Reviews with content warning for Racial slurs - Orlando

The book does rambles and is hard to follow exactly what is happening in many instances. Despite that, I mostly enjoyed this read. There were many perfectly put together sentences which I only wish after finishing the book that I should have highlighted for future reference. Woolf plays the part of the fanatic and flawed narrator/biographer well and the book felt light hearted and still every few paragraphs it will hit right on the nose to describe a particular social or personal aspect that feels very relatable or insightful. I enjoyed the devotion to the wonder of nature, the reflection on the fluidity of ones gender and identity, and the flaws of romanticizing people who are perceived as geniuses and trying to force insight and intelligence in yourself.

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neens_m's review against another edition

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mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.25

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rey_reads's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging inspiring reflective relaxing medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

incredible!
am absolutely fascinated by this reminder of what literature can be!! one i will definitely return to.

encompasses so much history & explorations of love, gender, sexuality, and what it means to write.

it felt a lot more coherent than my memory of mrs dalloway & i’m v curious whether this is just bc woolf’s writing translates more clearly to spoken word or if the books read very differently.

also! very surprisingly woolf touches on some sentiments very similar to buddhist philosophy, especially towards the end, about which i have nothing intelligent to say, but thought was interesting anyway.

overall, stunning!

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leer_amor's review against another edition

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It was really racist. Did not expect that from Virginia Woolf and Im extremely disappointed. Ive always loved her prose and the lyrical way she writes but this was such a diversion from that. This book is scene as a queer classic but the extent of the racism was disgusting and it does not at all read like Woolf’s other novels. She was one of my favorite classic authors and now I feel like I have to reconsider my estimation of her and her works.

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beaunort0n's review against another edition

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emotional reflective medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

3.5

found it a bit hard to follow, but tbh i enjoy just getting lost in woolf's language. if only transitioning was as effortless for everyone else as it is for orlando!

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