The Book Vipers discussion

Spoilers are allowed in this thread. Please unselect 'Add to my update feed' so other don't see your comments.
Things to consider:
1. Did you like the book?
2. Did you like or dislike the main characters?
3. Do the characters develop?
4. What did you think of the plot and the ending of the story?
5. Do you have any particular favourite quotes or scenes?
6. Would you read anything else by this author?

Ah, so the spoiler thread has no spoilers!

All I will say straight away, is that this whole stream of consciousness thing really isn't my bag. Too many books, too short a life. I will give it one more go and if I don't manage it, I will move on.

Finished yesterday, haven't had much time to post here. Will do later.

I'm with you Jo, I'm sure it's a very clever style but it is wearing me out!

I must admit reading 80 pages and giving up. I may get back to it at some point

Mixed feelings about this one, I didn't love the book, or really dislike it. The characters were vague, probably because of the way that you see the narrative unfold from stream of consciousness style of writing. Because of that I didn't feel that they was much in the way of development for each of the characters. As for the plot, it was quite floaty and ethereal; and the decade between the first encounter and the ending made it feel disjointed.

That said the writing was beautiful. She has an ability to convey a lot of atmosphere with scant number of words. I may yet try another, but not for a short while. Review here

Just finished this one. Like Paul, I found the plot and characters very unsubstantial. Unfortunately, I didn't like the writing much either. There were occasional flickers of beautiful imagery, usually when Woolf was using images from painting, but it just got lost in the torrents of the stream of consciousness.

I also found the way she attributes quite extreme emotional character to quite mundane actions to be bizarre and off putting, e.g. Someone is morally superior and noble ( or the opposite) because they walk or talk in a certain way.

Interesting, but just didn't appeal to me personally.

Just fishing around the t'internet for an audiobook as not getting on with text at all and I stumbled across this delight. Check out how young Kenneth Branagh is!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGfC-o5vGWI

I'm almost finished with the 2nd part. It sure went quicker once I passed the 1st bit -.- not my type of book>

Debbie wrote: "Just fishing around the t'internet for an audiobook as not getting on with text at all and I stumbled across this delight. Check out how young Kenneth Branagh is!!
www.youtube.com/watch?v=tGfC-o5vGWI"

Yes what a baby face!

I was tempted to put down this book. I can appreciate the poetry... to a point. A lot of it just felt unnecessary.
Had the book been any longer I may not have finished it.

I think a lot of people feel that way about the book. I really quite enjoyed the first part, but mainly I think that's because I was so prepared NOT to like it after reading Mrs Dalloway a couple of years ago. I wasn't so keen on the middle or last section and found those a bit tiresome to get through. I was disappointed that the story ended so vaguely, though not surprised!

I do plan on reading Orlando and The Waves later this year, of which I have higher hopes for Orlando. I'd recommend A Room of One's Own if anyone wants to try some of her writing that isn't a stream of consciousness.

I am reading A Room of One's Own this year for a non-fiction book in a challenge. I didn't much like To the Lighthouse or Mrs Dalloway, so I am glad ARoOO (funny acronym) will be different.

Yawn. Yawn. Yawn. Pretty much sums up my experience!

I really struggled with Mrs Dalloway last year. This is proving to be just as dull a read

And I am done....tedious. I am quite disappointed as I have always wanted to read Virginia Woolf. She is considered one of the greats. I still would like to read A room of one's own. However, I may wait a long, long while and hope for 3rd time lucky.

I forced myself to slog all the way through this book. I was dreading it before I started as I have to teach Woolf to my English students. The second second wasn't as awful as the first. That's the only positive thing I can find to write other than glad I'm done!

I had to make myself finish this book. It was my first book by Virginia Woolf and I wanted to see why she was such a famous author. I'm not in any hurry to read more of her books.