Originally published in 1928 by Hogarth Press
My edition: the Penguin Modern Classics
paperback
WHEN
I Discovered This Classic
In my final year of university I
took a module on Virginia Woolf, based solely on the fact that I found her life
and inclusion in the Bloomsbury Group fascinating. I’d never read a single word
of hers until then.
WHY
I Chose to Read It
This is one of the books that I
never managed to finish while studying her so I’d like to change that. It’s
also Woolf’s longest novel and she can be really, really tough to read so I
think it might be better read outside of that pressured environment!
WHAT
Makes It a Classic
Woolf’s exploration of gender and
identity was far beyond her time and done in her trademark whimsical style.
WHAT
I Thought of This Classic
I have a very complicated
relationship with Virginia Woolf. I think she was an amazing women and a tour
de force of literature, and though I love her essays, letters and A Room of One’s Own, I really struggle
to enjoy her fiction. I appreciate what she's doing, the beauty of her writing
and gel with the themes she’s portraying, but there’s no enjoyment in it for
me. That sadly continued into Orlando.
My first Woolf novel was actually
the highly experimental Jacob’s Room, and
then The Waves and Mrs Dalloway, so Orlando felt like a much easier Woolf novel than the ones I’d read
previously. Though Orlando transforms from man to woman and lives through four
centuries while only reaching the age of 36, everything felt straightforward
and easy to understand. Until the last chapter, of course, where the novel went
whimsical and experimental and further into the realm of magical realism.
Orlando
is a mock
biography of Orlando and the biographer has a really strong narrative voice. I love
the way the reader was addressed directly with little asides and small
explanations of what was going on in Orlando’s mind or how she spoke at certain
times. It made the novel feel punchy and fun in a way that I’d never
experienced with Woolf before.
It was really interesting coming
back to Woolf after so long and realising how much of what I learned about her
and what she believed in and experienced had stayed with me. Woolf is famous
for her feminism, but also for her theories on gender; but Orlando also latches onto Woolf’s resentment towards the Victorian
sensibilities and restrictions that she was born into. I loved seeing the
biographer’s/Woolf’s observations on the position and roles of both men and
women throughout the centuries.
While I’m definitely glad I read Orlando and I’m still in awe of Virginia
Woolf, I didn’t really enjoy the reading process. I’m not sure if I’m going to
continue reading Woolf’s novels; I may just dig deeper into her non-fiction.
WILL
It Stay a Classic
It’s Virginia Woolf – Orlando isn’t going anywhere.
WHO
I’d Recommend it To
- Those wanting a relatively easy
introduction to Woolf’s work (also Mrs
Dalloway!).
- People interested in gender
theory.
Sophie
