Stephen M’s review of To the Lighthouse > Likes and Comments

There's no internet at the new place so I've had to hike around to find free wifi to steal. Going out on a saturday night? What, you out to party bro? No, I'm trying to find internet so I can post my latest book review on goodreads.

This is a magnificent review of one of my favorite novels. Bravo, Stephen - much better use of a Saturday night than partying! (Although I'd stand you a few rounds in thanks if I could.) I particularly loved the way you discussed how Woolf's interest in thermodynamics is revealed in TTL. I think the instability of the human experience that she explores with such beauty and eloquence resonates with the experience of living in a chaotic world in the 21st century.

Oh, and gorgeous writing, Stephen: "The sights are bright and irritating; the sounds are cacophonous; and the emotional cues between each character, the ones that are often subtle and implicit in everyday interaction, are rendered as if each character holds equal parts pure malice and enthralling love that threatens to burst open at any second. I thought about highly sensitive people; I thought of those with autism that experience overwhelming intensity from their sensual perception. I thought of all of those that are under bombardment from the outer world, tingling in its euphoric highs and devastating lows. "

Thank you so much Kris! I've been reading through your quotes that you "liked" from this novel and already reliving the greatest parts of it. I almost wrote your name down as "recommended to" but I realized, of course, you've already covered it.

I am much looking forward to your thoughts on Naked Singularity. That one is on deck for me.

Excellent review Stephen, as always. My copy of Lighthouse suddenly seems to be glowing on my bookshelf...

Stephen M wrote: "Thank you so much Kris! I've been reading through your quotes that you "liked" from this novel and already reliving the greatest parts of it. I almost wrote your name down as "recommended to" but I..."

Oh my, I often feel like I am just beginning with Woolf. Someone to re-read again and again.

I'm hoping to get a review of ANS written tomorrow or shortly thereafter. The glowing reviews are justified imo - a fun, exhilarating, funny read with a lot to reflect on at the end. Can't wait to read your review of it! :)

Mary wrote: "Excellent review Stephen, as always. My copy of Lighthouse suddenly seems to be glowing on my bookshelf..."

Read it!!!!!!!
:)

Kris wrote: "Read it!!!!!!!
:)"

I'm getting Penky Panic again!!

Mary: Do it. Just read it. It's amazing.

Kris: After so many glowing reviews how can I possibly have it on my shelf unread?

It's an awesome book. One of my all-time favourites!

Great review, Stephen! You make me want to read this immediately.

Richard wrote: "Great review, Stephen! You make me want to read this immediately."

You should, Richard. You won't regret it. Virginia Woolf is an unforgettable experience in ALL her books. My personal favourite is The Waves, but I luv them all.

I second that Richard. This book is really something else. She had a beautiful way with words.

Thanks by the way!

Richard wrote: "Great review, Stephen! You make me want to read this immediately."

Do so! I third David and Stephen. Or second Stephen in seconding. Or something.

I'm bookmarking this to read when I finish the book,

I look forward to you finishing,

Kris wrote: "Richard wrote: "Great review, Stephen! You make me want to read this immediately."

Do so! I third David and Stephen. Or second Stephen in seconding. Or something."

Thanks for the seconding or thirding or whatever that was! :)

@ David and Stephen: Thanks for the first and second.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sShMA8...

Hang on, I thought Woolf was dreary, imagistic, ponderous pastoral drivel. YOU MEAN SHE'S NOT???

Oh, that you tie together Clarissa and the lighthouse! Oh that is so wonderful!

I tried to read this once....didn't do too many pages....I was not in the right frame of mind to handle it, at the time.....I put it back on the shelf ,mostly unread......but now I am excited once againn to give it a shot....Thanks!

WOW! Stephen, this is your best review ever. Amazing, amazing.

Gary/Tommie! You will not regret it. This book is unbelievably good.

Yo MJ, where you hear that?!? I smell the work of shameless contrarians behind a comment like that.

Gee, thanks so much Jason. I just hope you are enticed enough to join in reading this book. I can't wait for s.penk and Jenn's thoughts.

