A review by eiverlit
Orlando by Virginia Woolf

adventurous challenging dark inspiring reflective slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes

3.5

The very first book I've read by Woolf. A third-person/omniscient narrator narrates Orlando's fictional biography, changing style and tone to reflect changes in Orlando's life. First and foremost, the entire novel was written painstakingly slow with its writing style having "flowery words" (being poetic) that you have to read the sentences at least twice to get the gist. But I do like how the novel is filled with allusions, satires, foreshadowing, and symbols. And I like how Orlando's character, and the book as a whole, portrayed feminism, with Orlando deciding that nature will be her husband because she does not want to rely on a man. This book dealt extensively with sex and gender, as well as the differences between men and women. This, I believe, brought to light the importance of revealing one's true self to the world, no matter how different it may be from what people expect.