Mrs. DallowayMrs. Dalloway
Score Classic
What it's about
On a June day in 1923, Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a politician, walks through London buying flowers for the party she's giving that night. The novel moves through her thoughts, her memories of the man she didn't marry, who has just returned from India, and through the minds of others in the city, including Septimus Smith, a young veteran shattered by the war.
Why it's worth reading
It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and the Bokklubben list of the greatest books. Woolf follows the flow of thought like no one before her.
You'll love it if you liked
To the Lighthouse
The Hours
UlyssesGood to know
There's little plot; it moves from mind to mind. Septimus's story includes mental illness and suicide.
By the numbers
- Readers7 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics91 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller31 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving
More by Virginia Woolf
A Room of One's OwnTo the LighthouseIf you like this, read next
The Color Purple
The Caine Mutiny
East of Eden
I, Claudius
Angle of Repose
The Winds of WarExplore the best-of lists
All 36 best-of lists →
Quick answers
Is Mrs. Dalloway worth reading?
Yes. It's on TIME's list of the 100 best novels and the Bokklubben list of the greatest books. It ranks #1,548 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 67.8 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is Mrs. Dalloway about?
On a June day in 1923, Clarissa Dalloway, the wife of a politician, walks through London buying flowers for the party she's giving that night. The novel moves through her thoughts, her memories of the man she didn't marry, who has just returned from India, and through the minds of others in the city, including Septimus Smith, a young veteran shattered by the war.
How long does it take to read Mrs. Dalloway?
About 6 hours (232 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What should I read after Mrs. Dalloway?
If you liked it, try To the Lighthouse by Virginia Woolf, The Hours by Michael Cunningham or Ulysses by James Joyce.