a biography The definitive collected edition of the novels of Virginia Woolf
Orlando (1992, Hogarth Press)
226 pages
English language
Published June 3, 1992 by Hogarth Press.
In her most exuberant, most fanciful novel, Woolf has created a character liberated from the restraints of time and sex. Born in the Elizabethan Age to wealth and position, Orlando is a young nobleman at the beginning of the story-and a modern woman three centuries later.
I love a thoughtful novel that delves into the meaning of life. This one does it with style and originality. Laughed out loud several times - pretty rare for me.
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting from a literary perspective, and I liked how Woolf gave more detail and space to Orlando's early life rather than his/her later, more modern, life. It was a great parallel (and critique) of the pace of modern life. I also enjoyed Woolf's emphasis on the changing role of literature in life and the different cultural attitudes towards living throughout the centuries chronicled. The aspect that most people seem to focus on though, Orlando's views of the sexes and gender divisions, I found only mildly interesting and, more often than not, annoying. Woolf's writing also seemed overblown and stream-of-consciousness writing never did appeal to me. Many times, I found myself frustrated because I wanted a more linear telling of the story, rather than the skipping around she did. Still, I can understand why everything was done and I greatly admire …
I have very mixed feelings about this book. It was interesting from a literary perspective, and I liked how Woolf gave more detail and space to Orlando's early life rather than his/her later, more modern, life. It was a great parallel (and critique) of the pace of modern life. I also enjoyed Woolf's emphasis on the changing role of literature in life and the different cultural attitudes towards living throughout the centuries chronicled. The aspect that most people seem to focus on though, Orlando's views of the sexes and gender divisions, I found only mildly interesting and, more often than not, annoying. Woolf's writing also seemed overblown and stream-of-consciousness writing never did appeal to me. Many times, I found myself frustrated because I wanted a more linear telling of the story, rather than the skipping around she did. Still, I can understand why everything was done and I greatly admire the skill it took to craft this admittedly difficult story. Maybe a second reread might improve my initial reaction to the book.
