Books

New York: Crosby Gaige, 1928. About fine. Large octavo. Original publisher’s black cloth, spine lettered and decorated in gilt, publisher’s charming gilt device to upper board, cream endsheets. T.e.g., other edges untrimmed, all original unopened pages remain unopened. Frontispiece portrait of "Orlando as a Boy," plus seven half-tone illustrations, the first "The Russian Princess as a Child," is Angelica Bell, aged nine, photographed by her mother Vanessa Bell; numbers 5, 6, and 8 are Orlando as portrayed by Vita Sackville-West, to whom the book is dedicated. Trace of a stain of the top fore-edge front endsheet and pastedown, a few very minor smudges to cloth, light shelf wear at bottom edge, bit of the remnants of the removal of a tiny bookseller's label on lower edge of rear pastedown, otherwise about fine in a removable archival sleeve.  Signed, limited first edition, first printing, № 454 of the 800 copies signed by Virginia Woolf in her characteristic purple ink on…

"Orlando: A Biography" by Virginia Woolf is a groundbreaking and imaginative novel that defies traditional narrative forms and explores themes of gender, identity, time, and literary history. Published in 1928, the novel traces the life and adventures of its protagonist, Orlando, across several centuries and continents. The story begins in Elizabethan England during the reign of Queen Elizabeth I. Orlando, a young nobleman, is portrayed as a handsome and romantic figure who aspires to become a poet. As the narrative unfolds, Orlando's life undergoes a remarkable transformation: he mysteriously stops aging and changes gender, becoming a woman while retaining his memories and identity. The novel follows Orlando through various historical periods, including the Renaissance, the Enlightenment, and the Victorian era. As he navigates these different epochs, Orlando encounters key historical figures and witnesses significant social and cultural changes. Through Orlando's experiences, Woolf explores the fluidity of gender and the constructed nature of identity, challenging conventional notions of masculinity and femininity. In addition to its exploration of gender and identity, "Orlando" is also a meditation on the nature of time and the passage of history. Woolf's narrative blurs the boundaries between past and present, reality and fantasy, as Orlando's long life allows him to witness centuries of human history while remaining fundamentally unchanged. One of the novel's most striking features is its metafictional elements, as Woolf frequently interrupts the narrative to comment on the process of storytelling and the relationship between author and character. Through these self-reflexive moments, Woolf invites readers to reflect on the nature of fiction and the ways in which literature shapes our understanding of the world. "Orlando" is also celebrated for its lush prose and vivid imagery, as Woolf demonstrates her mastery of language and narrative technique. The novel's rich descriptions of landscapes, interiors, and characters create a vibrant and immersive world that captivates the reader from beginning to end. At its core, "Orlando" is a celebration of the power of imagination and the possibilities of literature to transcend the limitations of time, gender, and identity. Through its innovative narrative structure and thought-provoking themes, Virginia Woolf's novel continues to captivate readers and inspire generations of writers to explore new forms of storytelling.