Night and Day

By: Virginia Woolf

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Written before she began her experiments in the writing of fiction, Virginia Woolf's second novel, Night and Day, is a story about a group of young people trying to discover what it means to fall in love. It asks all the big questions: What does it mean to fall in love? Does marriage grant happiness? What is happiness? Night and Day is a conventional novel; however, it maps out for us the world of Virginia Woolf in its wondrous prose: For her it was the beginning, leading on to a prolonged engagement with her search for the means to express the "inner life".

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"After all, what is love?"

Should we be dependent on whatever affections other people offer us? Or, shall we think our minds so as to figure out what feelings do we have for them? "After all, what is love?". These questions and more are lingering in the long pages of Woolf's novel, Night and Day. Not only is she able to provide her reader with a vivid description of the busy life of middle-classed individuals living in Victorian London, but she also delves deep into the inner world of her characters so that she could analyze their emotional conflicts. Katherine, Mary, William and Ralph each is trying to rejuvenate the meaning of love and to attach that meaning to what s/he perceives as " reality". Woolf's style leaves the reader amazed, if not puzzled, at her skillful depiction of the wide range of emotions human beings are capable of possessing.

Narration

While the story dragged on a little in this particular book, this only meant there was more of Juliet Stevens' beautiful narration to hear, so I was disappointed when it was over.

Excellent narration, beautiful writing

Ms. Juliet Stevenson is amazing in her narration, on par with her other readings. Virginia Woolf's 2nd book is a work of art in her prose - beautiful sentence structure and wonderfully descriptive word choices which flow smoothly off the veteran reader's tongue. The story line however is strained with repetitive passages of the characters' "decisions" and unrealistic class depictions.

Beautiful story and narration

Woolf's beautiful and intricate descriptions of the inner feelings. Two strong women, so different yet so similar. I resonated with both of them. Their way of thinking was definitely unconventional at the time the story was written.

Narration was beautifully done, tones right for the different occasions, puts the story in the right mood.

Wonderfully narrated

I thoroughly enjoyed the narration. The story explores the difficulty of finding love at a time when societal changes affect people's roles within the society.

Wonderful novel, wonderful narrator

Juliet Stevenson performs this novel brilliantly, finding an appropriate voice and manner for each of Woolf's characters. Not as well known as VW's later works, this novel deserves a wider audience.

Great Narration!!

The performance on this one was unbelievable. One of the best narrators I’ve ever heard.