Between the Acts is a novel by Virginia Woolf, published in 1941. It is set in England in the summer of 1939, on the eve of World War II. The novel follows the lives of the members of a rural English family, the Pargiters, and their guests, as they gather for a pageant at the local manor house. The novel focuses on the characters’ inner lives and their relationships with each other, as well as their reactions to the impending war. The characters include the Pargiters’ daughter, Isa, who is a painter; her cousin, Giles, who is a poet; and their friend, Lucy, who is a musician. The novel also follows the lives of the servants at the manor house, as well as the villagers who are preparing for the pageant. The novel is divided into two parts, “The Interlude” and “The Pageant.” In the first part, the characters’ lives are explored in depth, and the reader is introduced to their inner thoughts and feelings. In the second part, the pageant is performed, and the characters’ reactions to the war and its implications are revealed. The novel is a meditation on the fragility of life and the inevitability of change. It is also a reflection on the power of art and the importance of beauty in a world that is increasingly chaotic and uncertain.
By Virginia Woolf · First published 1941 · Genre: Modernist Literature, Fiction, Literary Fiction