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faulkneribarelyknowher's review against another edition
4.5
Woolf seems like she was just high all the time
many layers…the (auto)biographical elements, the ever-increasing presence of the narrator, the gender-bending, the dilation of time…insane
for lack of a better comparison, the pacing reminds me of Synecdoche, NY: starts out like a beautiful narrative, but becomes more absurd and inward-gazing as the story progresses (and the rate at which the narrative twists and warps increases with it)
many layers…the (auto)biographical elements, the ever-increasing presence of the narrator, the gender-bending, the dilation of time…insane
for lack of a better comparison, the pacing reminds me of Synecdoche, NY: starts out like a beautiful narrative, but becomes more absurd and inward-gazing as the story progresses (and the rate at which the narrative twists and warps increases with it)
denis_matei17's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
medium-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
3.0
cherryxlee's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
inspiring
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
san_dra's review against another edition
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
mary_magdalene's review against another edition
challenging
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.5
lemon_drop's review against another edition
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.5
melliedm's review against another edition
challenging
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? Yes
3.75
Moments of utter brilliance mixed in with a humour that must have appealed to the time, but which struggles to age with the same dignity as it’s gender themes.
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
rileyblundellwriter's review against another edition
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
4.0
savaging's review against another edition
2.0
"she will soon give over this pretence of writing and thinking and begin to think, at least of a gamekeeper (and as long as she thinks of a man, nobody objects to a woman thinking). And then she will write him a little note (and as long as she writes little notes nobody objects to a woman writing either)"
There were moments of brilliance in this book -- especially once Orlando becomes a woman and exchanges her outer life for an inner one. So that instead of grandiose events and titles Orlando is dwelling on this sort of thing:
There were moments of brilliance in this book -- especially once Orlando becomes a woman and exchanges her outer life for an inner one. So that instead of grandiose events and titles Orlando is dwelling on this sort of thing:
“A toy boat, a toy boat, a toy boat,” she repeated, thus enforcing upon herself the fact that it is not articles by Nick Greene on John Donne nor eight-hour bills nor covenants nor factory acts that matter; it’s something useless, sudden, violent; something that costs a life; red, blue, purple; a spirt; a splash; like those hyacinths (she was passing a fine bed of them); free from taint, dependence, soilure of humanity or care for one’s kind; something rash, ridiculous . . .This intricate internality is Woolf's wheelhouse. It's the reason I fell in love with her work to begin with. Unfortunately, the racism of this book is unforgivable, and probably the classism as well. And none of it is helped by the tedium of the first half of the book.