THE HOURS
by Michael Cunningham
Reviewed by Dorothy Rainier, Friday Morning Book Group
 (February
6, 2004) The Hours, winner of the 1999 Pulitzer Prize
for fiction, tells three separate but parallel stories, each
focusing on one woman during the course of one significant
day. One story involves Virginia Woolf, as she begins to write
Mrs. Dalloway and struggles with her
choices as a writer and with her own mental illness. Another
centers on Laura Brown, a Los Angeles housewife in 1949, who
is reading Mrs. Dalloway and facing conflict in her
roles as wife and mother. The third major character Clarissa
Vaughan, a present-day book editor, is organizing a party
for her friend Richard, who is suffering from AIDS-related
dementia.
Our discussion
was a lively one. A major theme was parent-child relationships,
demonstrated by Laura's inability to come to terms with her
role and her use of using reading as an escape and as part
of a search for answers. The connection between mental illness
and creativity was also discussed, as were the factors influencing
sexual orientation.
Some found the interwoven stories confusing and the characters
unsympathetic and difficult to differentiate. We agreed that
one's appreciation of the novel was enhanced by reading Mrs.
Dalloway. Seeing the recent movie also added to one's
understanding of the various people and events in the book.
Most considered The Hours a cleverly constructed homage
to Virginia Woolf in which themes and incidents from her book
were recast, retold and shuffled around. It centered on "perfect
moments" in people's lives and caused us to wonder whether
such moments are significant to all of us. Several of us wanted
to learn more about Virginia Woolf, enjoyed the vivid descriptions
of sensory experiences, and felt that the writer helped to
broaden our understanding of the nature of love.
FROM THE EDITORS: We'd love to hear from other Larchmont
readers. Take the Book poll and add your
comments.
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