A review by sylvainxweber
Orlando, by Virginia Woolf
challenging
funny
informative
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
This is the longest and best love letter ever written.
Though the story behind this book is already so rich in lore, the plot still manages to deliver the same amount of substance. This is definitely not a light read by any means as Virginia Woolf fills the book with her usual poetic prose and her often dwelling greatly on specific concepts, but this is a highly entertaining novel which does not fail to deliver.
Woolf wrote and dedicated this novel to Vita Sackville-West, a long-time "friend" (lover) of hers who often corresponded to each other in letters for many years over the course of their lifetimes. 'Orlando' is framed as a biography, and that is because it is a recounting of West's actual life, alongside her beliefs that she had once been a man alive for hundreds of years, which is what this novel covers in great detail.
Not only is it a major part of the sapphic relationship between Woolf and West, but it perfectly encapsulates the mindsets that both men and women experienced during the late 1500's and the 1920's (when this novel was written). Woolf is able to compare and contrast both experiences within Orlando's point of view, both framed slightly differently during her experiences as both a man and a woman. There are many ironic and humorous quotes within the text that essentially equivalate to Woolf making fun of how men viewed women in this time, such as the following:
" ' . . . must I then begin to respect the opinion of the other sex, however monstrous I think it? If I wear skirts, if I can swim, if I have to be rescued by a blue jacket, by God . . . I must!' . . . [s]he was horrified to perceive how low an opinion she was forming of the other sex, the manly, to which it had once been her pride to belong " (p. 156-158).
It also has much to do with sexuality for certain as Orlando often ponders on whether she is still attracted to women or should be attracted to men now that she is a woman. Many characters also seem to comment on this, alongside as to if she should be perceived as man, woman, or something else. However, I think that this book has more to do with gender than it does sexuality, but I think that this depends on each individual's different interpretations of the text and Orlando's life experiences.
While the overall feel during the last chapter of the book is certainly much different and more serious from the rest, I still had a great time reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Being transgender myself, this was a book that I certainly could relate to at many points during the plot, and it makes me happy to see more classic queer literature by queer authors being recommended and pointed to. Many historians have tried to erase the important impact our community has had on the world of literature, so it was refreshing to hear people discussing this book again.
Though the story behind this book is already so rich in lore, the plot still manages to deliver the same amount of substance. This is definitely not a light read by any means as Virginia Woolf fills the book with her usual poetic prose and her often dwelling greatly on specific concepts, but this is a highly entertaining novel which does not fail to deliver.
Woolf wrote and dedicated this novel to Vita Sackville-West, a long-time "friend" (lover) of hers who often corresponded to each other in letters for many years over the course of their lifetimes. 'Orlando' is framed as a biography, and that is because it is a recounting of West's actual life, alongside her beliefs that she had once been a man alive for hundreds of years, which is what this novel covers in great detail.
Not only is it a major part of the sapphic relationship between Woolf and West, but it perfectly encapsulates the mindsets that both men and women experienced during the late 1500's and the 1920's (when this novel was written). Woolf is able to compare and contrast both experiences within Orlando's point of view, both framed slightly differently during her experiences as both a man and a woman. There are many ironic and humorous quotes within the text that essentially equivalate to Woolf making fun of how men viewed women in this time, such as the following:
" ' . . . must I then begin to respect the opinion of the other sex, however monstrous I think it? If I wear skirts, if I can swim, if I have to be rescued by a blue jacket, by God . . . I must!' . . . [s]he was horrified to perceive how low an opinion she was forming of the other sex, the manly, to which it had once been her pride to belong " (p. 156-158).
It also has much to do with sexuality for certain as Orlando often ponders on whether she is still attracted to women or should be attracted to men now that she is a woman. Many characters also seem to comment on this, alongside as to if she should be perceived as man, woman, or something else. However, I think that this book has more to do with gender than it does sexuality, but I think that this depends on each individual's different interpretations of the text and Orlando's life experiences.
While the overall feel during the last chapter of the book is certainly much different and more serious from the rest, I still had a great time reading this book and thoroughly enjoyed it. Being transgender myself, this was a book that I certainly could relate to at many points during the plot, and it makes me happy to see more classic queer literature by queer authors being recommended and pointed to. Many historians have tried to erase the important impact our community has had on the world of literature, so it was refreshing to hear people discussing this book again.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny and Sexism
Moderate: Classism
Minor: Racism and Racial slurs