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A review by elwirax
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
*3.5/5
"Everyone thinks their own situation most tragic. I am no exception."
"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" is a bitersweet and powerful novel, showcasing the fight against oppression and the quest for a true self in a community of religious hypocrisy.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was that Jeanette chose to stay true to the part of herself her community hated so much and rebelled against the harmful rhetoric she was fed. She was not a perfect character by any means ( which is a theme discussed in the novel) yet in some ways admirable.
I also really loved the symbolism in this book. (You have the oranges symbolising forced views/ heterosexuality and Jeanette's lack of emotional support, as well as the demon and pebble which represent her journey and acceptance of herself.) These added that much more meaning to the story and contributed to my appreciation of the text as a whole.
While I absolutely loved some aspects of the magical realism and fantasy in this book-as they do relate to the events and discussions in the novel-I couldn't help but feel that these were slightly jarring in other parts and distrupted the flow of the story.There was a slight lack of depth in self evaluation and reflection as it was mostly substituted for humour or fantasy.
There was some amazing writing in this book but at times the prose was overly poetic to the point where I couldn't understand what the author's intent was. There were metaphors and imagery written in such a peculiar way that I had to go back and make sure I actually read them correctly and even then I didn't understand (granted that may just be my own fault).
Going in I knew " Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" was going to be freakishly religious and as I abhor any type of organised religion I recognised that this may not be the type of book for me. In this regard I was right but I appreciate this book for being a classic/ canon in Lesbian literature. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it and maybe one day I will re-read this to fully enjoy it.
"Everyone thinks their own situation most tragic. I am no exception."
"Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" is a bitersweet and powerful novel, showcasing the fight against oppression and the quest for a true self in a community of religious hypocrisy.
The thing I enjoyed most about this book was that Jeanette chose to stay true to the part of herself her community hated so much and rebelled against the harmful rhetoric she was fed. She was not a perfect character by any means ( which is a theme discussed in the novel) yet in some ways admirable.
I also really loved the symbolism in this book. (You have the oranges symbolising forced views/ heterosexuality and Jeanette's lack of emotional support, as well as the demon and pebble which represent her journey and acceptance of herself.) These added that much more meaning to the story and contributed to my appreciation of the text as a whole.
While I absolutely loved some aspects of the magical realism and fantasy in this book-as they do relate to the events and discussions in the novel-I couldn't help but feel that these were slightly jarring in other parts and distrupted the flow of the story.There was a slight lack of depth in self evaluation and reflection as it was mostly substituted for humour or fantasy.
There was some amazing writing in this book but at times the prose was overly poetic to the point where I couldn't understand what the author's intent was. There were metaphors and imagery written in such a peculiar way that I had to go back and make sure I actually read them correctly and even then I didn't understand (granted that may just be my own fault).
Going in I knew " Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit" was going to be freakishly religious and as I abhor any type of organised religion I recognised that this may not be the type of book for me. In this regard I was right but I appreciate this book for being a classic/ canon in Lesbian literature. I'm glad I finally got around to reading it and maybe one day I will re-read this to fully enjoy it.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Homophobia and Religious bigotry