Italian to English Art/Literary General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters in a character-based fiction

Character has been out celebrating his new contract as a writer. On arriving home he is stoned and imagines his living room filled up with a variety of historical characters from fiction. One of these is Orlando (from Astolfo), whose entry into the very full room of characters is described as follows:

"A forza di perdere e riacquistare la ragione, aveva come dei passaggi a vuoto. Si bloccava all’improvviso, nel mezzo di un azione, o si incantava, rapito dal suono di una parola, traballando come un pugile suonato. "