WELL, get ready to have that exact same reaction approximately 15,000 more times! And also for any writing you do to pick up a *lot* of em-dashes and metaphors and loneliness.
With the caveat of being a comparative Woolf newbie as well: I read Mrs. Dalloway first, which is usually recommended as a starting point, and one I echo. It's a more refined Woolf than her first novels, but not nearly as stylized/ambitious as Waves (which I would, incidentally, *not* recommend as a starting point). I think the main thing to keep in mind is actually that Woolf requires work to read. Not note taking (although I do that, too), it just is both emotionally and intellectually strenuous, and (for me, at first) it felt like I couldn't quite get access to the narrative flow unless I really committed. At the same time, don't worry, you're not going to get everything on the first read through, and it will still be a deeply felt experience of living.
Regardless, please let me know how it goes when/if you dive in!!!
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With the caveat of being a comparative Woolf newbie as well: I read Mrs. Dalloway first, which is usually recommended as a starting point, and one I echo. It's a more refined Woolf than her first novels, but not nearly as stylized/ambitious as Waves (which I would, incidentally, *not* recommend as a starting point). I think the main thing to keep in mind is actually that Woolf requires work to read. Not note taking (although I do that, too), it just is both emotionally and intellectually strenuous, and (for me, at first) it felt like I couldn't quite get access to the narrative flow unless I really committed. At the same time, don't worry, you're not going to get everything on the first read through, and it will still be a deeply felt experience of living.
Regardless, please let me know how it goes when/if you dive in!!!