The Hours by Michael Cunningham

I typically don’t read a book that has been made into a movie if I’ve already seen the movie, but I’m so glad I gave this one a chance. Cunningham's characterization is exquisite and his storyline is innovative and thought-provoking. It was amazing how he was able to communicate Virginia Woolf’s mindset while she was writing Mrs. Dalloway, and then link those themes with the stories of two other women: a 1950s housewife and a modern-day “Mrs. Dalloway” who is caring for a friend dying of AIDS. Cunningham’s style in this book is similar to Woolf’s in that he spends a lot of time in the minds of his characters, but for some reason it isn’t boring when he does it. Favorite Quotes:

“Venture too far for love, she tells herself, and you renounce the citizenship in the country you’ve made for yourself.”

“Here, then, is age. Here are the little consolations, the lamp and the book. Here is the world, increasingly managed by people who are not you; who will do either well or badly; who do not look at you when they pass you in the street.”