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The Voyage Out Audiobook
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(3.00) - 3,051 listener ratings
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Publisher Description
Rachel Vinrace, Virginia Woolf's first heroine, is a motherless young woman who, at twenty-four, embarks on a sea voyage with a party of other English folk to South America. Guileless, and with only a smattering of education, Rachel is taken under the wing of her aunt Helen, who wishes to teach Rachel "how to live." Arriving in Santa Marina, a village on the South American coast, Rachel and Helen are introduced to a group of English expatriates. Among them is the young, sensitive Terence Hewet, an aspiring writer, with whom Rachel falls in love. But theirs is ultimately a tale of doomed love, set against a chorus of other stories and other points of view, as the narrative shifts focus between its central and peripheral characters.
Less formally experimental than her later novels, The Voyage Out nonetheless clearly lays bare the poetic style and innovative technique—with its multiple figures of consciousness, its detailed portraits of characters' inner lives, and its constant shifting between the quotidian and the profound—that are the signature of Woolf's fiction.
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"i was pleasantly surprised this book was such a good read for being one of woolf's allegedly non-experimental works. all the woolf-dna that would produce classics such as jacob's room, mrs. dalloway and to the lighthouse, are already there. the introduction by michael cunningham works very well and give gives you some pointers without giving away the whole experience of reading this novel. classic!"
— Niels (4 out of 5 stars)
The Voyage Out Listener Reviews
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Ross Honeywill, 11/2/2024
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" Woolf's first novel; she establishes herself right from the start as lyrical and immensely brave. "
— peaseblossom, 2/19/2014 -
" The voyage out of a sheltered 24-year old girl from suburban London as she evolves throughout a trip to a South American resort town with her aunt and uncle... "
— Frances, 2/8/2014 -
" A marvelous book, but not as good as her masterpieces. "
— Kevin, 2/2/2014 -
" I loved the language and the commentary at times, but honestly the heroine was just too weak and whispy. The plot also seemed lacking to me, and it was incredibly imperialistic at times. However, Woolf's first novel is allowed to be sub par. "
— Sonia, 1/31/2014 -
" Distinctive Woolf style, stream-of-consciousness manner yet not a nuisance to follow... Exciting topics such as maturity, freedom, human bonds, etc. Evelyn is by far one of my favourite characters ever! I wholeheartedly recommend it for Woolf beginners. "
— Monika, 1/17/2014 -
" A young Woolf, still finding her voice and territory - but still a very accessible, thoughtful novel. "
— Jill, 1/12/2014 -
" maybe three and a half "
— John, 1/10/2014 -
" Unlike the description.....This edition is pretty darn good! Virginia Woolf's The Voyage Out is often cited as one of the most influential works within the 20th century. Love it! "
— Marlon, 1/2/2014 -
" So an innocent girl goes abroad, falls in love, gets engaged and must immediately die? There ought to be an opera based if. I felt like the character segments were non-negotiable-they all had to do the thing they were always going to do. "
— Sheri, 12/17/2013 -
" Definitely the most straight-forward of all of Woolf's novels, I found myself enjoying this even though I detested a couple of the characters. It spoke a lot to me about post-colonialism, the search for the self, and a few other very modernist themes. "
— Amelia, 9/27/2013 -
" This is a nice read. It wasn't my favorite ending, but I liked the concept of it. "
— Nicole, 11/27/2012 -
" Interesting, but a little talky "
— Vicki, 10/9/2012 -
" A bit pointless...very stream of consciousness, feel like the protagonist didn't have enough to her. Then again, this was her first novel. "
— Zainah, 3/21/2012 -
" Easy to read but not totally gripping. It's got some nice early feminist bits in it, lots of female characters, but still not that exciting. There's definitely potential here, though. A couple of her books are considered classics, and in this book you can see her heading in that direction. "
— Joanna, 2/3/2012 -
" My first encounter with Virginia Woolf. It was strange, ordinary, emotional and breathtaking. She has this unique way of revealing the most intimate feelings one person can have. In "The Waves", she seems to return to this style of writing that made me fell in love with her books. :) "
— Mariana-Melania, 1/26/2012 -
" Finished this 8/7/10. The story of Mr & Mrs Ambrose and their niece Rachel, embarking on a sea voyage from England to a South American resort. It tells about a group of English people staying at the hotel, and of Rachael's blossoming from a sheltered girl to maturity, love, illness and death. "
— Aunt, 12/18/2011 -
" Solid first novel, although definitely conventional. A hint at goodness to come. "
— Todd, 8/1/2011 -
" Woolf comes up with these lines and passages that describe certain experiences in a way that you will never just pass over it again. "
— Laura, 7/23/2011
About Virginia Woolf
Virginia Woolf (1882–1941), one of the major literary figures of the twentieth century, transformed the art of the novel. She was a pioneer in the use of stream of consciousness as a narrative device. The author of numerous novels, collections of letters, journals, and short stories, she was also an admired literary critic and a master of the essay form.
About Wanda McCaddon
Wanda McCaddon (d. 2023) narrated well over six hundred titles for major audiobook publishers, sometimes with the pseudonym Nadia May or Donada Peters. She earned the prestigious Audio Award for best narration and numerous Earphones Awards. She was named a Golden Voice by AudioFile magazine.