Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Jaelyn reviewed Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

Review of 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit ' on 'Storygraph'

5 stars

A beautiful but often traumatic navigation of coming out as queer in a fiercely Pentecostal family in Lancashire. Jeanette is brought up to be a missionary but when she falls for a girl the religious fervour of her family come own in the form of exorcisms and exile.

I’d also recommend ‘Why be Happy When You Could be Normal?’, which is Winterson’s autobiographical account of the time Oranges was based on.

Andrew (andrewspink@mastadon.green) reviewed Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

Review of 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' on 'Goodreads'

4 stars

I was not prepared for how humorous this book was. A couple of times it even made me laugh out loud. That made for a very enjoyable read, notwithstanding the serious issues that the book deals with. The book is famous for its discussion of sexuality (or at least that is why I first heard of it, years ago), but actually the central theme is the way that small religious groups are very controlling in the way they determine what and how their members think, and the struggle that some people have to escape from that. With the rise of the religious right in the US, this discussion is very timely, even though the book was written 25 years ago. However, I doubt that many Americans reading it will fully grasp the Northern English humour (but perhaps I do them an injustice there). Anyway, an entertaining and thought-provoking read, and …

I was not prepared for how humorous this book was. A couple of times it even made me laugh out loud. That made for a very enjoyable read, notwithstanding the serious issues that the book deals with. The book is famous for its discussion of sexuality (or at least that is why I first heard of it, years ago), but actually the central theme is the way that small religious groups are very controlling in the way they determine what and how their members think, and the struggle that some people have to escape from that. With the rise of the religious right in the US, this discussion is very timely, even though the book was written 25 years ago. However, I doubt that many Americans reading it will fully grasp the Northern English humour (but perhaps I do them an injustice there). Anyway, an entertaining and thought-provoking read, and my main criticism is that it is too short.

1readso reviewed Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

I liked it. The main character is very relatable.

4 stars

I can feel with her frustrations

Hilo reviewed Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson

Review of 'Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit' on 'Goodreads'

5 stars

Heartbreaking. Selber ein Ex-Fundie, finde ich meine Erfahrungen in sovielen der Gedanken wieder, die die Ich-Erzählerin hier beschreibt. Es ist v.a. die Auseinandersetzung mit Verlust und Schmerz, die mich am meisten bewegt.