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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.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
lucyatoz's review
challenging
emotional
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
Orlando by Virginia Woolf was an intriguing and surreal book to read.
Spanning just over 400 years, from 1500 to the late 1920's, it tells the story of Orlando in different times, places and genders! It is, at times, melodramatic, then philosophical, light hearted and then very intense. There are elements of it that I did not like, such as the racial slurs used, however, this was the language used at the times depicted and when it was written.
It is a very cleverly crafted story which has stood the test of time and is, in it way, a masterpiece of writing. However, the way that the ending was left was somewhat disappointing and left me feeling a little underwhelmed when the rest of the book had so much to say.
I own a copy of this book and listened to it on BorrowBox. I read this for prompt 29, published in a year of the Dragon (1928), for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Spanning just over 400 years, from 1500 to the late 1920's, it tells the story of Orlando in different times, places and genders! It is, at times, melodramatic, then philosophical, light hearted and then very intense. There are elements of it that I did not like, such as the racial slurs used, however, this was the language used at the times depicted and when it was written.
It is a very cleverly crafted story which has stood the test of time and is, in it way, a masterpiece of writing. However, the way that the ending was left was somewhat disappointing and left me feeling a little underwhelmed when the rest of the book had so much to say.
I own a copy of this book and listened to it on BorrowBox. I read this for prompt 29, published in a year of the Dragon (1928), for the 52 Book Club Reading Challenge 2024.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
lenka_juchelkova's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
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
4.0
Amazing gender bending story, would do without collonualism and racism though.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racism, Colonisation, and Racial slurs
simoneritchey's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs and Racism
Minor: Suicide
zzola's review
adventurous
challenging
emotional
funny
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
danparrock's review against another edition
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Racial slurs
samants's review against another edition
reflective
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
3.5
Dreamy and poetic, but also hilarious and incredibly dramatic. Surprisingly thoughtful in its approach to gender and sexuality given the time.
Note that the star rating has been docked by half a star due to the unnecessary use of racial slurs (the n-word and the g slur referring to Romani people). I try to take a measured approach to unnecessary (I emphasize this because some books do comment on racism and thus utilize the full effect of the slur; this is not one of them) racial slurs in older books, as they are often simply a product of their times, by not completely writing off the book (in fact, I enjoyed Orlando) but by lowering its rating, as there are simply other books out there that do not use such terminology. It's a work in progress.
Note that the star rating has been docked by half a star due to the unnecessary use of racial slurs (the n-word and the g slur referring to Romani people). I try to take a measured approach to unnecessary (I emphasize this because some books do comment on racism and thus utilize the full effect of the slur; this is not one of them) racial slurs in older books, as they are often simply a product of their times, by not completely writing off the book (in fact, I enjoyed Orlando) but by lowering its rating, as there are simply other books out there that do not use such terminology. It's a work in progress.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs
alexblais8's review
challenging
dark
funny
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
Content Warnings
Minor: Homophobia, Racism, Cultural appropriation, Violence, Racial slurs, Misogyny, Emotional abuse, Colonisation, Sexual harassment, Death, and Classism
tiffanyg's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
4.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Racial slurs