Published in 1931, "The Wavesis perhaps the most challenging and experimental of Virginia Woolf's novels. As they move from childhood to maturity, the personalities of six friends are revealed through interior monologues. Elliptical, but deeply poetic, the strands of their experiences emerge gently and reflectively in a stream of consciousness, illuminating the meaning of life itself. As always, the language - so resonant and vivid - plays a paramount role.