'I who would wish to feel close over me the protective waves of the ordinary catch with the tail of my eye some far horizon' Intensely visionary yet absorbed with the everyday; experimental daring & challenging The Waves is regarded by many as Virginia Woolf's greatest achievement It follows a set of six friends from childhood to middle age as they experience the world around them & explore who they are & what it means to be alive As the contours of their lives are revealed a unique novel is slowly unveiled Enfolded within Woolf's lyrical & mysterious language the mundane takes on a startling new significance while distant pasts are no less in play than the clamorous sounds & kaleidoscopic sights of the modern city Yet precisely where the alluringly enigmatic pages of The Waves are leading & what deeper meanings are held within its undulant chapters & shimmering interludes are questions that have never ceased to enthral readers & critics alike In this new edition David Bradshaw considers the spellbinding oddness & originality of The Waves helping the reader to negotiate a way though this most poetic & haunting of novels ABOUT THE SERIES For over 100 years Oxford World's Classics has made available the widest range of literature from around the globe Each affordable volume reflects Oxford's commitment to scholarship providing the most accurate text plus a wealth of other valuable features including expert introductions by leading authorities helpful notes to clarify the text up-to-date bibliographies for further study & much more