Average Bufph Rating: 5.0 / 5.0
Michael Cunningham
2000-01-15
The Pulitzer Prize-winning novel that became a motion picture starring Meryl Streep, Julianne Moore, and Nicole Kidman, directed by Stephen Daldry from a screenplay by David Hare.
In The Hours, Michael Cunningham, widely praised as one of the most gifted writers of his generation, draws inventively on the life and work of Virginia Woolf to tell the story of a group of contemporary characters struggling with the conflicting claims of love and inheritance, hope and despair. The narrative of Woolf's last days before her suicide early in World War II counterpoints the fictional stories of Samuel, a famous poet whose life has been shadowed by his talented and troubled mother, and his lifelong friend Clarissa, who strives to forge a balanced and rewarding life in spite of the demands of friends, lovers, and family.
Passionate, profound, and deeply moving, this is Cunningham's most remarkable achievement to date.
Cunningham's narrative is a poignant exploration of the interconnectedness of women's lives across different eras. The novel's structure, mirroring Virginia Woolf's 'Mrs. Dalloway,' is a testament to Cunningham's literary craftsmanship. The interweaving of the characters' stories creates a rich tapestry that is both intellectually stimulating and emotionally resonant. The novel's examination of identity, time, and the search for meaning is rendered with a poetic sensibility that is both captivating and profound. A work that invites the reader to reflect on the complexities of human experience.
