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Orlando King
Orlando King is a trilogy about a beautiful young man, raised in a remote and eccentric wilderness, arriving in 1930s London and setting the world of politics ablaze. In a time of bread riots and hunger marches, with the spectre of Fascism casting an ever lengthening shadow over Europe, Orlando glidingly cuts a swathe through the thickets of business, the corridors of politics, the pleasure gardens of the Cliveden set, acquiring wealth, adulation, a beautiful wife, and a seat in Parliament. But the advent of war brings with it Orlando's downfall; and his daughter Agatha, cloistered with him in his banishment, is left to pick through the rubble of his smoking, ruined legacy. Elegant and muscular, powerful and razor-sharp, Orlando King is a bildungsroman, Greek tragedy and political saga all in one; a glittering exorcism of the inter-war generation's demons to rival the work of Evelyn Waugh and Muriel Spark.
176 pages, Paperback
Published January 23, 2020
19 people are currently reading
317 people want to read
About the author
Isabel Colegate
24 books43 followersIsabel Colegate was born in 1931 in London and was educated at Runton Hill School in Norfolk. In 1952 she went into partnership with Anthony Blond, who was then starting a literary agency and would go on to found a publishing house, and in 1953 she married Michael Briggs, with whom she has a daughter and two sons.
Colegate’s first novel, The Blackmailer, was published by Blond in 1958 and was followed by two more novels focusing on English life in the years after the Second World War: A Man of Power (1960) and The Great Occasion (1962). These were later republished by Penguin in an omnibus volume, Three Novels, in 1983.
Though she has written a number of other successful novels, as well as reviews for the Spectator, Daily Telegraph and TLS, Colegate is best known for her bestseller and major critical success The Shooting Party (1980), which won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was adapted for a now-classic 1985 film version. The book is still in print today (with Counterpoint in the US and as a Penguin Modern Classic in the UK). More recently, she has written the acclaimed novel Winter Journey (1995) and the non-fiction work Pelican in the Wilderness: Hermits and Solitaries (2002).
Isabel Colegate was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in1981. She and her husband live in Somerset.
Valancourt Books
Colegate’s first novel, The Blackmailer, was published by Blond in 1958 and was followed by two more novels focusing on English life in the years after the Second World War: A Man of Power (1960) and The Great Occasion (1962). These were later republished by Penguin in an omnibus volume, Three Novels, in 1983.
Though she has written a number of other successful novels, as well as reviews for the Spectator, Daily Telegraph and TLS, Colegate is best known for her bestseller and major critical success The Shooting Party (1980), which won the W.H. Smith Literary Award and was adapted for a now-classic 1985 film version. The book is still in print today (with Counterpoint in the US and as a Penguin Modern Classic in the UK). More recently, she has written the acclaimed novel Winter Journey (1995) and the non-fiction work Pelican in the Wilderness: Hermits and Solitaries (2002).
Isabel Colegate was elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in1981. She and her husband live in Somerset.
Valancourt Books
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Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews
May 24, 2020
I really enjoyed, “The Shooting Party,” by Isabel Colegate, so I was keen to read this novel by the author. “Orlando King,” was, initially, a trilogy and has been re-published in one volume.
Orlando King was brought up by a lecturer at Cambridge, who, having discovered one of his students in tears, discovered she was pregnant and offered to bring up the child. He then retired to a small, isolated island and Orlando was raised by King, and his cook, housekeeper, secretary, batman, and much more, Sid. He leaves the island for London in 1930, when he is twenty one and we follow his life through this novel.
I much preferred the beginning of this book, with Orlando King as the up and coming young man in the 1930’s. It is an interesting, political era, obviously, and we have King becoming involved in society, politics and the aristocracy. The writing is a little dis-jointed, though, as Orlando King’s daughter, Agatha, is mentioned from the very beginning and, to be honest, it took me quite a while to settle into the writing style. Of course, an author does not necessarily write in the same way for each novel, but I certainly found the writing style in this more difficult. Also, I preferred the beginning of the book much more than the middle – set mostly in Tuscany – and with a completely different feel, and the final novel, where Agatha is very much centre stage.