Oh, I will definitely read To the Lighthouse. It is just a matter of when.

Sweet man. Mrs. Dalloway feels like a warm-up in comparison. Although Mrs. D has her own thing going on, the prose really blows up on this one. It's frackin' amazing!

Also rereading this, there's so much more I want to talk about. But I shouldn't talk about everything and rob the surprises away from everyone who hasn't read it yet. I'll just say that the main-ish character Lily Briscoe is a painter and she is always trying to create still images out of all the chaos of the world. That's where the brunt of the tension of the continual change of the universe versus our experience of it is brought to bare. Also, she functions as a type of meta, self-reflection on the events in the novel. Her thoughts are some of the most profound.

Plus "time passes". I don't need to say anymore. Read it. Fall in love. Repeat.

Stephen M wrote: "Sweet man. Mrs. Dalloway feels like a warm-up in comparison. Although Mrs. D has her own thing going on, the prose really blows up on this one. It's frackin' amazing!

Also rereading this, there's ..."

:-)

It's hard to sound anything less than hyperbolic in puffing this review of yours, Stephen. Pretty incredible stuff, my friend.

If I'd had a highlighter on me, I'd have been underlining half your text just to enjoy it over and over again. One part I really liked was:

"I thought of all of those that are under bombardment from the outer world, tingling in its euphoric highs and devastating lows. For some, it may seem as though Woolf overly dramatizes experience, but what she really does is putts her character through life at its most intense and acute. The lives of the characters are so rich in emotion that dipping into their world, for mere pages at a time, is like taking a giant bump of the pure stuff, getting tweaked on all the unbelievable wonder that is conscious experience. I thought of Jeff Mangum’s infamous lyric, how strange it is to be anything at all."

I got off on the wrong foot with Mrs. D.. You've convinced me that this is the way back to the beauty and light of Woolf at her finest.

Ha, oh no "putts". Oh, jeeze.

But thank you Steve, as always. I'm not sure what the best book start off Woolf is, but I struggled with Mrs. D when I first read it (it was my first Woolf). Of course, I recommend this one. Talk about needing a highlighter. Woo, wee there are "quotable quotes" on nearly every page.

Steve, I wonder if you wouldn't enjoy Mrs. D a bit more if you gave her a second chance? I think Clarissa has the potential to knock your socks off.

Incredible review. I'm totally taking your recommendation and reading this! I think I'll make it my follow up to IJ which I'm starting next. But hearing you say it is one of the best you've read all year, and I've seen your reading list for the year, that is extremely high praise!

Thermodynamics in writting? Nice, hopefully more accessible than Pynchon's version of it.

Five stars just for this review! Grand work!

I'm in agreement with Stephen M. about this being the better Woolf. Dalloway was fine, it just wasn't THIS! Probably the third time I'm saying it, but I'll say it again... Virginia put so much more of herself into this novel. And I believe she grew leaps and bounds as a writer between the two novels. JMO

s.penkevich wrote: "Incredible review. I'm totally taking your recommendation and reading this! I think I'll make it my follow up to IJ which I'm starting next. But hearing you say it is one of the best you've read al..."

Repeating myself again, but I think you should read this before you jump into IJ. See, once you start IJ, you're going to get lost in the world of the Incandenza's and when you come out on the other end, you will be forever changed. And for a little while after you finish, everything else you read will seem trivial in comparison. Just my opinion!

Stephen: I wasn't going to point out "putts" since it was a Saturday night when you wrote it. :-) I see you've made the edit since then. The main point was always that this is one helluva review, even with typos.

Jason: You may be right about Clarissa. After reading all the insightful GR reviews, yours among them, I'd know more of what to look for. Maybe I'll circle back to it after this one here that Stephen, Kris, (ifer) et al are now insisting we read.

S.penk, I'm so glad you found this review! Ha, I was wondering when you were going to find it. But, I might be in agreement with Jenn. I mean I don't want to push you too much in one direction or another. I'll be happy with either. IJ is a monster, so you will forget about everything else while reading it. But it's also the best book ever, so I wouldn't mind at all.

