To the Lighthouse

To the Lighthouse is a novel written by English novelist, essayist and critic Virginia Woolf in 1927. The novel is regarded as landmark of high modernism.

The story goes about Ramsays visiting to the Isle of Skye in Scotland between 1910 and 1920.

The philosophical introspection prevails over the plot as a tradition of modernist novels. The story consists of little dialog and almost no action, most of it is made ad thoughts and observations. 


The story begins with Mrs. Ramsay assuring James they can visit the Lighthouse next day, while Mr. Ramsey says the weather will not be clear, forcing tensions between members of family.


In 1998, the Modern Library named To the Lighthouse No. 15 on its list of the 100 best English-language novels of the 20th century. In 2005, the novel was chosen by TIME magazine as one of the one hundred best English-language novels from 1923 to present.