This work is based on a Greek tragedy and it is an interesting read. Sadly, though, if I am being honest, I found it more interesting than really enjoyable and I did struggle somewhat in the middle to keep reading. I wonder whether, had I read just the first novel in the trilogy first, I might have been keener to read on? Perhaps I will try this again, at a later date, and take a break between the different books. It is, I feel, worth another try. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, viaNetGalley, for review.
Rated 3.5
Orlando King was brought up by a lecturer at Cambridge, who, having discovered one of his students in tears, discovered she was pregnant and offered to bring up the child. He then retired to a small, isolated island and Orlando was raised by King, and his cook, housekeeper, secretary, batman, and much more, Sid. He leaves the island for London in 1930, when he is twenty one and we follow his life through this novel.
I much preferred the beginning of this book, with Orlando King as the up and coming young man in the 1930’s. It is an interesting, political era, obviously, and we have King becoming involved in society, politics and the aristocracy. The writing is a little dis-jointed, though, as Orlando King’s daughter, Agatha, is mentioned from the very beginning and, to be honest, it took me quite a while to settle into the writing style. Of course, an author does not necessarily write in the same way for each novel, but I certainly found the writing style in this more difficult. Also, I preferred the beginning of the book much more than the middle – set mostly in Tuscany – and with a completely different feel, and the final novel, where Agatha is very much centre stage.
This work is based on a Greek tragedy and it is an interesting read. Sadly, though, if I am being honest, I found it more interesting than really enjoyable and I did struggle somewhat in the middle to keep reading. I wonder whether, had I read just the first novel in the trilogy first, I might have been keener to read on? Perhaps I will try this again, at a later date, and take a break between the different books. It is, I feel, worth another try. I received a copy of this book from the publisher, viaNetGalley, for review.
Rated 3.5
June 15, 2020
It's good to see this being re-published and (hopefully) being wider read. Colegate is a great writer, and with this trilogy she explores class and society pre- and post-WW2. The parallels to Sophocles' plays were interesting enough as a background structure. Time off between the books is perhaps best, rather than reading them one after the other, and the books are very much of their time, but an interesting trilogy that deserves attention.
April 13, 2022
Colegate takes a scalpel and peels back the layers of British society, both political and commercial, in the 1930's
December 30, 2020
A trilogy which is why it took a while to read.
April 6, 2020
Orlando King by Isabel Colegate is actually a trilogy: Orlando King, Orlando on the Brazen Threshold and Agatha, originally published between 1968 and 1973 and now reissued as one book. I must admit I’d never heard of Isabel Colegate before but she was a prolific 20th century novelist, now seemingly forgotten. Perhaps I am bias but it seems to me that there are more forgotten 20th century female authors than male (Rosamond Lehman, Barbara Pym, Penelope Fitzgerald until recently – to name a few) so I try to read as many as I come across.
Orlando King is based on Sophocles’ Theban plays, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, with the first book set in the 1930s England, the second in Tuscany in 1951 and the last back in England in 1956.
Brought up on an island in France, young, handsome and charming Orlando arrives in England in 1931 and dazzles everyone around him, becoming a politician with a promising career ahead of him. He marries into the aristocracy and moves in lofty circles where some of his friends are attracted to fascism and appeasement is the official government policy. In the second book, we see Orlando living quietly in Tuscany after the war, restoring a couple of run down old farm houses and spending time with his daughter Agatha who has come for an extended visit. The third book focuses on Agatha as she navigates marriage, motherhood and relationships with her family.
I enjoyed the first book the most, I thought setting the book in the turbulent 1930s worked very well, allowing Colegate to explore various political ideas of the time – socialism and Spanish civil war, fascism, appeasement vs. stopping Hitler. Class and social status also play a very important role. Almost everyone in the large cast of characters is obsessed with class and where they stand on the social ladder.
