Book Review: Mrs. Dalloway

Mrs. Dalloway is the story of a woman who throws a party and in the process reminisces about her life. The entire book is set in one day that culminates in the party. The protagonist is best described as an upper class woman who despite living a life that is expected of her owing to her social status, manages to retain her individuality. In the time at which it was originally written, the book was bound to attract attention if not criticism. What appealed most to me was the detached, casual way in which Mrs. Dalloway thinks about her chance lesbian encounter and how she values it more than heterosexual relationships. To me it is a significant representation of how many tend to never rethink the meaning that chance encounters with people, events in their lives and everyday moments hold.

In terms of its writing style, it is not to my taste. I have never had a preference for classics and this, like so many other classics that I have read, is painfully slow. The language did not engage me. Yet, I persisted since I was expecting this from the book. The book nevertheless is a significant read for all who are interested in feminism and identity.