This book was a solid 4 stars until it started drawing to a close. I was disappointed throughout the novel that the two female characters that are supposed to be contrasted rarely have any interactions of consequence. Mary is by far the most likable character in the novel, but really does not get much time devoted to her. And Katherine seems to change unexpectedly from beginning to end. And her love story makes no sense. I wish Woolf had just made her strongly independent and disinterested in love altogether. And then there’s Ralph, I don’t get what he’s supposed to be doing. He complains a lot and develops a DEEP obsession with Katherine but doesn’t really seem to like her nearly as much as he likes his imagined persona that he has dreamt up for her. Rodney is simple. He’s a bit selfish, a bit vain, but his motivations and actions are easy to understand and fit nicely with his character.

Overall could’ve been a lot better. Makes sense that this is one of Woolf’s first novels. It lacks finesse and shies away from a strong or meaningful statement about women (which is odd considering the central theme of women’s education and suffrage being woven throughout)