The second book is quieter, somewhat more introspective with lots of lovely passages about the Tuscan landscape. A set piece London house party scene offers a contrast, not only with the life in Italian countryside but also as a generational divide between pre and post-war youth. To be honest, this particular party scene felt somewhat jarring and out of place, written as a means of introducing new characters who we later see again in Italy and in the third book. This out of place feeling unfortunately continued in the third book. I didn’t feel I got to know or understand Agatha, it felt as if Colegate forced scenes for Agatha to fit the narrative and speeches of Antigone rather than develop the character independently. The overall plot felt overworked and I thought the third book somewhat disappointing. Still, Orlando King is an interesting portrait of English politics and society in the 1930s and 1950s. Lots of glamour, high society and drama.
My thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Orlando King.
Orlando King is based on Sophocles’ Theban plays, Oedipus Rex, Oedipus at Colonus and Antigone, with the first book set in the 1930s England, the second in Tuscany in 1951 and the last back in England in 1956.
Brought up on an island in France, young, handsome and charming Orlando arrives in England in 1931 and dazzles everyone around him, becoming a politician with a promising career ahead of him. He marries into the aristocracy and moves in lofty circles where some of his friends are attracted to fascism and appeasement is the official government policy. In the second book, we see Orlando living quietly in Tuscany after the war, restoring a couple of run down old farm houses and spending time with his daughter Agatha who has come for an extended visit. The third book focuses on Agatha as she navigates marriage, motherhood and relationships with her family.
I enjoyed the first book the most, I thought setting the book in the turbulent 1930s worked very well, allowing Colegate to explore various political ideas of the time – socialism and Spanish civil war, fascism, appeasement vs. stopping Hitler. Class and social status also play a very important role. Almost everyone in the large cast of characters is obsessed with class and where they stand on the social ladder.
The second book is quieter, somewhat more introspective with lots of lovely passages about the Tuscan landscape. A set piece London house party scene offers a contrast, not only with the life in Italian countryside but also as a generational divide between pre and post-war youth. To be honest, this particular party scene felt somewhat jarring and out of place, written as a means of introducing new characters who we later see again in Italy and in the third book. This out of place feeling unfortunately continued in the third book. I didn’t feel I got to know or understand Agatha, it felt as if Colegate forced scenes for Agatha to fit the narrative and speeches of Antigone rather than develop the character independently. The overall plot felt overworked and I thought the third book somewhat disappointing. Still, Orlando King is an interesting portrait of English politics and society in the 1930s and 1950s. Lots of glamour, high society and drama.
My thanks to Bloomsbury and Netgalley for the opportunity to read and review Orlando King.
October 5, 2020
Melissa Harrison accompanies a new edition of the Orlando trilogy with a sophisticated explanation of the roots of the story. Blame Oedipus she suggests with some Antigone thrown in. She also waxes lyrical over the subtle portrayal of an England during the very changing times of the 30s through to the 60s and 70s.
She is of course entitled to her view and indeed England's changing times are the real point of the book. But...the characters are without exception unpleasant and the style of writing delivers a kind of flatness, lack of effect, with the ultimate result that you don't give a toss for anyone's plight.
Briefly (and that's difficult) Orlando travels through time accidentally killing his biological father and marrying his father's wife. He rides to prominence in government but gets things very wrong politically and retires to Italy.
His daughter Agatha, following the tale of Antigone, sacrifices herself to rescue her half brother from prison and ends up there herself. (Today this would not hold psychologically true.) Meanwhile many of her friends and relations die.
The women in the story are so wimpish I wanted to strangle them. The only thing that did ring out loud and clear was how moral attitudes, those of conscience, had altered during this particular time frame and how much more they have shifted today.
Much of the text is taken up with the characters' ruminations which go on far too long. Longed to take out my blue pencil. There are three volumes of this and I would prefer to read a factual history book of the period.
She is of course entitled to her view and indeed England's changing times are the real point of the book. But...the characters are without exception unpleasant and the style of writing delivers a kind of flatness, lack of effect, with the ultimate result that you don't give a toss for anyone's plight.
Briefly (and that's difficult) Orlando travels through time accidentally killing his biological father and marrying his father's wife. He rides to prominence in government but gets things very wrong politically and retires to Italy.
His daughter Agatha, following the tale of Antigone, sacrifices herself to rescue her half brother from prison and ends up there herself. (Today this would not hold psychologically true.) Meanwhile many of her friends and relations die.
