the hours by michael cunningham sparknotes

The darker side of Mrs Dalloway is also reflected in the characters as they deal with and seriously consider suicide. Laura, too, is also preparing for a party. In the plot of the book, Clarissa leaves her apartment in the morning to go to buy flowers for a party she is throwing, which is exactly the way in which readers of 'Mrs Dalloway' meet Woolf's heroine. To a certain degree the lives of Virginia, Laura and Clarissa are allegories of the story of Mrs Dalloway this is most true for Clarissa, who, apart from sharing the same first name as the eponymous character in Virginia's book, was also nicknamed 'Mrs Dalloway' by her ex-husband because he could see similarities between the two. We are thankful for their contributions and encourage you to make your own. I recommend clicking on the 'Hear Sample' link to be sure you won't mind spending over six hours with his voice.These notes were contributed by members of the GradeSaver community.

As such, his voice is a little unusual, but not necessarily unpleasant. He's not the typical professional voice-over artist that we usually expect to hear from audiobooks. Finally, please note that the author serves as the reader of this audiobook. Dalloway' is helpful (though not required) for enjoying some of the nuances of this novel. Additionally, familiarity with Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Most of this book is about internal thought processes, not external displays of raw emotion. Incidentally, if you've seen the film adaptation of this novel, don't expect the huge emotional outbursts that the filmmakers felt so compelled to insert. But if you enjoy skillfully constructed prose and don't mind a book where very little happens (at least in plot terms), then you'll be in for a treat.

This doesn't exactly make for the most 'exciting' listening. Expect to hear extended interior contemplations of things as mundane as buying flowers and baking a cake. Instead, what you get is mostly the inner thoughts of three very fascinating women in very different circumstances. The plot is the least important element of this book and as such, is very slight. If you are such a listener, then this book is definitely not for you. Most audiobook listeners prefer a strong plot or at least some sort of clear linear thread to pull them through long hours of commuting. All this said, The Hours is still somewhat difficult to recommend.

Even better, he is very skilled at created fully realized characters (a *very* refreshing change from most best-selling fiction). Although he veers into over-writing at times (not unusual for a newer, over-enthusiastic novelist), author Michael Cunningham clearly has a way with the English language. Compared to many best-sellers, this book actually displays literary prowess by its author.

The hours by michael cunningham sparknotes