Mrs. Dalloway's Party: A Short Story Sequence [Paperback]

Virginia Woolf (Author), Stella McNichol (Introduction)

Book Description

Publication Date: January 5, 2004

"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the gloves herself. Big Ben was striking as she stepped out into the street. It was eleven o'clock and the unused hour was fresh as if issued to children on a beach."
-from "Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street"

The landmark modern novel Mrs. Dalloway creates a portrait of a single day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway as she orchestrates the last-minute details of a grand party. But before Virginia Woolf wrote this masterwork, she explored in a series of fascinating stories a similar revelry in the mental and physical excitement of a party.
Wonderfully captivating, the seven stories in Mrs. Dalloway's Party create a dynamic and delightful portrait of what Woolf called "party consciousness." As parallel expressions of the themes of Mrs. Dalloway, these stories provide a valuable window into Woolf's writing mind and a further testament to her extraordinary genius.

Editorial Reviews

Review

PRAISE FOR MRS. DALLOWAY
"With Mrs. Dalloway Virginia Woolf insisted that a life of errands and party-giving was every bit as viable a subject as any life lived anywhere; and that should any human act in any novel seem
unimportant, it has merely been inadequately observed. The novel as an art form has not been the same since."-Michael Cunningham, author of The Hours

About the Author

VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882-1941) was one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century. An admired literary critic, she authored many essays, letters, journals, and short stories in addition to her groundbreaking novels.

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Product Details

• Paperback: 96 pages
• Publisher: Mariner Books (January 5, 2004)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0156029324
• ISBN-13: 978-0156029322
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 6.2 x 0.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 3.5 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #1,080,661 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

VIRGINIA WOOLF (1882-1941) was one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century. An admired literary critic, she authored many essays, letters, journals, and short stories in addition to her groundbreaking novels.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

21 of 21 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Rich Little Stories, May 13, 2001

By A Customer

This review is from: Mrs. Dalloway's Party: A Short-Story Sequence (Paperback)

While best known for her novels, Virginia Woolf also wrote essays and short stories. This is a short collection of seven stories from the period 1922 to 1927, around the publication of Mrs. Dalloway. Some of the stories had previously been published elsewhere, but this is the first publication for two of them.

Like the novel, these short stories surround the party; but unlike the novel, most of these stories focus on the guests at the party. The first of these relates an expedition of Clarissa Dalloway's to buy gloves, and is full of all the interior monologue one might expect. The rest are rather character sketches and encounters among Mrs. Dalloway's guests, and absolutely leave one satisfied with a picture of each character and encounter. If you enjoyed Mrs. Dalloway, and you can read short stories, you absolutely will enjoy this book.

5.0 out of 5 stars Perfect Gift, December 12, 2011

By 

R. Day (Boston, MA) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: Mrs. Dalloway's Party: A Short Story Sequence (Paperback)

So I can't say I know much about Virginia Woolf, but I do have a friend who knows plenty. This proved to be a great gift and a piece she did not already own. If it made her happy then I have to assume its a good read too :)

5.0 out of 5 stars Test the Waters of Virginia Woolf's Genius, August 4, 2007

By 

Dave Deubler (Pennsylvania) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Mrs. Dalloway's Party: A Short Story Sequence (Paperback)

You don't need to have read the classic novel Mrs. Dalloway to appreciate this collection of short stories (which take place at the party which is the centerpiece of that book) in order to appreciate Woolf's genius, although it certainly won't hurt. Woolf's internal monologues are, if anything, more delightful in these smaller doses. The point of view is always clear, and those who have found Woolf's prose to be sometimes a tad tiring will be pleased to find this much easier reading. As in the novel, her characters are emotionally flawed, thoroughly believable, and all-too-familiar. A perfect choice for readers not ready to commit to a complete novel by Woolf, but who want to know what all the excitement is about.