348. The Waves

The Waves
Virginia Woolf
1931

Around 325 pages

Virginia Woolf has officially gone full throttle with her experimentalism, making it harder and harder to grasp the thread of the story. She's still talented, but I don't find these later novels nearly as enjoyable as her early works.

The novel follows the reflections of six narrators, all of whom are based on characters in Woolf's life, including Vanessa Bell, T.S. Eliot, and E.M. Forster. I know all novels are auto-biographical to an extent, but does every character lately have to be based on an English author from the 30s? Apparently, yes.

Woolf blends poetry and prose, making something unique that is nearly incoherent and occasionally moving. Poor thing.

RATING: ***--

Interesting Facts:

In a 2015 poll conducted by BBC, The Waves was voted the 16th greatest British novel ever written.

UP NEXT: To the North by Elizabeth Bowen