The women in the story are so wimpish I wanted to strangle them. The only thing that did ring out loud and clear was how moral attitudes, those of conscience, had altered during this particular time frame and how much more they have shifted today.
Much of the text is taken up with the characters' ruminations which go on far too long. Longed to take out my blue pencil. There are three volumes of this and I would prefer to read a factual history book of the period.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 21, 2021
Elegant magic.
November 2, 2023
Having read and enjoyed Isabel Colgate’s beautifully written ‘The Shooting Party’ in the early 1980s, for whatever reason I haven’t picked up any of her other novels since. The reissued ‘Orlando King’ was originally published as a trilogy – ‘Orlando King’, 1968, ‘Orlando at the Brazen Threshold’, 1971 and ‘Agatha’, 1973. It is a lengthy read and not an altogether satisfactory one.
The overriding theme in ‘Orlando King’ appears to be an obsession with social class. However, the ways in which it is explored lacks Waugh’s wit or Orwell’s gravitas. In fact, much of the time, the author appears to embrace its existence in a manner that most contemporary readers will find alienating. For example, Orlando finds attractive a woman who is described as having ‘a quick twitch of a sniff, affecting one side of her face only, a sort of parlour-maid’s sniff.’ This seems fatuous and snobbish and does not appear to be written from the viewpoint of anyone other than the author.
Colegate’s story focuses on the 1930s and the 1950s. World events in the 30s such as the Spanish civil war and the rise of the Nazi party are explored through Orlando’s increasingly successful political life. However, the narrative in the last third of the novel has a more domestic feel, concentrating on his daughter, Agatha. The author has clearly taken Sophocles’ Theban plays as a template and sometimes her storytelling feels constrained because of this straitjacket.
There are many published novels, literary and otherwise, which focus on the first half of the twentieth century, giving us memorable stories about how people cope with adversity, battle against prejudice and earn their place in the world. In contrast, the author’s outmoded preoccupation with social positioning makes ‘Orlando King’ a curio rather than a celebrated classic.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK and ANZ) for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
The overriding theme in ‘Orlando King’ appears to be an obsession with social class. However, the ways in which it is explored lacks Waugh’s wit or Orwell’s gravitas. In fact, much of the time, the author appears to embrace its existence in a manner that most contemporary readers will find alienating. For example, Orlando finds attractive a woman who is described as having ‘a quick twitch of a sniff, affecting one side of her face only, a sort of parlour-maid’s sniff.’ This seems fatuous and snobbish and does not appear to be written from the viewpoint of anyone other than the author.
Colegate’s story focuses on the 1930s and the 1950s. World events in the 30s such as the Spanish civil war and the rise of the Nazi party are explored through Orlando’s increasingly successful political life. However, the narrative in the last third of the novel has a more domestic feel, concentrating on his daughter, Agatha. The author has clearly taken Sophocles’ Theban plays as a template and sometimes her storytelling feels constrained because of this straitjacket.
There are many published novels, literary and otherwise, which focus on the first half of the twentieth century, giving us memorable stories about how people cope with adversity, battle against prejudice and earn their place in the world. In contrast, the author’s outmoded preoccupation with social positioning makes ‘Orlando King’ a curio rather than a celebrated classic.
My thanks to NetGalley and Bloomsbury Publishing Plc (UK and ANZ) for a copy of this novel in exchange for a fair review.
April 20, 2021
This book ( previously published as a trilogy) is based on Oedipus, and as the author states at the beginning, we know what's going to happen !
So this is then about how the updated setting, Britain 1930 - 1960 ( ish) and Colegate's versions of the characters impact on the story.
Because the book covers a wide period, from Orlando as a boy, to a young man to middle age it felt that quite a lot of things were very much skimmed over. Orlando and Agatha ( his daughter) are quite interesting but both of them appear to have life happen to them for the most part. Perhaps because the characters are pretty much all upper class it's quite hard to feel empathy with them, the women especially exist it seems as extensions of the men . I'm sure that this is reflective of the times.
There is a big time lapse between the the first part where Orlando is in his 20's and when he and Agatha reunite - and Orlando who in fact must only be in his early 50's seems much older. Events are covered in a few sentences as well, so that the book actually covers a lot.
