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atlasanatolia 's review for:

Orlando by Virginia Woolf
4.5
adventurous challenging funny reflective slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven: Character
Strong character development: Yes
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

This was a fascinating book to read. Woolf's is not a style I'm well-acquainted with, but oddly her side characters reminded me of the kind Vonnegut would write? Is she a known inspiration of his? I'm not THAT well-read.

I'm interested in how Woolf kind of makes herself as the biographer a character in its own. It's written in this very self-aware, almost self-conscious style where attention is called to certain artistic choices to defend them. It plays well with how reflective Orlando is as a person, and prone to existential depression. It feels weird to call this book "funny", but her antics are just so humorous to me? And the distortion of time lends it a kind of surreal feel. Not something I'd normally read, and I'm glad to be branching out!