From Publishers Weekly
Lippincott calls his first novel a "creative response" to the Virginia Woolf classic of similar title, but its virtuoso handling of the inner life of its characters should delight more than just Woolf enthusiasts. Like Mrs. Dalloway, this book confines its action to a single day in London and its environs, drifting among the members of the Dalloway house as they prepare a party for the Dalloways' 30th wedding anniversary. Here, however, the primary focus is on Richard Dalloway, former Parliament member, doting husband, a man trying desperately to manage an affair that threatens his family on several levels. Richard's social class puts him at ease in his world, but can't prevent him from suffering a quiet desperation; he's a man whose confidence seems to ride on his last exchange with a bookstore clerk or a flower peddler. As he oversees the party arrangements, Clarissa, Richard's wife, likewise contemplates their lengthy marriage. Expertly manipulating point of view, Lippincott (The Real, True Angel) also enables the reader to view the Dalloways through several eyes: their daughter, Elizabeth; Richard's lover, Robbie; even the servants who loyally attend the Dalloways but offer their own perspective on the life of upper-class England. By using recognizably Woolfian techniquesAshifting points of view, extensive inner monologueAthe author pays homage to Woolf while at the same time creating his own vision of a straitjacketed, homophobic England. Only the references to Woolf herself, including one in-person appearance, seem a bit cute in a book in which much else is understated. This is imitation in its finest form, as one writer draws from another to create a convincing world. (July)
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
Three years have passed since Clarissa Dalloway hosted her famously lovely party in London. Richard Dalloway has retired from public life. Elizabeth, their daughter, studies veterinary science in Liverpool. Richard's long-ago rival, Peter Walsh, remains in India with his new wife. Now it's Richard's turn to throw a party. It's 28 June_ 1927, and the occasion is Richard and Clarissa's thirtieth wedding anniversary. All the details, including the flowers, are Richard's responsibility. The venue is Richard's secret; guests will be transported by rail. Richard excels at keeping secrets, not the least of which is Robert Davies, his lover of 10 years who drunkenly decides to attend the party as a surprise. Like Virginia Woolf's
Mrs. Dalloway, this novel traces a single day: the shops and sidewalks, faces in the park, unexpected visitors. Anticipation propels the reader forward, just as the train carries Richard's guests through the dark. Lippincott is faithful to the interior voices, rhythms, and themes of the original, yet his exploration is fresh and revealing. A playful and worthy companion to both
Mrs. Dalloway and Michael Cunningham's recent, Pulitzer Prize^-winning
The Hours.
James Klise
