Audiobook

Orlando, A Biography (version 3)

Virginia Woolf's most successful novel recounts the extraordinary biography of Orlando from his youth in the reign of Elizabeth I to her life as a successful author and mother in 1928, the year of the book's publication. Over the 350 years of his/her life, Orlando loves and is betrayed by a Russian princess, serves as British ambassador to Constantinople, changes sex, lives among gypsies, narrowly escapes marriage to the Archduchess Harriet/Archduke Harry, enjoys the society of Addison, Dryden and Pope, and finally marries Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmardine with whom she has a child. Over the same 350 years, Orlando struggles with her love of writing, finally publishing her poem 'The Oak Tree', begun in the 1500s, in the 1920s. Along the way, Orlando and her biographer spend much time and energy pondering on the craft of writing and the differences between the sexes. Woolf's mock biography, complete with scholarly preface and index, was loosely based on the family history of Vita Sackville-West, her country house in Kent, and her poem 'The Land'. The book is divided into six long chapters, which I have divided into shorter scenes for this audiobook. I have given each scene a descriptive title, but listeners should note that these titles do not appear in Woolf's text, nor did she give any indication of divisions within the chapters. (Summary by Phil Benson)

Year of Publication: 1928Genres: Fictional Biographies & Memoirs

Running Time: 09 hours 23 minutes 42 seconds(41 chapters)

Language: EnglishRead by: Phil Benson

#	Chapter Name
	Preface Phil Benson	4:39
	Chapter 1: Orlando slices at the head of a Moor Phil Benson	19:14
	Chapter 1: Orlando attends Queen Elizabeth Phil Benson	13:40
	Chapter 1: Clorinda, Favilla, Euphrosyne Phil Benson	11:46
	Chapter 1: The Thames freezes over Phil Benson	17:58
	Chapter 1: Sasha and Orlando skate down river Phil Benson	15:20
	Chapter 1: Betrayed by his lover! Phil Benson	12:19
	Chapter 2: Orlando sleeps for a week Phil Benson	13:08
	Chapter 2: Orlando becomes a poet Phil Benson	16:54
	Chapter 2: An invitation to Mr. Nicholas Greene Phil Benson	24:12
	Chapter 2: Orlando burns his poetry... Phil Benson	15:53
	Chapter 2: ...and improves his country house Phil Benson	13:12
	Chapter 2: Orlando flees the Archduchess Phil Benson	9:14
	Chapter 3: Ambassador at Constantinople Phil Benson	11:56
	Chapter 3: Orlando is presented with the Order of the Bath Phil Benson	10:04
	Chapter 3: Orlando sleeps through an insurrection Phil Benson	15:13
	Chapter 3: Life among the gypsies Phil Benson	19:50
	Chapter 4: Captain Bartolus presses Orlando to a shiver of beef Phil Benson	11:09
	Chapter 4: The Enamoured Lady arrives in London... Phil Benson	14:16
	Chapter 4: ...where her estates are put in Chancery Phil Benson	16:21
	Chapter 4: The Archduchess returns as the Archduke Phil Benson	16:28
	Chapter 4: Thoughts on the differences between the sexes Phil Benson	10:15
	Chapter 4: Orlando is launched on London society Phil Benson	8:04
	Chapter 4: Mr. Pope makes three witty remarks Phil Benson	12:33
	Chapter 4: Orlando pours tea for Addison, Pope and Swift Phil Benson	14:41
	Chapter 4: Orlando drops a sugar cube into Mr. Pope's tea Phil Benson	5:37
	Chapter 4: Orlando makes a friend in Leicester Square Phil Benson	18:16
	Chapter 5: Fog and crinolines Phil Benson	16:06
	Chapter 5: Orlando yields to the spirit of the age Phil Benson	24:56
	Chapter 5: Marmaduke Bonthrop Shelmerdine, Esquire Phil Benson	20:25
	Chapter 6: She wrote. She wrote. She wrote. Phil Benson	6:06
	Chapter 6: The biographer asks, 'What is life?' Phil Benson	9:09
	Chapter 6: 'The Oak Tree' is done! Phil Benson	7:52
	Chapter 6: Lunch with Sir Nicholas Greene Phil Benson	10:11
	Chapter 6: A paper boat on the Serpentine Phil Benson	13:50
	Chapter 6: A great event Phil Benson	11:43
	Chapter 6: The present moment Phil Benson	18:04
	Chapter 6: Orlando's many selves Phil Benson	14:01
	Chapter 6: Orlando returns to her country house Phil Benson	10:39
	Chapter 6: A wild goose! Phil Benson	16:30
	Index Phil Benson	11:58