Ten minutes to write. Less time to read.

I belong to two book clubs, the 4B and the GBC.  The former is an abbreviation for Broads and Books Beyond Belief, while the latter stands for the Great Book Club. It’s the GBC that’s reading Mrs. Dalloway by Virginia Woolf.

And it’s a challenge . . .

I’ve started the book three times and have decided I must read it in the morning while my mind is uncluttered.  I’ve also done some peripheral reading about Mrs. Woolf, her writing and her times. It’s helped.

On the surface, Mrs.Dalloway is about one day in the life of Clarissa Dalloway, who is preparing for a party on a June evening in 1922. The setting is post World War I England, and the book weaves back and forth in a variety of flashbacks to broaden the story beyond the day of the party. It’s also about serious issues like mental illness, feminism, and life after the war.

Not only did I read about the author, but I also read about reaction to the book, and why it’s considered one of Woolf’s best works.  In fact, there is so much on the Internet about Virginia and Clarissa that I’m not sure our GBC can add anything different or significant, other than to learn why the member chose this book in the first place.

I have my opinions already.