Orlando, by Virginia Woolf

Orlando
Virginia Woolf

Ah, Ginny. You're just too smart for me. I suspected as much after toiling through Mrs. Dalloway. Orlando, though a million times more entertaining (and easier to understand), has only confirmed my suspicions. Overall, Orlando is quite interesting (and quite hilarious in places), except that certain parts made me feel woefully inadequate.

To recapitulate briefly, Orlando is one lucky individual who gets to experience it all. His "biography" begins with his youth in Elizabethan England and ends three centuries later with his adulthood--as a woman. This scenario allows Woolf to grapple with gender roles, societal expectations, and the nature of reality.

While I enjoyed Orlando, I simply have no idea what to say about it. I have no idea even what to rate it. Should I rate it based on its genius (and Woolf is one who deserves the term, to continue an idea from my previous post) or my enjoyment of it? Argh.

In a nutshell: Way more fun than Mrs Dalloway, and easier to comprehend. Pretty hilarious, too. Just be prepared for a difficult final chapter.

Bibliolatry Scale: 6 for genius and 4 for enjoyment...so 5