Good Reads / Community Library Notes
To The Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
Review by Priscilla Comen
To The Lighthouse
Virginia Woolf
Review by Priscilla Comen
To The Lighthouse, by Virginia Woolf, is a classic by this famous writer. It is about a big house, the family that lives there, the visitors who come to dine, to stay overnight, and to see the lighthouse.
Mrs. Ramsey is reading to her young son, James, as his father tells James it will not be a fair day tomorrow and they will not go to the lighthouse. His mother says it may be fair. Mrs. Ramsey is knitting stockings for the boy who lives at the lighthouse. Lily Briscoe is painting Mrs. Ramsey’s portrait. William Bankes who has rooms in the village, is there too. Lily describes him and Mr. Ramsey: Bankes has no children, is a widower; Mr. Ramsey has eight children and is petty, selfish, vain, and spoiled, but loves dogs and his children. He always needs praise.
Mr. Bankes thinks Mrs. Ramsey is lovely. Young James hates his father; Mrs. Ramsey “reverences” him. Author Woolf brings out the feelings of her characters through their minds; she also moves the plot forward through their minds. She never stops. Mr. Bankes looks at Lily’s painting of Mrs. Ramsey. It’s agony for Lily, but also exciting to have him look. He wants her to explain the lights and shadows. Mrs. Ramsey thinks about her children, wants them to never grow up. Paul and Minta and Andrew have not come back from their walk. It is pouring rain and dark in the late afternoon. Minta has lost her grandmother’s brooch and they all look for it. The tide is coming in. There is lots of menace in this narrative as Woolf displays her genius.
When they all sit for dinner, we learn more about them. Lily tells Mr. Tansley she’d love to go to the lighthouse with him; but she’s really thinking about her painting and how to fix it. Mr. Bankes thinks about his work and wishes he were at it now. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are alone; she thinks about saying she loves him, but does not. He knows it is true. Lily thinks this is marriage and wonders if she will ever marry.
Time passes and the big house stands empty. Woolf tells us before the end of what happens to the people. Mrs. McNab, the cleaning woman, is there with Mrs. Bast. They clean everything inside and Mrs. Bast’s son cleans the outside. Lily, James, Mr. Ramsey and Cam, another daughter,come back. Does Lily finish her painting? Will they go to the lighthouse? What is the meaning of life for this family? Did Virginia Woolf find this out for herself? This may be autobiographical, but we don’t know for sure. Find this fascinating novel in the fiction room with others of Virginia Woolf’s books at your Mendocino Community Library.
Mrs. Ramsey is reading to her young son, James, as his father tells James it will not be a fair day tomorrow and they will not go to the lighthouse. His mother says it may be fair. Mrs. Ramsey is knitting stockings for the boy who lives at the lighthouse. Lily Briscoe is painting Mrs. Ramsey’s portrait. William Bankes who has rooms in the village, is there too. Lily describes him and Mr. Ramsey: Bankes has no children, is a widower; Mr. Ramsey has eight children and is petty, selfish, vain, and spoiled, but loves dogs and his children. He always needs praise.
Mr. Bankes thinks Mrs. Ramsey is lovely. Young James hates his father; Mrs. Ramsey “reverences” him. Author Woolf brings out the feelings of her characters through their minds; she also moves the plot forward through their minds. She never stops. Mr. Bankes looks at Lily’s painting of Mrs. Ramsey. It’s agony for Lily, but also exciting to have him look. He wants her to explain the lights and shadows. Mrs. Ramsey thinks about her children, wants them to never grow up. Paul and Minta and Andrew have not come back from their walk. It is pouring rain and dark in the late afternoon. Minta has lost her grandmother’s brooch and they all look for it. The tide is coming in. There is lots of menace in this narrative as Woolf displays her genius.
When they all sit for dinner, we learn more about them. Lily tells Mr. Tansley she’d love to go to the lighthouse with him; but she’s really thinking about her painting and how to fix it. Mr. Bankes thinks about his work and wishes he were at it now. Later, Mr. and Mrs. Ramsey are alone; she thinks about saying she loves him, but does not. He knows it is true. Lily thinks this is marriage and wonders if she will ever marry.
Time passes and the big house stands empty. Woolf tells us before the end of what happens to the people. Mrs. McNab, the cleaning woman, is there with Mrs. Bast. They clean everything inside and Mrs. Bast’s son cleans the outside. Lily, James, Mr. Ramsey and Cam, another daughter,come back. Does Lily finish her painting? Will they go to the lighthouse? What is the meaning of life for this family? Did Virginia Woolf find this out for herself? This may be autobiographical, but we don’t know for sure. Find this fascinating novel in the fiction room with others of Virginia Woolf’s books at your Mendocino Community Library.