20th Century Novel - Simrah

This is my take on an alternate ending to Mrs. Dalloway and how I think the book should have ended. I believe Mrs. Dalloway is the tale of a woman who learns to appreciate life for all that it is. I am essentially arguing that beyond being Mrs. Dalloway or even possibly Mrs. Walsh, our main character is Clarissa Parry. I think the time she spent in the little room upon learning about Septimus' death allowed her to realize that she should appreciate her life for all its joys and its grievances, and while she may hold regrets from the past, she's not disappointed with how her life has turned out, and she certainly doesn't think it would've been better if she married Peter. She has learned to live and be happy with the decision that Clarissa Parry made, because she, in the end, is Clarissa Parry. A polite smile on her face and hands clasped in front of her dress, he could only watch in awe and slight fear as she began to approach the two of them. "Peter, Sally," ...

One could say that The Mezzanine is not special. It is not an enjoyable book to read in the least. It is quite literally fifteen chapters of the stream of thoughts of an ‘80s office worker: just about as interesting as you would imagine it. What makes it so different?  Simply put, The Mezzanine is a 135-page catalog of all the thoughts our narrator, Howie, has while making his way up his office building’s escalator. He ponders his lunch, his shoelaces, the different ways he ties his shoes, various conversations he’s had since he was but a child, how long it’s going to take him to stop reminiscing about his childhood, the different types of amenities in his office bathroom, approximately how many times he uses the office bathroom, and so on. Throughout the novel, Howie jokes with himself, makes vague references he expects his readers to understand, and goes about his day while innately analoging every single idiosyncratic detail.  Nothing distinguishes Howie from the rest of th...