Orlando

By: Virginia Woolf

Narrated by: Clare Higgins

Length: 8 hrs and 38 mins

Publisher's summary

Exclusively from Audible

Fantasy, love and an exuberant celebration of English life and literature, Orlando is a uniquely entertaining story. Originally conceived by Virginia Woolf as a playful tribute to the family of her friend and lover, Vita Sackville-West, Orlando's central character, a fictional embodiment of Sackville-West, changes sex from a man to a woman and lives throughout the centuries, whilst meeting historical figures of English literature.

The book opens with Orlando as a young nobleman in Elizabethan England who finds love with a Russian princess. During Charles II's reign, he is an ambassador to Constantinople and becomes a Duke. Orlando then goes on to wake as a beautiful woman, exploring the roles of women in the 18th and 19th centuries. Eventually becoming a wife and mother the tale ends in the year 1928, a year consonant with full suffrage for women. Upon plans to publish her 1588 poem 'The Oak Tree', written in the opening of the book, she reflects on her centuries of adventure.

An exploration of androgyny and the creative life of a woman, it is considered a feminist work. Arguably one of Woolf's most popular stories, it marked a turning point in her career, departing from her more introspective works. Receiving both critical and financial success, it guaranteed Woolf's financial stability.

There have been many adaptations made, including a 1992 film starring Tilda Swinton and an opera by composer Peter Aderhold which premiered at the Braunschweig State Theatre in in 2016.

Narrator Biography

Clare Higgins is an accomplished actress of screen and stage, winning three Olivier Awards for Best Actress for her roles in Sweet Bird of Youth (1995), Vincent in Brixton (2003) and Hecuba (2005). With a long and successful career in British and American theatre, she has also been a regular feature on our television screens. Her recent roles have included Miss Cackle in The Worst Witch (2017), Ohila in Doctor Who (2013 and 2015), Hazel Warren in EastEnders (2015) and Vivian in Rogue (2014).

Claire Higgins is probably best known for her memorable and sinister performance as Julia in the horror films Hellraiser (1987) and Hellbound: Hellraiser II (1988), with other film appearances including The Golden Compass (2007) and Small Faces (2006). With a voice and timing perfect for audio she has narrated many audiobooks, including Nick Hornby's How to Be Good and Joanna Trollope's The Best of Friends, and in 2009 portrayed Margaret Thatcher in the BBC Radio 4 drama A Family Affair.

Public Domain (P)2014 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

"Clare Higgins's supple, silky voice does justice to Woolf's literary landmark. The language of Orlando, peppered with alliterative phrases, flows effortlessly with perfect pacing by Higgins, and Woolf's dry wit shines through her performance." ( AudioFile)

Unsolicited sex change

Virginia Woolf's Orlando is a fantasy tale of young aristocrat in the late 16th century who after a series of unfortunate love interests suddenly finds him/herself changed to a woman (around age 30) and proceeds to drift on agelessly into the 20th century. Along the way, there is some time among gypsies and upon returning to England (where no one seems to question this biological miracle), meanders in an androgynous manner even learning that a former female love interest is in fact a man. All the while writing a masterpiece of a poem. Eventually, she manages to find a mate with similar attitudes and proclivities towards fluidity in gender roles and succeeds in getting her poem published.

Woolf's obviously uses Orlando to explore gender roles throughout several centuries specifically through the perspective of someone who never quite fits neatly into a binary world. At the same time, she finds ways to demonstrate these tendencies throughout history in general in subtle ways. There's also in evidence biased literary criticism that has temporal component to its subjectivity. Perhaps most important in terms of suspension of belief to enjoy the tale is that everyone seems to accept the phenomenon without question.

The narration is well done with reasonable character distinction and good pacing.

Beautiful, but not for everyone

In a nutshell, if this book were a painting, it would have to be by Dali. Woolf's stream-of-consciousness writing is distinctive, as always. Her prose is overall poetic in tone, and even made me laugh out loud with its dry sense of humor.The thing that makes this book so different from others of its time is fluidity. Not only do I mean gender fluidity - which is integral to the plot - but also time fluidity. An example: At one point, Orlando reflects on her 30 years of life, while also reflecting on her 300 years of history. Orlando can be in the 16th century in one scene and step into the 17th century in the next. Gender fluidity is also key to the story, as Orlando begins has a man and then wakes one day as a woman. This shift is fascinating because Woolf takes the opportunity to explore Orlando's discovery of the differences between how he, as a man, is able to move in the world, and the stark contrast (and restriction) for her, as a woman. The changes happen rapidly and subtly, so this book will need your undivided attention (so as to avoid the moments of, "Wait...what happened? Who is that?" that would cause you to reread parts of the story. This is a bravely innovative work that, I admit, is not going to be everyone's cup of tea. But it was pleasantly mine.

the poet

Fantastic take on the "poet" as a character. Woolf explores gender, and sexualities in relation to Lacainian post-structralism.

Incredible Read

Especially for those steeped in Classical English literature, this is a marvel. What a wonderful read!!!!

Almost like a fairytale and yet very much a philosophy treaty

The book is beautifully written and read, allowing one to flow through its enchanted reality as if flying on a magical carpet and every now and then, surprised and touched by how much the book reveals of oneself and one’s life

Poetry for the heart and mind!

New author for me. First time reading/listening to this book, although I saw the movie first. I should have read the book first, and I would have better understood the movie. I must say, I had to wrestle with some of my shocked emotions when I came across some passages. She described emotions so beautifully and with such simplicity I was speechless for several moments . I had to stop the book and roll the words in my mind for several minutes. A masterpiece that requires your full attention with a marvelous sense of humor!

Absolute Perfection.

Stellar performance of a psychologically intricate novel. Not only does it address the (currently very socially relevant) topic of innate gender, but it also thoroughly examines the various experiences of time. Plus, delicious prose full of fantastic quotes... quintessential Woolf, exquisitely narrated by Higgins. This rendering is just delightful.

Expert reading of a beautiful novel

Orlando is not an easy novel to read out loud, due to its deliberately baroque language, but Clare Higgins does a masterful job of making it accessible and enjoyable.

Incredible narration of a brilliant work

This is likely the first time that I have listened to a book and considered that the narration is better by far than me having read it myself. The narrator brings particular spirit and rhythm with her reading, that it has truly a joy.

Woolf's masterclass on human reason

Woolf's unique ability to capture the very subtle differences between the perspectives the sensibilities and the motivations of men and women. I learned so much about both men and women listening to this novel.