Mrs. Dalloway takes place over the course of a single day in a woman’s life in 1920’s London. There are flowers to buy, outfits to choose, but also a visit from a past lover, and the tragic fate of a young war veteran who cannot adjust to life in post-war London. Virginia Woolf’s supple and mesmerizing account of an ordinary day draws the reader into the minds, perceptions, and emotions of an astonishingly varied and vivid cast of characters. Woolf reminds us that each day, hour, and even minute of our lives harbors the potential to transform us and those around us. The novel ranks among those rare, timeless books that speak to us anew with each reading. Includes Woolf’s short story, “Mrs. Dalloway in Bond Street,” a uniquely insightful new afterword, and a detailed biographical timeline.

Virginia Woolf (1882–1941) ranks among the major literary figures of all time. With her novels, including To the Lighthouse, Mrs. Dalloway, and The Waves, she reinvented the art of story-telling and shaped modern culture’s self-understanding to the present day. In landmark essays, letters, and diaries, Woolf insisted on a woman’s right to tell her story on her own terms.