Comparing to Woolf's earlier works, To the lighthouse is a greater and more complex book as it intertwines the thoughts and reflections of numerous different people and their relationships with each other over a period of ten years.The story takes place on the Isle of skye just before the first world war. The ramsay family have a holiday home overlooking the sea and the distant lighthouse. During the summer the family, which consists of Mr and Mrs Ramsay and their eight children, invite numerous friends and colleagues to stay.