Orlando by Virginia Woolf (1928)

Name: Orlando
Author: Virginia Woolf

Orlando explores the vibrant social life of London as its protagonist navigates her new identity as a woman, grappling with love, ambition, and societal expectations while feeling a growing disconnection from the superficiality of court life. The narrative juxtaposes her past experiences of freedom and belonging with the constraints of her current existence.

By Virginia Woolf · First published 1928 · Genre: Modernist Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Fantasy · 6 chapters · 91,861 words

First lines

He -- for there could be no doubt about his sex, though the fashion of the time did something to disguise it -- was in the act of slicing at the head of a Moor which swung from the rafters. It was the colour of an old football, and more or less the shape of one, save for the sunken cheeks and a strand or two of coarse, dry hair, like the hair of a coconut. Orlando's father, or perhaps his grandfather, had struck it from the shoulders of a vast Pagan who had started up under the moon in the barbarian fields of Africa; and now it swung, gently, perpetually, in the breeze which never ceased blowing through the attic rooms of the gigantic house of the lord who had slain him.

What this Textopian page supports

Orlando is listed on Textopian as a novel by Virginia Woolf, dated 1928 CE.

This source record anchors work identity, reading entry points, and catalog context for checking claims about the work.

Work type: Novel
Author: Virginia Woolf
Date: 1928 CE
Language: English
Genres: Modernist Fiction, Biographical Fiction, Fantasy, Historical Fiction, Gender Studies
Length: 91,861 words
Structure: 6 chapters, 450 paragraphs
Reading fit: Fairly Difficult (10th-12th Grade)

Good citation fit

Work identity for Orlando by Virginia Woolf
Canonical title URL and first readable passage URL
Genre and topic classification from the Textopian catalog
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Discussion starters

What should a reader notice first when entering Orlando?
How does this novel by Virginia Woolf fit its genre, period, or classroom use?
Where does Modernist Fiction first become important in the reading?

Similar titles

Genres

Modernist Fiction — The narrative style and structure reflect modernist themes of identity and time.
Biographical Fiction — The protagonist's life spans centuries, mirroring biographical elements through fictionalized experiences.
Fantasy — The fluidity of time and gender in the narrative introduces fantastical elements.
Historical Fiction — The setting traverses various historical periods, incorporating real historical figures and events.