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A review by lancakes
Orlando by Virginia Woolf
5.0
It took me so fucking long to read this book. I started it at least 3 times and finally finished it on that third try. And I have to say, I really enjoyed it, as a whole. The first bit about the Russian princess or whatnot really bored me, and him redecorating his house. I was managing to get through it, until Orlando became a girl, and then I wholeheartedly began to enjoy it. The commentary and the remarks made on the differences of gender experience and gender similarities were great, and totally up my Women and Gender Studies-loving alley.
The gender fluidity of Orlando and the other gender-bending character whose name I have already forgotten because I am a terrible reader, really drove home the idea that people are just people, and I feel like there was a line in there about how they truly loved each other because they had each experienced each other as both genders.
Or something. I read it a while ago.
My favourite part of the book, however, was Woolf's description of the start of the Victorian era : how dampness crept into every house and ivy crawled up every wall, women became more covered up and being married became important. She seemed to relate Victorian values to the overall climate and mood of the century. Other great critiques included that of pretentious authors and parties, and the rush to get married for the sake of being married.
The gender fluidity of Orlando and the other gender-bending character whose name I have already forgotten because I am a terrible reader, really drove home the idea that people are just people, and I feel like there was a line in there about how they truly loved each other because they had each experienced each other as both genders.
Or something. I read it a while ago.
My favourite part of the book, however, was Woolf's description of the start of the Victorian era : how dampness crept into every house and ivy crawled up every wall, women became more covered up and being married became important. She seemed to relate Victorian values to the overall climate and mood of the century. Other great critiques included that of pretentious authors and parties, and the rush to get married for the sake of being married.