100 Years of Mrs. Dalloway:
A Journey Through Virginia Woolf’s World
This year is the centenary of the release of Mrs Dalloway, a groundbreaking novel that has left an indelible mark on 20th-century literature and sealed Virginia Woolf’s reputation as a literary pioneer. As we celebrate Clarissa Dalloway’s iconic stroll through London, it’s the perfect moment to step into Woolf’s world once again — a world where the traditional boundaries of storytelling are beautifully transcended.
Start with Mrs. Dalloway
Originally published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway traces a day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway as she gets ready to give a party. Yet beneath its seemingly simple plot lies Woolf’s profound exploration of such themes as time, trauma, love, and memory, pervaded throughout by her groundbreaking stream-of-consciousness technique. With whole lifetimes compressed within the course of a single afternoon, this novel reads with a startling modernity, even today, a hundred years later.
Woolf Finds Her Style: Jacob’s Room
Woolf’s earlier novel, Jacob’s Room, represented a huge step forward in her development as an artist. Under the influence of post-impressionist painting and in the shadow of World War I, the novel broke with traditional narratives, adopting the complex, emotional texture of human thinking — a method Woolf perfected in her subsequent work.
Thought-Provoking Essays That Resonate
Woolf’s nonfiction books, A Room of One’s Own and Three Guineas, are as pertinent today as they were when published in the 1930s. They speak to issues like women’s access to education, artistic freedom, and political influence, with words that still echo today:
“As a woman, I have no country. As a woman, I want no country. As a woman, my country is the whole world.”
For the Adventurous Reader: The Waves
Woolf referred to The Waves as her “play-poem.” It is abstract, lyrical, and demanding of its readers — but one that provides a deep examination of self, identity, and the shared tapestry of human life.
Don’t Miss Her Essays
Short on time? Dip into Woolf’s fascinating brief essays such as Street Haunting or The London Scene. In them, she brings to life the life of a city she adored and makes visible the incisive, questioning intelligence that played such a large role in shaping modern literature.
A Window Into Woolf’s Life: The Diaries
Woolf’s diaries also disclose the inner struggles and victories of a great mind. They provide an insight into her creative process, inner life, and the harsh social world that surrounded her.
Another Gem: To the Lighthouse
Composed in memory of her mother, To the Lighthouse interweaves personal sorrow with philosophical meditations on art, family, and the nature of time. It’s one of Woolf’s most moving and lovely books.
The Enduring Relevance of Woolf
Virginia Woolf didn’t merely write novels — she reshaped the very potentialities of fiction. A hundred years since the release of Mrs. Dalloway, her novels continue to address the contested concerns of identity, gender, mental illness, and art. Whether it is a first introduction to her writing or a nostalgic reunion with an old flame, now is the ideal time to bask in her lasting greatness.