Hey Jason, I would definitely like to reread Mrs. D.. I know that it's worth me giving another shot. It probably wouldn't be for a while though. I have too many things to read to be rereading right now. I will also echo Jenn with the sentiment that this book is on a whole other level.

I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess.

Stephen M wrote: "I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess."

I would'nt sweat it, Stephan. If your submiting it too a journal, thats one thing, but your among freinds hear.

Stephen M wrote: "I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess."

i.e. human :)

Steve wrote: "Stephen M wrote: "I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess."

would'nt sweat it, Stephan. If your submiting it too a journal, thats one thing, but your among freinds hear. "

Ha!

Stephen M wrote: "Jason: You may be right about Clarissa. After reading all the insightful GR reviews, yours among them, I'd know more of what to look for. Maybe I'll circle back to it after this one here that Stephen, Kris, (ifer) et al are now insisting we read. "

I love Mrs. D. too, so I second Jason on revisiting it. Jenn and Stephen are right, though - TTL is on a whole different level.

Steve wrote: "Stephen M wrote: "I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess."

I would'nt sweat it, Ste..."

Oh, thank god, that maks me so relief, now i wolt think abut any of that seuff anymor. your a gret guy.

Stephen M wrote: "Steve wrote: "Stephen M wrote: "I have resigned myself to the fact that no matter how many times I reread a review there'll still be typos. I'm just that kind of person/writer I guess."

I would'nt..."

Now it looks like you are on the verge of channeling Nathan's Finnegan's Wake updates.

http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/...

I had to indulge myself on a recent update.

Stephen M wrote: "http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/...

I had to indulge myself on a recent update."

That is priceless.

I wonder if FW will start to change Nathan's prose.

omg that is crazy. Why is that man typing like that?

Who knows? Joyce can do strange things to one's head. I'm already tempted to make up my own words when unable to think of the proper one or use the words "parallax" and "sublunary".

Jason wrote: "omg that is crazy. Why is that man typing like that?"

Beconing he is to the retelle of the endershinen and that olde tiem in a faraway placated. Tickling 'em in the yonder sonnes, y hath en the ramme and the funnies it makin.

Translation:
It's fun!!!! lolz!!!!

Stephen M wrote: "http://www.goodreads.com/user_status/...

I had to indulge myself on a recent update."

FWunny, in a FWucked up kind of way.

Jenn(ifer) wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Incredible review. I'm totally taking your recommendation and reading this! I think I'll make it my follow up to IJ which I'm starting next. But hearing you say it is one of the..."

True. I had a book exchange with my sister so I'm going to try and finish Life of Pi from her in the next week and a half, so if you wouldn't mind pushing IJ back a bit?

Stephen M wrote: "Jason wrote: "omg that is crazy. Why is that man typing like that?"

Beconing he is to the retelle of the endershinen and that olde tiem in a faraway placated. Tickling 'em in the yonder sonnes, y ..."

That is awesome, Stephen. You speak Finneganian.

Stephen M wrote: "S.penk, I'm so glad you found this review! Ha, I was wondering when you were going to find it. But, I might be in agreement with Jenn. I mean I don't want to push you too much in one direction or a..."

Yeah sorry, I did most of my Goodreading on the ole iPod this weekend, and trying to go through recent updates with that is troublesome, I went to your profile this morning to make sure I didn't miss anything good ha. This review really sells it, I'm going to see if I can squeeze this in!

I was thinking of buying Finnegans Wake just to complete the Joyce collection on my shelf. I probably wouldn't read it. I'd just pull it off the shelf, admire the binding and put it back in its place.

s.penkevich wrote: "Jenn(ifer) wrote: "s.penkevich wrote: "Incredible review. I'm totally taking your recommendation and reading this! I think I'll make it my follow up to IJ which I'm starting next. But hearing you s..."

For 'To the Lighthouse,' yes. For 'Life of Pi,' NO!