THE VOYAGE OUT

What does this novel have in common with the Seinfeld TV show? The show and the novel are about nothing. The novel and show are concerned with the trivialities of daily life. If you loved the Seinfeld show, you will love this novel. Virginia Woolf’s brilliant novel focuses on the upper middle class of Edwardian life in Great Britain. The voices for Woolf’s opinions are the passengers aboard a steamer heading to South America and the residents of the villa and hotel on the island of Santa Marina. They experience each other’s stances and persuasions in these three venues. They discuss art, politics, poetry, love, novels and education. Woolf’s novel has numerous characters, which is normally a no-no (so says Cormac McCarthy), but really has four main individuals (which is superb). If you read this novel carefully, you will learn how the Edwardians thought politically and socially. The novel was set in that period but not published until 1915 (The Edwardian period was between 1901-1910). Did I like this novel? Yes, but the reader must be attuned to dry prose and humor, similar to the British Public Television shows many people view with delight. Woolf’s work includes wonderful descriptive writing and long paragraphs (typical for the time frame). This was her first novel and only one written in a narrative fashion. She was influenced by the works of William Shakespeare, James Joyce and Marcel Proust. Wow, what a  threesome. Let’s talk about the story and plot (is there a plot?).
 
The novel opens with our protagonist, Rachel Vinrace, sailing on one of her father’s ten ships, The Euphrosyne (how do you pronounce that?) to South America. Rachel is 24 years old, but since her mother died when she was eleven, she has learned little about life and love (the birds and the bees included). She lives in Richmond, England with her aunts and ship owner dad, Willoughby. Her seldom seen aunt Helen Ambrose (2nd main character) and uncle Ridley (who spends his time editing the Greek poet Pindar) arrive on the ship. Aunt Helen’s brother owns a villa on Santa Marina island and Captain Vinrace will drop them off for an extended stay. When the Ambroses come aboard, they dine with Rachel, William Pepper (a Cambridge friend of Ridley Ambrose) and Willoughby Vinrace, Helen’s brother-in-law and Rachel’s father. What’s the beautiful Helen’s impression of the diners? “Pepper was a bore; Rachel was an unlicked girl, no doubt prolific of confidences, the very first of which would be: You see, I don’t get on with my father. Willoughby, as usual, loved his business and built his empire, and between them all she would be considerably bored.” Later on the trip, Willoughby picks up Mr. and Mrs. Dalloway stranded in Lisbon, Portugal. By the way, the Dalloways will be featured in several future Woolf novels including the the successful 1925 novel Mrs. Dalloway.  On page 44, Clarissa Dalloway writes a letter after she says, “'Good-night-good-night! She said. 'Oh, I know my way - do pray for calm! Good-night!'”

Here is part of Mrs. Dalloway’s letter: “Picture us, my dear, afloat in the very oddest ship you can imagine. It’s not the ship, so much as the people...How long they’ve all been shut up in this ship I don’t know - years and years I should say...They talk about art, and think us such poops for dressing in the evening...then there’s a nice girl - poor thing - I wish one could rake her out before it’s too late...Oh, I’d forgotten, there’s a dreadful little thing called Pepper...It’s a pity, sometimes, one can’t treat people like dogs!” I only quote this passage so you can get the flavor of Virginia Woolf’s outstanding prose. Later, Mr. Dalloway kisses Rachel in her room and utters, “You tempt me, he said. The tone of his voice was terrifying. He seemed choked in fright. They were both trembling. Rachel stood up and went.” Was this Rachel’s first kiss? Most likely. The Dalloways get off the ship (we don’t see them again in this novel). Don’t panic, I’m only up to page 71 in a 363 page novel. Aunt Helen convinces Rachel to get off of the ship at Santa Marina island and stay at her seaside villa instead of going all the way to the Amazon with her father. At the villa, Helen offers to teach Rachel life experiences. Helen tries to enlighten Rachel about the birds and the bees. In the evening, Helen and Rachel take a walk to the hotel down the street. There (unobserved), they see the guests that will become central characters in this dry satire. The novel introduces the reader to the other two main characters: Terence Hewet, a London writer, and the extroverted St. John Hirst, a would be lawyer or Cambridge genius.

The ensuing pages merge the activities of the hotel guests with Helen Ambrose and Rachel of the villa. Many witty situations occur during the ensuing pages, such as getting mail from Great Britain…”Moreover, when the mail had been distributed half an hour ago there were no letters for either of the two young men (Hewet and Hirst). As every other person, practically, had received two or three plump letters from England, which they were now engaged in reading, this seemed hard, and prompted Hirst to make the caustic remark that the animals had been fed.”  Normally this would put me to sleep. But remember, this story is about nothing. Later two couples get engaged during the months to follow (I’m not telling who), six of the hotel/villa residents hire a steamer to go down the river to see the natives in their camps, but then, the novel takes a tragic turn. When they get back to the hotel/villa...someone will die. Who? I’m not telling. I think Woolf’s writing style will put some readers to sleep. I stayed wide awake since I enjoyed her panache. Why, I don’t know since similar novels have put me to sleep. It could be that I’m on a quest to read at least one novel from what I think are important novelist. Virginia Woolf definitely fits that category. I would highly recommend this life experience novel.

RATING: 5 out of 5 stars

Comment: Since Virginia Woolf’s story of a voyage occurred just before WWI, I was wondering if Katherine Anne Porter got the idea for her book from Woolf’s classic. Porter’s novel, Ship of Fools occurs just before WWII. Amazon.com says, “The story takes place in the summer of 1931, on board a cruise ship bound for Germany. Passengers include a Spanish noblewoman, a drunken German lawyer, an American divorcee, a pair of Mexican Catholic priest. This ship of fools is a crucible of intense experience, out of which everyone emerges forever changed. Rich in incident, passion, and treachery, the novel explores themes of nationalism, culture and ethnic pride, and basic human frailty that are as relevant today as they were when the book was first published in 1962.

Now for the sad news. Virginia Woolf suffered from a mental illness now known as bipolar disorder. The beginning of the Barnes and Noble Classic that I read gives year by year highlights of her life.

“1939 - On September 3, Britain and France declare war on Germany. Living mostly in Rodmell (England), Leonard (her husband) and Virginia make a plan to commit suicide in the event of an invasion.”

“1941 - On March 28, after writing a note to her husband, Virginia Woolf fills her pockets with stones and drowns herself in the River Ouse. Between the Acts is published posthumously.”
So sad.