First published 1928
Orlando begins as a young aristocratic man in Elizabethan England, serving in the court of Queen Elizabeth I. After a mysterious transformation that allows him to live for centuries, Orlando shifts from male to female, traversing different historical periods while maintaining a consistent inner essence. As a woman, Orlando navigates increasingly complex social landscapes, from the rigid constraints of 18th-century society to the emerging modern world. Throughout these transformations, Orlando remains a passionate writer and observer, collecting experiences and challenging conventional boundaries of identity, gender, and time. The novel tracks Orlando's extraordinary life as both a personal exploration and a sweeping commentary on societal expectations, artistic creation, and the fluid nature of human experience.
Genres: fiction, literary-fiction, historical-fiction, 20th-century
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: gender-fluid, transformation
Setting: London
Period: 20th-Century
336 pages · Paperback · Modern Classics