The Hours

"The Hours" by Michael Cunningham is the first novel I've chosen to read for my Pulitzer list. I chose this book for several reasons. First, I seem to be reading books written from multiple narrators and this one is from the perspective of three different women in three different time periods. So this book seemed to fit my current "taste" in literature. Second, it has been made into a movie and I'm all about reading books and watching the movies. Not that I've ever liked a movie better than a book...but it's fun to see how someone else chose to bring the story alive. And lastly because the entire book takes place in one day. I am intrigued to see how the author plays out the connections between the three ladies and this one day in their lives.

So what is this book all about? Well the back cover states:

The Hours is the story of three women: Clarissa Vaughan, who one New York morning goes about planning a party in honor of a beloved friend; Laura Brown, who in a 1950's Los Angeles suburb slowly begins to feel the constraints of a perfect family and home; and Virginia Woolf, recuperating with her husband in a London suburb, and beginning to write "Mrs. Dalloway". By the end of the novel, the stories have intertwined, and finally come together in an act of subtle and haunting grace.

And what did I think of this book?

Well...throughout the book I am a tad disappointed. While all the stories are beautifully intertwined with one another, overlapping in the most detailed of ways I felt that the book was a little like a Seinfeld episode...totally about nothing at all. Now there will be people who argue that the theme of the book is about women taking control of their lives despite the daily struggles that life brings...or something along those lines...but I felt like I kept waiting for the climax only to be let down.

The ending was the novel's saving grace. I did enjoy seeing how Cunningham brought all three stories together. Although in hindsight, if I were truly paying attention during the book, I probably should have guessed how the story would end. I guess I need to get used to reading into a story, not just hitching a ride along with the characters. I think I've been reading too much Twilight and Harry Potter...maybe I can't keep up with a book that is written with deeper themes and messages. Well we'll see what this Pulitzer journey brings...maybe I will find my "reading" self again.

Has anyone read this book or has anyone seen the movie? What were your thoughts? I'm going to Netflix the movie next and watch it.