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3.72 AVERAGE
3.72 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
I’ve never read a book so chaotic, dull, whimsical and allegorical all at the same time. The narrative style is more like a stream of consciousness, peppered with some random Arthurian fairy tale.
Centered around a gay main character and her Bible-thumping mother, it has plenty of metaphors and is the kind of book you’d savour slowly – what is being said is just as important as what isn’t being said. The plot/characters are secondary to the theme. But the main character is so peculiar and unrelatable – and given that this is somewhat autobiographical in nature, I’m not sure if I’d pick up her other books even if she has a way with words.
Oranges is the kind of book that makes you think. It would serve well to be dissected over in an A Levels English Literature class. Sadly I was not in that frame of mind while reading it. I also happened to be reading Sapiens at the same time, which puts human religions in a whole new light, and it definitely affected my thoughts on Christianity and this book.
Centered around a gay main character and her Bible-thumping mother, it has plenty of metaphors and is the kind of book you’d savour slowly – what is being said is just as important as what isn’t being said. The plot/characters are secondary to the theme. But the main character is so peculiar and unrelatable – and given that this is somewhat autobiographical in nature, I’m not sure if I’d pick up her other books even if she has a way with words.
Oranges is the kind of book that makes you think. It would serve well to be dissected over in an A Levels English Literature class. Sadly I was not in that frame of mind while reading it. I also happened to be reading Sapiens at the same time, which puts human religions in a whole new light, and it definitely affected my thoughts on Christianity and this book.
challenging
dark
funny
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
“As it is, I can't settle, I want someone who is fierce and will love me until death and know that love is as strong as death, and be on my side for ever and ever. I want someone who will destroy and be destroyed by me. There are many forms of love and affection, some people can spend their whole lives together without knowing each other's names. Naming is a difficult and time-consuming process; it concerns essences, and it means power. But on the wild nights who can call you home? Only the one who knows your name. Romantic love has been diluted into paperback form and has sold thousands and millions of copies. Somewhere it is still in the original, written on tablets of stone. I would cross seas and suffer sunstroke and give away all I have, but not for a man, because they want to be the destroyer and never the destroyed.”
Her prose and conveying of feelings throughout the book>>>
Her prose and conveying of feelings throughout the book>>>
This was an odd book. It was good, but it was very weird and an odd thing to read. Full of parables and metaphors, it can be a bit difficult to get through. You have to really unpack all the symbolism which can be difficult. There's definitely some good stuff in here though about sexuality and religion and how they each impact each other. I would recommend this but just be prepared to have some trouble unpacking it.
I loooove Winterson but found this underwhelming. It was her first book, written when she was in her early twenties, so.
emotional
funny
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I actually found this book pretty meh, which disappointed me.
The narrative was quite convoluted and the themes, which I thought would resonate with me, really did not and felt underdeveloped. The narrative voice feels monotonous and devoid of emotion, and things are just described to us. It kind of read like a confusing dream. I appreciate that perhaps I just didn't get it.
The narrative was quite convoluted and the themes, which I thought would resonate with me, really did not and felt underdeveloped. The narrative voice feels monotonous and devoid of emotion, and things are just described to us. It kind of read like a confusing dream. I appreciate that perhaps I just didn't get it.