(I know some books can have a writing style that will differ a lot to what readers of predominantly modern literature will be used to today)
I’m only through the first chapter and finding it incredibly confusing. The way characters are introduced, discussed and interact is not very clear to me and the descriptions of things going around her is not very clear either.
Let’s look at this segment:
No doubt they were not all bound on errands of happiness. There is much more to be said about us than that we walk the streets of Westminster. Big Ben too is nothing but steel rods consumed by rust were it not for the care of H. M.‘s Office of Works. Only for Mrs. Dalloway the moment was complete; for Mrs. Dalloway June was fresh. A happy childhood, and it was not to his daughters only that Justin Parry had seemed a fine fellow (weak of course on the Bench); flowers at evening, smoke rising; the caw of rooks falling from ever so high, down through the October air, there is nothing to take the place of childhood. A leaf of mint brings it back; or a cup with a blue ring. Poor little wretches, she sighed, and pressed forward. Oh, right under the horses’ noses, you little demon! and there she was left on the curb stretching her hand out, while Jimmy Dawes grinned on the further side.
She’s going along the street to buy gloves but then starts talking about Justin Perry? Who is he? And then Jimmy Dawes, who is that? One paragraph later Hugh Whitbread starts a dialogue with her. Between this Scope Purvis is also introduced as well as Mrs Foxcroft. These characters are not discussed any more other than their names and one line on what they are currently doing/ have done.
I don’t even know anything about Mrs Dalloway, not even her first name yet, and now I’m thinking about all these other characters.
Also what’s the right under the horse nose part? Did she nearly get hit by a horse? Why would that leave your hand stretching out?
And we have this:
“Milly?” said Mrs. Dalloway, instantly compassionate.
“Out of sorts,” said Hugh Whitbread. “That sort of thing. Dick all right?”
“First rate!” said Clarissa.
At first I thought Clarissa was a third character chiming into the conversation I only realised later Clarissa is Mrs Dalloway! Lol
Is it something I can just persevere with and I’ll get used to it / it makes more sense as it goes, or is the book known to be harder to read than average?
No, it’s not easy, but totally worth it. Read a synopsis and stick with it. It’s not long and you’ll figure it out with a little work. Literature on that level just takes more work and not everything is always clear. Woolf spent a long time studying how her own thoughts worked, taking notes on how ideas flashed through her head, then tried to capture it. To the Lighthouse is also wonderful and maybe a little easier to follow.
it will definitely make more sense as you continue
however I DNFd it cause i really couldn’t care about any of it so don’t feel bad if it’s not for you… :-)
You’d be better served when reading Woolf and other modernists to not try and “translate” every single sentence into everyday English. Just read it and get the general gist and follow the flow, you’ll figure out what’s going on eventually (probably).
Alternatively, finish the actual chapter then look up a study guide.
Woolf is generally considered hard to read other than Orlando, I’m not sure how you miss that detail given how easy it is to google “is Woolf hard to read” but she’s not impossible. You’re getting stuck on irrelevant details here. Not everything that’s written is going to be a monumental revelation.
Justin Parry is her father. It’s talking about her childhood, then names him and talks about his daughters.
My strategy when I come up against great writers who initially stump me is to persevere. While I may not particularly enjoy that first read, over time the work does some magic and I’m compelled to read it again, this time with a better understanding of what I’m getting into.
It’s okay to set a book aside and come back to it but for me I’d rather push through and let it work on my brain in the background. One of my first tough classics was Beloved and I’m eagerly anticipating a reread.
Also, there’s no shame in checking out chapter summaries to guide you along.