Orlando: A Biography: Amazon.ca: Virginia Woolf: Books

Customers Who Bought This Item Also Bought

Edward II

DVD ~ Derek Jarman

4.0 out of 5 stars (1) CDN$ 9.49

Orlando

by Virginia Woolf

4.5 out of 5 stars (21) CDN$ 11.68

Mrs. Dalloway

4.4 out of 5 stars (8)

Enchanted April

DVD ~ Mike Newell

4.8 out of 5 stars (66) CDN$ 28.49

To The Lighthouse

DVD ~ Colin Gregg

3.0 out of 5 stars (5) CDN$ 22.49

› Explore similar items

Product Description

From AudioFile

Woolf's vivid fantasy spins out in dulcet tones as Swinton brings the beautiful, 300-year-old Orlando to life. Wealthy and elegant, he stumbles through the Elizabethan age, then transmutes into the cheroot-smoking lady of the Victorian era and thence to Thursday, October 11, 1928. All the while, Orlando carefully preserves and improves upon the manuscript that represents the paths of English literature. Being prose in its most grandiloquent dress, this book graciously renders itself to reading aloud. The sentences are a joy, and Swinton presents them as such, delicately phrasing and warmly caressing the wit and soul of each. S.B.S. (c)AudioFile, Portland, Maine --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Ingram

A young man at the court of Queen Elizabeth I transforms, over the centuries,into a woman in the bustle and diversion of the 1920s. 2 cassettes.

Inside This Book (Learn More)
Browse and search another edition of this book.

First Sentence
An English landscape in late summer, orland paces back and forth beneath an oak tree, holding a book. Read the first page

Explore More
Concordance

Browse Sample Pages
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Back Cover

Tag this product

(What's this?)

Think of a tag as a keyword or label you consider is strongly related to this product.
Tags will help all customers organize and find favorite items.

Customer Reviews

33 Reviews

5 star:		(20)
4 star:		(7)
3 star:		(4)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(1)

Average Customer Review

4.3 out of 5 stars (33 customer reviews)

Share your thoughts with other customers:

Create your own review

Most helpful customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars One of my favorites., Mar 13 2003

By	Collin Kelley (Atlanta, Georgia United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Orlando (Widescreen) (DVD)

Finally got this one on DVD after nearly wearing out my VHS copy. Sally Potter is one of the best directors and of course Tilda Swinton in the title role is mesmerizing in every way. Although a sharp departure from Virginia Woolf's source material, it retains the spirit and scope of the novel. Orlando's tranformation from man to woman half way through is a beautiful moment. Swinton proudly naked and observing herself in the mirror looks directly into the camera and says "no difference really, just a different sex" it brilliantly blurs the line between what it means to be a man and woman. And when I say blur, I mean it in a good way. The gender, sexual orientation and race lines all need to be blurred until they disappear. Orland is a good salvo in that war.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars An epic of astounding grace, Feb 28 2003

By	Sean Patton (Atlanta, GA United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Orlando (Widescreen) (DVD)

This telling of Virginia Woolf's tale is a sweeping epic of grace and beauty.
There could not have been a better choice to portray the gender swapping Orlando than Tilda Swinton. She lights up the screen with her beauty, grace and subtle wit. As a young man nervously reciting poetry to Queen Elizabeth, or a modern woman raising a young daughter, she embraces the audience and pulls us fully into her world. The settings, costumes and music serve to construct a world of changing ages spinning around a single soul in flux.
Orlando is an astounding piece of cinema history and deserves a place of honor in any DVD library.

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Work of Beauty, Sep 5 2002

By	Sharon Angelina (Porter, in United States) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

This review is from: Orlando (VHS Tape)

Whether it was a mystical experience to watch because it pulled me out of the boredom of a dreary Sunday morning when it appeared on IFC, or whether it really is one of the most fascinating and hauntingly photographed films ever made...well, the jury is still out, and in fact it's probably both reasons. But I quickly obtained my own copy and have waited to watch it again because I so badly want to share this movie with someone. But it's a rare breed that will appreciate the story of a man who over time turns into a woman---a human being who tells a story of pain and obsession, heartache, war, and finally fulfillment in the truest love possible, across five centuries of different lives/same soul. A beautiful and artful rendition of the novel. I can't wait to unwrap mine one day and share it with the right friend... Could become an underground intellegentsia cult classic. (If it hasn't already and I'm really out of the loop.)

Was this review helpful to you? Yes No (Report this)

Share your thoughts with other customers: Create your own review

› See all 33 customer reviews...

Most recent customer reviews

5.0 out of 5 stars Even better than the real thing...
Sally Potter is one of the few directors to achieve the near impossible - to create a movie that actually surpasses the original novel. Read more

Published on Aug 14 2002 by Steven Cain

3.0 out of 5 stars This is one REALLY odd movie
This is one really odd movie, I've never seen anything quite like it. I found the story interesting but strange at the same time. Read more

Published on Nov 23 2001 by A. Burchfield

5.0 out of 5 stars What independant film is all about
Orlando is one of the best indies I've seen in years. It differs from the book but its a good differance. Read more

Published on Sep 12 2001 by James Valentine

5.0 out of 5 stars Blurring the line
First of all, I have to say that I have not read Virginia Woolf's book on which this film is based. Ms. Read more

Published on Mar 1 2001 by Michael M. Wilk