Despite my lack of connection with the characters it was a fascinating read, as much for the social history element as the plot.
So this is then about how the updated setting, Britain 1930 - 1960 ( ish) and Colegate's versions of the characters impact on the story.
Because the book covers a wide period, from Orlando as a boy, to a young man to middle age it felt that quite a lot of things were very much skimmed over. Orlando and Agatha ( his daughter) are quite interesting but both of them appear to have life happen to them for the most part. Perhaps because the characters are pretty much all upper class it's quite hard to feel empathy with them, the women especially exist it seems as extensions of the men . I'm sure that this is reflective of the times.
There is a big time lapse between the the first part where Orlando is in his 20's and when he and Agatha reunite - and Orlando who in fact must only be in his early 50's seems much older. Events are covered in a few sentences as well, so that the book actually covers a lot.
Despite my lack of connection with the characters it was a fascinating read, as much for the social history element as the plot.
Read
July 9, 2020 have been meaning to read 'The Shooting Party' for ages, so I was intrigued by this one when I saw it was coming out. It's a trilogy in one volume. It tells the story of Orlando King who was brought up by a university lecturer after he found one of his students in tears, having found she was pregnant. He was then brought up on a private island, but moves to England in 1930 at the age of 21, where he starts to move through high society.
I love to read novels written or set between the wars, and I did enjoy this, but the writing style was rather hard to get into. There are few breaks and often a complete change of scene is only indicated. By a new paragraph. Also his daughter is mentioned from the beginning, before he has even met her future mother.
I'm still keen to read The Shooting Party, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this one.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the published for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest opinion*
I love to read novels written or set between the wars, and I did enjoy this, but the writing style was rather hard to get into. There are few breaks and often a complete change of scene is only indicated. By a new paragraph. Also his daughter is mentioned from the beginning, before he has even met her future mother.
I'm still keen to read The Shooting Party, and I'm glad I had the opportunity to read this one.
*Many thanks to Netgalley and the published for the chance to read this in exchange for an honest opinion*
June 11, 2020
It's the first book I read by this author and won't surely be the last as I quite liked this one.
I was fascinated by the descriptions of the historical periods and I think that the plot was interesting but it misses the pathos and the greatness of Sophocles's tragedies that inspired it.
Nonetheless it's a well written and interesting read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
I was fascinated by the descriptions of the historical periods and I think that the plot was interesting but it misses the pathos and the greatness of Sophocles's tragedies that inspired it.
Nonetheless it's a well written and interesting read, recommended.
Many thanks to the publisher and Netgalley for this ARC, all opinions are mine.
July 1, 2020
An intriguing trilogy about some of the big questions in life - love, ambition, empire, hope, fidelity, and loyalty. It is a lovely long read that holds one's attention and makes one think. Although it spans most of the first half of the 20th century, its'main focus is the Suez crisis. The period detail is interesting, as are the social and cultural attitudes. It is very much a white, middle-class book, but well worth the read nonetheless.
February 19, 2023
Was put off initially by the omission of any chapters but it was still easy to read, only due to it being quite dull so didn’t warrant effort. Preferred Book 3 the most in the trilogy as Paul’s storyline was more interesting than anything but wouldn’t have continued this as a series after Book 1 if it wasn’t combined, I just hate to DNF haha
August 14, 2025
Starts off well, and kind of doesn't hold up, but the first volume of the trilogy is very good. Just a little too literary, and I was expecting something else--the compression and intensity of 'Shooting Party'. This is not compressed, and not especially intense. More fun to think about than to read, unfortunately.
July 16, 2020
Ok so I only read book 1 which I enjoyed but I just didn’t care enough to read about Orlando old and in France.
April 25, 2021
Perhaps I should have persevered and maybe only get back to it one day, but too confusing from the start.
April 29, 2025
Really interesting take on Oedipus and insightful of society in the 1930's. Isobel Colegate writes in a stream of consciousness style, which takes a while to get used to, but once you invest the time it really is a rattlingley good read!
Displaying 1 - 17 of 17 reviews