The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway

"Mrs. Dalloway said she would buy the flowers herself." So begins Virginia Woolf's much-beloved fourth novel. First published in 1925, Mrs. Dalloway has long been considered Woolf's masterpiece. A pivotal work of literary modernism, its simple plot-centered on an upper-class Londoner preparing to give a party-is complicated by Woolf's satire of the English social system. For decades, Woolf's rapturous style and vision of individual consciousness have challenged and inspired readers, novelists, and scholars alike. In this annotated volume based on the original British edition, acclaimed essayist and Oxford don Merve Emre mines Woolf's diaries and notes on writing to take us into the making of Mrs. Dalloway, revealing the novel's artistry and astonishing originality. Alongside her generous commentary, Emre offers hundreds of illustrations and little-known photographs from Woolf's life. The result is not only an essential volume for students and Woolf devotees, but an incomparable gift to all lovers of literature.

“"For those seeking a deeper understanding of Woolf's masterpiece, [The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway] is indispensable. Emre is a brilliant guide."”

"[An] amazing, illustrated annotated edition… Unlike a lot of these books where you have to flick to the back or there are interrupting footnotes at the bottom, this is very usable, very navigable." -- Leo Robson, Summer reading round up - BBC Radio 4 Open Book
"[Emre’s] introduction combines personal testimony about her relationship to the novel—she is so devoted that she retyped Woolf’s manuscript for this edition—with deep research into its genesis... if you can read the novel a little more analytically, if you seek instruction on how it works and why, then this new edition will tell you all that you wish to know... Among its many illustrations, it includes a selection of maps, tracing the paths that Clarissa, Septimus and the other characters might have walked that day in 1923. The next time I’m in London with a few hours to spare, this is the Mrs. Dalloway for me." -- Jeremy McCarter - The Wall Street Journal
"The Annotated Mrs Dalloway is timely… Emre finds Woolf’s life surfacing everywhere. Woolf’s thoughts, and her self, are irrepressible... Emre has created a kaleidoscope of revealing and illuminating images." -- Henry Oliver - UnHerd
"Each edition has its own magnificence… Emre’s edition is a seminar, a reading experience masterfully directed by a warm voice urging attention and suggesting interpretation... As more Woolf books emerge from copyright, we can expect many more editions. I hope that they are as consistent in purpose and as pleasant to explore as Fernald’s and Emre’s... Emre, unlike Fernald, is not a Woolf scholar, but she is something else well suited to the task: a storyteller." -- Emily Kopley - Times Literary Supplement

Merve Emre is an associate professor of English at the University of Oxford and the author of several books, including The Personality Brokers. Virginia Woolf (1882-1941) was the world-renowned author of Mrs. Dalloway, To the Lighthouse, and The Waves, among other works.

"I spent many happy hours lost in The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway. The meticulously researched comments and range of illustrations enrich our understanding of Woolf's masterpiece and of Clarissa Dalloway's vanished world, and Merve Emre's brilliant Introduction connects elements of the author's life with her vision and her art in new and profoundly insightful ways. A gorgeous book and an all-round cause for celebration." -- Sigrid Nunez "What a treasure is Merve Emre's The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway! In this gorgeously illustrated volume, for which she provides a perceptive and enriching introduction, Emre proves an erudite and sensitive companion, leading the reader by the hand on an illuminating journey through the historical streetscapes and the interior landscapes of Virginia Woolf's masterpiece." -- Rebecca Mead "Merve Emre brilliantly shows how Woolf's understanding of Clarissa Dalloway and other characters, and her mastery of novelistic design, evolved almost day by day. This beautiful book is a treasure trove of information and a demonstration of how much this approach to a classic modern novel can add to the reading experience for both experts and enthusiasts." -- Elaine Showalter "Possibly the ultimate tribute anyone can pay to a great novel is to excavate it from its time and circumstances--to dig around it with the care of an archeologist; to follow its roots to their beginnings while respecting the magic and mystery of the object itself. Merve Emre's The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway is a remarkable act of excavation. By illuminating the otherwise invisible points at which Virginia Woolf's life and mind crossed wires with the writing of the novel, Emre serves to deepen our wonder at Mrs. Dalloway, and at the phenomenon of genius itself." -- Michael Cunningham "I am tempted to say 'at last, the Mrs. Dalloway we deserve'--but let's face it, this Mrs. Dalloway is way better than we deserve. Merve Emre's wide-ranging, rigorous, illuminating, and affecting annotations, alongside the generous and brilliantly curated illustrations, shine new light on Woolf's London, Mrs. Dalloway's consciousness, and the tragedy of Septimus Smith." -- Elif Batuman The Annotated Mrs. Dalloway includes: The most complete and accurate representation of the original text Extensive annotations exploring Woolf's personal and writing lives 150 photographs and illustrations of Woolf, important manuscript pages, and paintings from the Bloomsbury Group, many never seen before An original map of Clarissa Dalloway's London, showing her route through the city during the events of the novel

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