of a family who holiday up in Skye one long summer. The book is split up into 3 sections. There is relatively little action in the whole of the novel. In fact, I'd say about 50% of the novel is in 1 day or afternoon, and about 10% of the novel skips time about 10 years.
To really get to grips with TTL it is essential you come to the novel with an open mind. Really appreciate the focalisation on individuals. Woolf is famous for her place in the stream of conciousness movement which included Joyce etc. The beauty of this novel comes from the interactions between different characters. She can focus on the thoughts of the young son in the family, then she can zoom out and focus on the reactionary thoughts of the mother who is engaged in conversation with her son.
Moments like these are what makes TTL a masterpiece. If you haven't read any Woolf then I would recommend TTL as a good initiation. You could read 'Mrs Dalloway' which receives more publicity, but frankly I find it slightly dull.
TTL, however, is far from it and I firmly believe that this will be a book that comes back to haunt you long after you close it.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
1.0 out of 5 stars
I struggled to get there
I first read this book many years ago and I didn't enjoy it; as it is a modern classic I approached it to read again with hope that I would understand and appreciate it. Read more
Published 12 days ago by Lois Sparshott
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent
It is an extremely accomplished piece of writing that fully deserves its reputation. This edition with its new and informative introduction is excellent value
Published 24 days ago by Don Starr
4.0 out of 5 stars
Who's Afraid of Virginia Woolf? Not me
This was the first V.W. book I had ever read so it was a very new experience. I enjoyed the book but it is not an easy on the beach read. Read more
Published 1 month ago by sctrainer
5.0 out of 5 stars
An atmospheric short story by Virginia Woolf
I found this as evocative as a composition by Delius, and an excellent introduction to this well-known 20th Century author.
Published 1 month ago by tothero
1.0 out of 5 stars
OMG
One of the most tedious and pointless book I have ever read. I know the author had mental health problems so it feels a bit mean criticizing it. Read more
Published 1 month ago by Fantain
5.0 out of 5 stars
one of the most important novels of the 20th century
This is one of the most important books of the 20th century. In it, Virginia Woolf develops her method of weaving together the way human consciousness perceives the world. Read more
Published 2 months ago by endlessreadingprincess
5.0 out of 5 stars
A classic
A book everyone should read. Spent my childhood referencing it - so many things were like "going to the lighthouse".
Published 2 months ago by Ms Emily T Joffe
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant
brilliant virginia wolf, she is one of the great 20th century authors and her work should be read more by the general reader. Read more
Published 4 months ago by weeks
4.0 out of 5 stars
She de man! (ahem)
I struggled with Virginia Woolf at university, and used to compare her unfavourably against her contemporary, and my favourite writer at the time, Katherine Mansfield. Read more
Published 4 months ago by Keith Watson
4.0 out of 5 stars
It is probably the most famous work from Virginia.
I had to read it more than once. It is really complicated. I's like to understand a book and a paint at the same time, it's not simple.
Published 5 months ago by Luca Nieddu
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