Title: Orlando
Author:
Virginia Woolf
Genre:
Classics, Historical Fiction, LGBT*Q+
A
few starting notes:
This had been on my TBR list for so long that I honestly can't remember when or why I put it there.
I borrowed this from the ebook facilities that are offered by Welsh Libraries. You guys should see if your libraries have something similar - it saves me a lot of money on books from my TBR.
Premise:
Orlando, our eponymous hero/heroine (yes, I do mean both,) lives his/her life through several centuries, spanning the time between the late Elizabethan age and the 'present' (which in the case of this novel is 1928.)
It's generally thought to be a novel-length love-letter to Virginia Woolf's female lover, Vita Sackville-West.
It's generally thought to be a novel-length love-letter to Virginia Woolf's female lover, Vita Sackville-West.
Best bits:
There's a lot of both discussion, and subtext, of gender roles and sexuality in this book - not least because Orlando transforms (fairly randomly) into a woman, about half-way through (this isn't a spoiler - it's a well-known feature of this book.)
It really is a surprisingly modern and bold book for something that was written in 1928 - and says a lot about the interaction between the sexes, as Orlando finds that her new gender is subject to different social restrictions than her old gender.
I love the way that Orlando suffers from the 'affliction' of literature - and the discussion of poets, writers, and writing, that this provokes at various points.
But then, I love it when books talk about books - reading, writing, whatever. It appeals to my inherent bookishness.
And the writing itself draws you on - this was one of those books where 'just one more page' became a meaningless mantra, because one page, more often than not, turns into ten, or twelve...
It really is a surprisingly modern and bold book for something that was written in 1928 - and says a lot about the interaction between the sexes, as Orlando finds that her new gender is subject to different social restrictions than her old gender.
I love the way that Orlando suffers from the 'affliction' of literature - and the discussion of poets, writers, and writing, that this provokes at various points.
But then, I love it when books talk about books - reading, writing, whatever. It appeals to my inherent bookishness.
And the writing itself draws you on - this was one of those books where 'just one more page' became a meaningless mantra, because one page, more often than not, turns into ten, or twelve...
Not so great bits:
The seemingly rule-less, accepted-on-face-value, nature of the surreal aspects just won't appeal to everyone - but I liked it.
I do like the surreal aspects of this novel - Orlando's transformation, and the way s/he barely ages over the centuries (this extends (though to a lesser degree) to the people around her,) - but this is likely to put some people off.
There's also a dab of casual racism - acceptable in 1928, uncomfortable at best in 2016. It's not a huge amount - but it's there.
Occasionally Woolf just tries too damn hard, and ends up coming off as pretentious. This is rare, but annoying when it happens.
Verdict:
Basically, and for all it's weirdness, I loved this book. Hugely readable, and ginormously (it's a word now, shh!) thought-provoking.
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I have been meaning to try one of Woolf's novels, so I was so happy to see that you had reviewed this one! I can't wait to try it myself. I'm interested to see how the discussions of those themes go and what they mean in the novel. Great review x
ReplyDeletewell thank you :) and yeah, it was really interesting - I couldn't get over the fact that it was written in 1928!
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