To the Lighthouse / The Waves

Columbia Critical Guides

by Jane Goldman (Editor)

Two of Virginia Woolf´s most influential works, and reveal the quintessence of her experimentation with narrative technique in depicting the passage of time and the nature of human consciousness. This guide includes an outline of the critical reception of Woolf´s work—placing these two texts in the context of her oeuvre—as well as extracts from her own writing on these novels and an exploration of the birth of "Woolf studies" in the mid-twentieth century.

Genres: Classics, Fiction

192 pages, Paperback

First published January 6, 1999

Reviews

[Sir He-Man · Rating 5 out of 5]

I couldn't find just To the Lighthouse listed anywhere here, so I'll just say Virginia Woolf is amazing. One of the best authors of the 20th century and a pure joy to read. I look forward to reading the Waves very much.

[Jo · Rating 4 out of 5]

Having studied this at degree level it was nice to just listen to Nicole Kidman’s relaxed narration and not have to deconstruct anything!

[Maria]

TO the Lighthouse is a keystone book. I find something new and the meaning changes for me each time I read it. They say each person describes the Mona Lisa as they see themselves. I believe this piece does the same for the intrinsic values one has, for the soul.

[Toni · Rating 3 out of 5]

I only read To the Lighthouse. I didn't like it as much as I thought I would. Interesting technique.

[Susan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was very glad to be rereading this work. The story is carried along by the characters' internal thoughts. It is the prose descriptions of those thoughts which are brilliant.

[Jesse · Rating 4 out of 5]

For a (relatively brief) introduction to key critical/theoretical perspectives on these two texts, this is a pretty nifty little compilation, nicely selected and arranged by Goldman.