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fbarrett1855's review against another edition
5.0
This year, my personal reading goal had little to do with the volume of books I would read, and much more so to do with the types of books; namely, I wanted to revisit the classics, especially those I hadn't read before. I had read other Woolf works (A Room of One's Own, Mrs. Dalloway, et.), but somehow Orlando had always been shelved away. About three months ago, it finally made its way to the top of my "to-be-read" pile. Thank God it did!
Had I known that this book would have me quite literally burst out laughing on the bus to work in the morning, or that I would be taking copious notes in my journal about the characters, their journeys, and the events covered by the novel, I would have made time for it a lot sooner. Highly recommend it to everybody!
Had I known that this book would have me quite literally burst out laughing on the bus to work in the morning, or that I would be taking copious notes in my journal about the characters, their journeys, and the events covered by the novel, I would have made time for it a lot sooner. Highly recommend it to everybody!
wjacksonata's review against another edition
3.0
I love the storyline for this book (gender changing person who lives through four centuries), but I had a hard time with the writing style. I found it rather florid - the other end of the spectrum from ‘The Old Man and the Sea’. Still an enjoyable book and worth the read.
mark_j's review against another edition
2.0
This was my first Wolff book and it was quite interesting. Wolff frequently uses her narrative voice, but I don't feel that it added much to the story. It is well-written and I feel like this book deserves a better rating than I gave it to someone that reads this kind of novel regularly. It is certainly funny in parts, but painfully slow in others. I had to set it down for about a year before really digging in and reading this book.
mlbrowne's review against another edition
4.0
Follow the adventures of Orlando, shape-shifting through the centuries across England's often war-ravaged landscape, and learn what it means to be a womanly man, and a manly woman.
Woolf herself once famously commented on this, believing as she did that it was impossible for a writer to successfully write "the other" without having explored the depth of the other in him- or herself.
It's the easiest to read of all the books Woolf wrote, because the narrative thread is shot through it like a rich vein of gold. The prose is, as usual for Woolf, evocative, filled with images that stay in the mind longer after the pages are turned and the book replaced on the shelf.
It's a love story. It's a delight. And for all the fantasy, it rings ever so true, right up to today.
Woolf herself once famously commented on this, believing as she did that it was impossible for a writer to successfully write "the other" without having explored the depth of the other in him- or herself.
It's the easiest to read of all the books Woolf wrote, because the narrative thread is shot through it like a rich vein of gold. The prose is, as usual for Woolf, evocative, filled with images that stay in the mind longer after the pages are turned and the book replaced on the shelf.
It's a love story. It's a delight. And for all the fantasy, it rings ever so true, right up to today.
bombycillacedrorum's review against another edition
4.0
Wild, fantastical, a bit hard to follow in moments but a fun read for the genderfuckery.
caskew's review against another edition
4.0
Lyrical, lush, wonderfully queer in every sense of the word, startlingly beautiful and also hilarious. You float along a beautiful sentence that seems to do absolutely brand new things with language and then suddenly laugh out loud
curiosophie's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
funny
lighthearted
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
sarahwingo's review against another edition
4.0
What a very odd book. I really like Woolf and her narrative style, and I enjoyed this book though I'm finding it difficult to elaborate on that at the moment. I can say that Woolf is interesting because even though at time with her writing I feel that I am kept at arms length from her characters, I don't feel detached because while I may not feel directly connected to the individuals she rights about I do feel a very strong connection to the way that she writes about them.
aabi_w's review against another edition
4.0
So I didn't understand what was going on in this book half the time, but that aspect was what made it so hard for me to turn away! When I say this book is crazier than "To The Lighthouse", which was purposefully written with a chaotic intent, I'm saying a lot. I genuinely enjoyed reading this loads, and though some parts disappointed me while others made me burst with laughter, I think this is a must-read. It spoke to me on a spiritual level.