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Woolf writes criticisms of society (pretentious, intellectualist men in particular), more explorations of gender and identity through appearance, and gradual change inspired by the environment.

There are a lot of discussions about identity, obscurity, the value of materialistic things over practicality and needs, nestled in between long and winding prose.

I’ve lost my rhythm. I really like the representation of Memory as a seamstress tho

Woolf’s prose is staggered yet rich in detail. Every paragraph is extensive and descriptive, sometimes filling entire spreads, but you become so entranced by the quality of her writing that you don’t mind the meandering her sentences perform. The first chapter is emotional and observational, Orlando is infatuated and anxious and doomed.

I think the book’s criticisms on society and how society views its members, especially women, as tools is very sound. However the way it presents this opposition to normality is very radical, like what do you mean Natsuki’s husband is gonna have sex with his own brother to oppose and not conform to society’s standards? 😭 Obviously it ends up being bad but this was just so funny and wild to me.

I do like that the book makes a lot of commentary on society and criticize society’s expectations about families and women especially, likening its function to a factory that exists only to produce workers to keep the cycle going.

I like how the title not only alludes to what they do in the book (which is swim in the dark in the forest and in the pool) but is also a metaphor for surrendering to a freedom rooted in what one might find shameful or unlawful. It also reflects the political narrative of this book, of the weight of risk apropos of protest and opposition to a corrupt government system.

The second-person perspective feels so intimate it feels like you’re reading someone’s personal love letter. I also love how descriptive yet direct, simple yet thoughtful, the writing is. The prosody just flows from one sentence to the next and you don’t need to read back to understand what the author is trying to say.

The book is very descriptive and there’s this idyllic quality to the storytelling but it’s kind of hard to read through because it’s a little dull.

Very dark and harrowing, reminds me a little bit of A Little Life because its so direct with its presentation of childhood trauma and abuse. Just started the adulthood part of the story and the dialogue is already super weird and awkward sounding.

It feels like every character has the same voice; there is nothing distinctive between each of them. The prose is also really direct and while easy to read lacks a bit of descriptive element that I’m more accustomed to

There’s something so serene about how appreciative Frankenstein is about nature. The way he describes every detail of his surroundings, as if in worship of nature’s beauty, is such a stark contrast from the mental ailment that torments him; the stain that his creation has left in his heart and mind.

There’s a lot of talk about an unavoidable fate or destiny that I think can be attributed to Frankenstein’s pride and indefatigable ambition.