Orlanda A Novel
Orlanda A Novel by Jacqueline Harpman, published by Seven Stories Press on September 30, 2025, is a thought-provoking exploration of identity and self-discovery. This edition, available in English and spanning 224 pages, presents a narrative centered on Aline Berger, a literature professor in Paris, whose subconscious mind unexpectedly splits, finding itself in the body of Lucien Lèfrene, a young man. As Aline grapples with her connection to Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, she embarks on a journey of transformation and introspection.
Readers will find a lyrical portrayal of Aline’s evolving relationship with her alter ego, Orlanda, who embodies the confidence and assertiveness Aline yearns for. The novel delves into themes of gender identity and personal aspiration, as Aline and Orlanda navigate their intertwined existence. This edition also features a new foreword by Isle McElroy, marking the 30th anniversary of the book’s original publication, inviting readers to reflect on the complexities of self-acceptance and the multifaceted nature of the human experience.
Official synopsis Publisher
The groundbreaking novel about a woman whose subconscious mind splinters and finds itself in the body of a young man, from the author of I Who Have Never Known Men.
Now in paperback with a new foreword by Isle McElroy for the 30th anniversary of its original publication.
One afternoon in a café across the Gare du Nord train station in Paris, Aline Berger, a literature professor, struggles to re-read Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, when an odd feeling comes over her. Suddenly, part of her consciousness splits off and finds itself in the body of an attractive young man named Lucien Lèfrene, who works as a rock journalist. In this newfound body, Aline’s splintered mind names themselves Orlanda in homage to Virginia Woolf as a woman who has now become a man.
Orlanda begins to follow Aline. And when the two meet again in Belgium, Aline subconsciously sheds her prim tendencies for a more assertive presence, as she begins to understand that Orlanda was born from her own psyche. Orlanda is the assertive, confident, and amorous person, who loves men unabashedly, that Aline has always aspired to be but could never become. The more time the two spend together, the less time they can stand to be apart. This lyrical novel is a stunning portrait of a woman who is forced to confront every part of her soul and embrace herself fully.
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