Orlando, A Biography

Metadata

Gutenberg ID

—

Title

Orlando, A Biography

Language

en

Book source

Global Grey

Description max 80 words

Virginia Woolf's visionary novel chronicles the extraordinary life of Orlando, who lives for centuries while retaining his identity. Blending wit, history, and magical realism, the story explores fluid concepts of gender, time, and creativity through a single life that defies the constraints of mortality and societal expectation.

Summary up to 500 words

Virginia Woolf's *Orlando: A Biography* is a whimsical narrative that spans centuries, exploring the fluidity of identity, the endurance of the self, and the relentless passage of time. The story begins in the sixteenth century with Orlando, a young man of noble birth in a vast Elizabethan house. Possessing a sullen yet beautiful face and a mind prone to poetic abstraction, he spends his youth writing tragedies and contemplating nature from a high oak tree. His life takes a dramatic turn when he travels to London, only to find the city transformed by the passage of time. Upon his return, he discovers that the law has declared him dead and transformed him into a woman, a fact confirmed by his loyal servants and animals. Now a woman, Orlando inherits her father's estates and navigates the complexities of high society, literary fame, and legal battles regarding her property and title. She reflects on the nature of poetry, the impermanence of physical things, and the shifting landscape of history, from the Tudors to the modern era. As centuries pass, she witnesses the rise and fall of empires, the evolution of fashion and architecture, and the changing roles of women. The narrative culminates in the early twentieth century, where Orlando, now an aging woman, reunites with her husband, Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, a sea captain who has also aged. The novel concludes with a whimsical note on a specific date in 1928, celebrating the endurance of the self against the relentless flow of time.

LLM editorial rating

4.2/5

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Categories

• Biography
• Fiction