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Mrs Dalloway (1 Viewer)

mandalay

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has anyone here read mrs dalloway for school?
 

Sarah168

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Not for school.

I read The Hours by Michael Cunningham for school and it was exactly my kind of thing. I loved it. I can rave forever but it will probably detract from the value of the book if I do :p

After reading it, I borrowed Mrs Dalloway and surprisingly, it wasnt exactly my cup of tea. I didn't like it much and I didnt finsih it either. The stream of consciousness style was interesting and reminded of Joyce's Ulysses but I personally found Mrs Dalloway abit tedious.

The Hours though, is probably one out of two of my favourite books of all time :D
 

mandalay

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i watched 'the hours' a while ago. the movie was so beautiful... though there were a couple of really unecessary scenes (i.e. laura kissing kitty, and virginia kissing her own sister o_O).

the ending scene was so unforgettable :) where she's standing in the river.
 

mandalay

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or are we talking about totally different things? lol
 

Sarah168

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Originally posted by mandalay
i watched 'the hours' a while ago. the movie was so beautiful... though there were a couple of really unecessary scenes (i.e. laura kissing kitty, and virginia kissing her own sister o_O).

the ending scene was so unforgettable :) where she's standing in the river.
the ending scene is the beginning scene ;)

Also, the kissing is NOT unnecessary. It is in the book and the issue runs deep within it, so naturally the movie had to follow through in that vein. The movie was beautifully filmed.

Im not a movie buff - far from it, but I have trouble finding flaws in it. I love. Great film.

About the other thing. Pm-ed you already
 

mandalay

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no, i meant the actual ending scene with her voice-over. i can't remember exactly what she said but it was something like "...we'll always have the years between us... and the hours". i watched the movie too long ago to remember it clearly :)

i know that homosexuality is a major thematic factor but with laura kissing kitty... it doesn't lead to anything else homosexual in laura's life. so it was somewhat pointless. except for that one scene, we don't see more of her sexual preference.

and we all know that virginia woolf was a lesbian... but that was her own sister. i don't know... maybe i was just grossed out.
 

Sarah168

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Its not pointless, the issue goes much deeper. It does not question Laura's homosexuality for the fun of it. An insinuation of homsexuality does not ALWAYS mean the person IS homosexual. I thought that was obvious.l

One of the great things about the book (and the movie as well i guess) is its ability to be subtle and delicate yet draw out all the issues it wants to raise and be able to accentuate it for the reader (and viewer). Not everything is smack bang in front of your face nor is it served up on a plate [i like speaking metaphorically today :p].
 

Gregor Samsa

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I read it last year. Great book, the first Woolf novel I read. [Since then, have also read To The Lighthouse and The Waves, also recommended.] Would ramble about it and Woolf's technique of removing the omniscient narrator in detail, but you know.. Its better to actually read the text. :)
 

super katie

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I loved Mrs Dalloway! It was absolutely gorgous. I found The Hours a bit... bland, I dont know but for once I liked the movie better than the book. The Hours the book was just so flat.
 

Sarah168

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Originally posted by super katie
I loved Mrs Dalloway! It was absolutely gorgous. I found The Hours a bit... bland, I dont know but for once I liked the movie better than the book. The Hours the book was just so flat.
:eek: I thought it was amazing! It was just so well written. It sounds weird but my entire writing style changed after reading that book :)
 

super katie

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hahaha it was clever the way all the stories linked and influenced each other but I just felt it lacked something, emotion or substance im not sure I cant quite put my finger on it but I saw the movie first and then read the book (which im incredibly ashamed of, I hate reading the book second) and was really disappointed in the book.
 

mandalay

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in regards to both 'Mrs Dalloway' and 'The Hours'... what do you think are the thematic concerns of each text (e.g. for 'The Hours': suicide, being unhappy with your life, homosexuality)...

are there any others?
 

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