Woolf is an embarrassing literary blindspot for me so I am glad to have finally rectified that! I generally opt for realist/naturalist novels so it was a nice challenge to tackle one of her most experimental works. Having six different streams of consciousness intertwined is difficult to follow but makes for one of the most unique reading experiences I've ever had.

I do genuinely think Woolf has captured a feeling of collective consciousness to a large extent here. I love the way the dialogue blends together and how we go through different stages where the characters feel very distinct and stages where it is difficult to disentangle them. I love the repetition of prose fragments too such as Neville's initial encounter with death in his youth constantly resurfacing. I related most to Neville and Rhoda throughout, but all of the characters were interesting. I don't really like the split personality interpretation of this book, but I do think that parts of ourselves are recognizable in other people and this book uses that as a connecting thread.

The prose is immaculate, but the ideas explored are also well developed. The critique of the imperialist British impulse comes through the strongest I think with the centrality of Percival's character throughout. I also found the shift to solely focusing on Bernard's perspective to be a rather bleak conclusion. Almost an admittance that despite trying to tap into a collective consciousness ultimately we return to the individual and face our mortality alone; left only with the imprecise narratives we construct about the minds of others.