Ms. Hen reviews Orlando

 

Orlando

Virginia Woolf

The Hogarth Press

1928

Ms. Hen has read this novel before, but she decided to read it again to refresh her memory of it. She originally read it after she graduated from college, but she doesn't remember which year that was. This is her favorite Virginia Woolf book.

This novel is a biography of Orlando, a duke who lives for over three hundred years, and starts as a man, then turns into a woman. No explanation exists why Orlando becomes a woman, but she does. When she is a woman, she is the same person she was as a man. Orlando strives for "Life, and a lover!" but she does not always get what she wants.

When Orlando is a man, he falls in love with Sasha, a beautiful Russian princess visiting England. She leaves the country, and devastates him. Orlando dreams of being a poet, and becomes friends with one to help him with his writing, but the duke becomes discouraged. Throughout his life, he strives for art and love. When Orlando is a woman, she understands that women are expected to only think of love, but that is not all she desires. 

When time passes, she becomes transfixed by the changes in England that occur around her. The eighteenth century turns into the nineteenth, with Queen Victoria and her values, and the twentieth century comes with motor cars and aeroplanes. The present day intoxicates Orlando so much that she becomes overwhelmed shopping for sheets in a department store.

The first time Ms. Hen read this, she wondered what Orlando would think of the rest of the twentieth century, and the twenty-first as well. So much has transformed in one hundred years, back then, they marveled over flying in the sky and cars, but now we've gone so far beyond that, both Orlando and Virginia would be stupefied. 

Virginia wrote this novel as a love letter to her lover Vita Sackville-West, an aristocratic woman she had an affair with while they were both married to men. Vita was smitten with Virginia, and they enjoyed each other's company. They remained friends after their affair was over.

This novel discusses subjects that were not talked about in the year it was published, 1928, such as gender issues, queer theory, and transgender characters. Ms. Hen likes to wonder what Virginia would think of today's society, with transgender issues at the forefront of discussion. Orlando, he/him, she/her, either is fine, they/them, but Orlando is what she is, and that's superb.

Ms. Hen reviews The Mists of Avalon

 

The Mists of Avalon

Marion Zimmer Bradley

Ballentine Books 

1982

 

Ms. Hen decided to read this book because a rooster friend recommended it to her. She wanted to wait until the depth of winter to consume this, since it is lengthy. She pictured herself spending a lot of time inside, away from the cold, reading this magical tale.

This novel is a reimagining of the legend of King Arthur, from a feminist perspective. The priestesses of Avalon keep the old traditions alive, and the Lady of the Lake, the one who gives the sword Excalibur to Arthur, is the head of the community. Nobody can get to Avalon unless that person can call the barge to take them across the lake to get there. Morgaine is the foster daughter of Viviane, the lady of the lake, and Morgaine is supposed to be her successor.

This novel revolves around Morgaine. When she is young, she has to take care of her brother, Arthur, which she doesn't enjoy. Her mother, Igraine, marries King Uther after Morgaine's father dies, who gets sent away to live in Avalon with Vivianne, to learn to be a priestess. She travels to the king's wedding, and is invited by Gwenhwyfer to be one of her ladies in waiting, and unbeknownst to the queen, Morgaine gave birth to her brother Arthur's child. Morgaine keeps this a secret for as long as she can. Gwenhwyfer and Arthur do not have any children.

This is a long novel, and it contains too much to summarize in a small review. Even though the book is over 800 pages long, it is a fast read, and action packed. Ms. Hen became mesmerized by all the characters, and the depth of the writing. 

Ms. Hen admires the worldbuilding through historical legend in this novel. She likes the feminist viewpoint and the Druids with their traditions. She did some research on the legend of King Arthur, and the story has been around for thousands of years, but every so often, a renewed interest appears.

Ms. Hen thinks this novel is a big time commitment, but it's worth it. She enjoyed reading about the myths and legends of King Arthur, the Lady of the Lake, and the Druids, during the dark of the winter. The Druids pay attention to the seasons, and the winter is the time to rest and rejuvenate. Ms. Hen recommends resting and reading this novel at the same time...