Mrs Dalloway by Virginia Woolf
“The War was over - thank Heaven – over.”
Setting/Time Period: London,1923. Morning. The opening of Virginia Woolf's classic novel which takes place over a single June day.
Why is Mrs Dalloway ‘modernist’? Like James Joyce, Virginia Woolf tried to describe the interior life of her characters.
We learn about Mrs Dalloway from her thoughts and those of others she meet.
Who is Mrs Dalloway? A 52-year-old wealthy woman married to an MP. That evening will be hosting a society party at her London townhouse.
Several guests she has known for many decades. As she makes preparations, we follow her stream of consciousness.
Text/transcript - with notes
Read by Sian Phillips. Illustration by Zoë Barker. Full BBC version available until January 2027 here:
Original text abridged for audio by Kieran McGovern. No words have been changed but passages have been shortened