Read this when
Mrs Dalloway
She's buying flowers, planning a party, smiling at everyone. Inside: her whole life on replay. Relatable. 💐
Who it's for
Woolf gives direct access to what runs beneath social performance: Clarissa's party preparations are threaded with memories, regret and fear of death, which validates readers who function well while feeling hollow.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Virginia Woolf's 1925 stream-of-consciousness novel takes place over a single day in June 1923 in London. Clarissa Dalloway prepares for an evening party while reflecting on her past choices, including her marriage to Richard rather than Peter Walsh, who reappears that day.
Where to find it
Public domain in the US (published 1925); free on Project Gutenberg and Standard Ebooks. Also in print, from libraries, and as an audiobook.
Before you start
Heads up: A main character dies by suicide.
Age: Ages 16+
If a man does not keep pace with his companions, perhaps it is because he hears a different drummer. Let him step to the music which he hears, however measured or far away.Henry David Thoreau, Walden, “Conclusion”
