To The Lighthouse is a novel which is more a walk into the psyche of people rather than a walk into the lives of people portrayed in the work. Virginia Woolf was known (and continues to be known even after her death) for her minute portrayals of the thoughts of her characters and she focused more on the momentary happenings rather than the long-term visions like the typical Victorian authors did most often. Her work To The Lighthouse tells the tale of the Ramsays and it adds further to it by the inclusion of a complex character of Lily Briscoe.
‘The Painting’ which remains unclear throughout and comes to life only at the end of the novel is by far the best thing I ever remember about the work. The lighthouse is certainly a symbol of destination and the denials and turmoil which emerge throughout the novel are nothing but the nature of life which are there, most often. People keep dying; plans keep coming; we keep denying; we think someday it might happen; it finally happens.
Lily Briscoe completes her portrayal of Mr and Mrs Ramsay and she thinks that now it’s done. What’s done? What does she understand? Virginia Woolf and her one of the best-known works, To The Lighthouse, are strange if put together. The clouds of doubt, however, uncover when you realise what the author has been trying to disclose to her readers – the complexity that human life has.
To The Lighthouse is a powerful novel attempted by Woolf but it somehow lacks something which could appeal to the common readers or has been left wanting because it is not meant for the common readers at all! If you want to read this novel and enjoy the treat to your reading nerves, you should be prepared for the bizarre and somewhat unusual circumstances that you rarely find in the novels of the modern era (the era that we live in). This is something which will leave you in awe and wonder. If you fail to decipher the message, you are the one to be blamed! So, read this piece carefully and only if you are fully convinced of what you are doing. Don’t begin To The Lighthouse if you are going to leave it in between; you will lose the sleep of your nights!
Happy reading! You can get a copy of Virginia’s To The Lighthouse from the Amazon link below:
By Satyam