Orlando by Virginia Woolf

★★★★★|☆☆
"'To refuse and to yield,' she murmured, 'how delightful; to pursue and conquer, how august; to perceive and to reason, how sublime.'"

Handy timestamps:
Summary 0:24
Review 1:42
Literature / Writing 2:30
Sex and Gender 4:10
Feminist Approach 5:40
Bye 6:18

Yes, I did rearrange my bookshelves, thanks for noticing.

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[LoriAistulf]

I loved this book! I usually am a fast reader but Woolf's books are best savoured slowly. Each sentence is a masterpiece of its own!

[hafsaouakrim]

i've just finished it today and i think that it's one of the most unique and beautiful novels i've ever read

[Aricia]

Finished this book today and now I've been seeking some annalysis on it because, oh boy, did I get confused. It did help me that I read her diary and letters to Vita, her lover, kind of alongside the book; because I knew it was based off her and that there would be references to aspects of her life. Even so, there were many occurences throughout it that I just didn't get. She references british history, literary styles and some specific personalities (such as the poets) in a mocking way, so I feel that at times if flew by me - not british, not a writer and not a native english speaker. But anyway, the things I did get were quite fun to read, like her physical descriptions of Orlando that match her descripitions of Vita IRL (she loved Vita's legs, for instance) and the change of gender itself - Virginia talked about the "manliness" of Vita quite a lot.

[rubymuscroft]

It was the second Virginia Woolf novel I read and I left me so interested in finding out more about it. Obviously its about gender and what that means in relation to life but what I really took away was the idea of growing up and the idea of death. The character doesn't seem to die and we know now that Virginia was battling with thoughts about death all the time. I don't know how much influence that had but it's something that was running through my mind throughout.

[LisaSimpsonRules]

I read it years and years ago, more than a decade ago, when my level of English was not up to that level, and I´m reading it right now for a book club. I feel it is a dense text, and so so well-written. The language flows, one sentence fades into the next one as the waves and the corrents of the ocean Woolf was so obsessed with!

[andrewrussell]

I absolutely loved the larger part of this novella and spent the time reading it feeling a sense of awe at Woolf's ability to write prose that was simply stunning. The last third or so of it started to drag, which affected my enjoyment though.

[robwyckoff]

Have never read a Virginia Woolf novel. Also considered A Room of One's Own, To the Lighthouse, and Mrs. Dalloway, but I think Orlando will be my first.

[FML]

I love the way that she explores all of the literary movements from Elizabethan to Romanticism, Victorian, Edwardian etc. all the while she captures the essence of those literary styles while simultaneously constructing a (genuinely funny) satirical exploration into the biography genre. It is definitely experimental and modernist in its form and style but it also feels incredibly contemporary with with what I would identify today as a post modern irony.

[postmodernrecycler]

My humanities teacher in high school gave this book to me and jokingly referred to it as his "hot tub reading". Little did I know what a masterpiece it would turn out to be. The film version is fairly well done, too.

[ianwild]

I loved the story and all the subtext. The fact that it is a biography is in keeping with Woolfs view that biographies have to be different for women and the form is great. Your thoughts on the feminism are very inciteful Woolf really wanted to express how we change as a consequence of expectation and this is done very nicely. I understand that the book is a biography of Vita Sackville-West and her freedom of identity (she often dressed as a man). All in all a jolly good romp.

[ornleifs]

Not read it but seen the movie and loved that - your booktalk has made me interested in reading it though.

[Elizabeth-ukdq]

This totally made me want to read it. Went on a huge book spree yesterday at the library and got nothing on my reading list but I'll be looking forward to this book!

[keithwhitney]

Well, as someone who was in math, law, accounting...not literature, I can tell you that I had never heard of Virginia Woolf until the usage of her name in the movie. As I read about her, read her books, understand her contributions and brilliance, I am especially appreciative of your video. I will read Orlando soon! I may read her books in the order published, but I will have a hard time putting off reading Orlando. A book about Living on the Color Line was helpful in understanding perception. This book, even though dated culturally, likely (hopefully) will be helpful in a similar way.

[protey]

Thnx a lot for Orlando review!
So I learned that the Sally Potter's movie starring Tilda Swinton is based on Virginia Woolf's novel! : ))
Probably reading the book will shed some light on this obscure story. Anyway, the androgyne theme is very mysterious. The thesis "changing sex does not change identity" is highly dubious & discussive. I can't make out the main ideas behind the plot.
Would be grateful for some explanations/interpretetions!

[juliewheatley]

I love this book so much n yes I don't think there has been anything like before .i love the way Virginia tells the story of Vita it is mind blowing n when I'm listening to it I can visualize Vita she has really brought her to life in the book .even though she didn't change sex just dressed has a man when out with her lovers it been so tastefully done . I ilove how she has lasted four centuries n how they have been drawn together n flo
W niclely
Without notice . I love your vidEo

[m.k.educationacademy]

Nice explained about Orlando in English language thank you for this bcoz I'm literature student and your explanation help me

[LMLMCrochet]

Thanks for this! Very informative - you clearly know your stuff!

[dianamills]

I am reading this book now and like it. I was put off VW by 'A Room of One's Own' - like an upper-class woman whinging at a time when one couple and two kids to a room would have been pretty much a luxury. I'm not saying anything is bad about being upper-class, but there was just so little insight into her own privilege. Also, I read Mrs Dalloway and felt at the end 'What was that about?' But Orlando has more depth to it. However, also published in 1928 was Radcliffe Hall's 'The Well of Loneliness.' That is a real work of art and much better (imho) than Orlando. The Well of Loneliness is often seen as a 'lesbian' novel, but it dealt just as much with issues of gender.

[lucie]

That was a brilliant video, thank you! :)

[xxletmloveyouxx]

The gender thing & how society treats gender is genius!!