Book Review: Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)

Plot Summary: The book’s protagonist Orlando lives for three centuries as a man and then a woman. Throughout Orlando’s lifetime, Orlando tries to discover what it truly means to live.

My Review: One of the best things about this book is the character Orlando. Orlando is one of the most fascinating characters I’ve ever encountered in classic literature. As a man and a woman, Orlando is flighty, creative, thoughtful, and more.

Although a fictional character, Orlando could be someone you know or end up knowing.  Overall, Orlando is very insightful and relatable  to just about anyone.

Another thing that was somewhat enjoyable is Woolf’s writing style. It is just as complicated as Orlando.  It is beautiful, rambling, thoughtful, and tedious. There are only six chapters in this book, but each chapter is very long. It almost felt like reading a prose version of a Walt Whitman poem.

The most interesting thing about the book is the plot. It is clever and powerful.  It felt very real because of how it discussed gender identity and expression, conformity,  and how men and women are valued and perceived.

Overall, this book wasn’t always enjoyable, but it was very thought-provoking. The issues discussed in this book still apply today. I recommend this to everyone.