This is the story of Jeanette, adopted and brought up by her mother as one of God's elect. Zealous and passionate, she seems seems destined for life as a missionary, but then she falls for one of her converts. At sixteen, Jeanette decides to leave the church, her home and her family, for the young woman she loves. Innovative, punchy and tender, Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a few days ride into the bizarre outposts of religious excess and human obsession. (19960627)
Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit
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Jeanette, the protagonist of Oranges Are Not The Only Fruit and the author's namesake, has issues--"unnatural" ones: her adopted mam thinks she's the Chosen one from God; she's beginning to fancy girls; and an orange demon keeps popping into her psyche. Already Jeanette Winterson's semi-autobiographical first novel is not your typical coming-of-age tale.
Brought up in a working-class Pentecostal family, up North, Jeanette follows the path her Mam has set for her. This involves Bible quizzes, a stint as a tambourine-playing Sally Army officer and a future as a missionary in Africa, or some other "heathen state". When Jeanette starts going to school ("The Breeding Ground") and confides in her mother about her feelings for another girl ("Unnatural Passions"), she's swept up in a feverish frenzy for her tainted soul. Confused, angry and alone, Jeanette strikes out on her own path, that involves a funeral parlour and an ice-cream van. Mixed in with the so-called reality of Jeanette's existence growing up are unconventional fairy tales that transcend the everyday world, subverting the traditional preconceptions of the damsel in distress.
In Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, Winterson knits a complicated picture of teenage angst through a series of layered narratives, incorporating and subverting fairytales and myths, to present a coherent whole, within which her stories can stand independently. Imaginative and mischievous, she is a born storyteller, teasing and taunting the reader to reconsider their worldview. --Nicola Perry
Review
"She is a master of her material, a writer in whom great talent abides" (Muriel Spark Vanity Fair )
"Many consider her to be the best living writer in this language... In her hands, words are fluid, radiant, humming" (Evening Standard )
"Even at a time when so many good and interesting novels are coming out, hers stand out as performances of real originality and extraordinary promise" (John Bayley )
"wonderful rites-of-passage novel... where the author's blossoming Sapphic nature leads her to eschew her mothers proffered favourite" (Mariella Frostrup )
"Still extraordinary, still brilliant" (Metro )
"Many consider her to be the best living writer in this language... In her hands, words are fluid, radiant, humming" (Evening Standard )
"Even at a time when so many good and interesting novels are coming out, hers stand out as performances of real originality and extraordinary promise" (John Bayley )
"wonderful rites-of-passage novel... where the author's blossoming Sapphic nature leads her to eschew her mothers proffered favourite" (Mariella Frostrup )
"Still extraordinary, still brilliant" (Metro )
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
81 of 86 people found the following review helpful
By "tintinbry"
Format:Paperback
'One of my earliest memories is me sitting on a sheep at Easter while she told me the story of the Sacrificial Lamb. We had it on Sundays with potato'.
This is just one of the many brilliantly quirky remarks of Jeanette that sparkle throughout Oranges. What so stands her apart from other modern writers in this novel is her signature frank style of writing - a refreshingly clean and matter-of-fact narrative, yet so flawlessly precise and so perfectly encapsulating of the emotions behind different experiences in life. Jeanette's idiosyncratic writing is one where every sentence shines with unadulterated beauty and raw poetic force. Her rare sensitivity and affinity with words and language itself is more than amazing - it is magical.
Oranges is more than Jeanette's autobiography weaven amidst fairytale myths and parables. It is more than a story about the struggle between religion and sexuality. It is the the story of all of us, it is our story. The betrayal of parental figures, the driving force of budding sexuality, the mixture of indifference and indignance towards an ex-lover, the innate loyalty to family deep within, all these are passages of life we all walk through, yet how often is it so penetratingly and unforgettably recorded in a chronicle that will be read again and again for many generations to come. Jeanette is the voice of a generation crying out for independence and the need to be true to our hearts; she is the hidden voice of all of us.
That perhaps is what really makes Oranges so special and personal, that behind Jeanette's dazzling prose we hear our story, our voice.
21 of 22 people found the following review helpful
By Raine
Format:Paperback
Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit was Jeanette Winterson's first novel, and it caused much controversy when it was first published in 1985 due to its heavy criticism of religious customs and superstitions. The main character in the book, Jeanette, is a teenage girl whose family is strongly religious of the Pentecostal faith, and who do not accept Jeannette for who she is. There are many biblical references in the text, as well as quotes, other stories, and historical occurrences.
Jeanette is more rebellious than her religion can allow her to be. She is interested in her sexuality and she experiments with her close friend Melanie, though due to their strict upbringings they are both quite naïve in this respect- neither of them really understand what they are doing. When her church community find out about their encounters, they rigorously exorcise Jeanette, and put her through several other punishments in the hope that her suffering will cleanse her. This may not be a common practice today, but it is often still a very Christian view, and Winterson is somewhat ruthless in portraying it.
There is more to the book than its sexual theme, however. The novel demonstrates the classic clash between an older and younger generation, particularly within a faith that is not willing to evolve with the ages. It is also a journey of self-discovery for Jeanette, and her quest to find her own truth outside of the religious conformity and authority she has always known.
Jeanette's mother has little tolerance for things she disagrees with, and she sees everything in black and white: to her, there is God and The Devil, and there is nothing in between. Hence, she tells Jeanette that 'oranges are the only fruit', but Jeanette is not convinced and is driven to seeking out other types of experience or way of life.
As a first novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is strikingly original and full of literary merit. Personally though I found the book hard to follow, as the themes Winterson uniquely covered at the time of release are now prevalent in many novels, so I found them to be a tad repetitive. I also struggled with some of the language in the book. It is not difficult to read exactly but I found that it took a lot of work to get through, as there is so much to think about in it. I think Oranges is perhaps better as a studied text than a book read for pleasure. I will add however that I am a fan of Winterson, and I think some of her other works which are far more enjoyable than Oranges have been overlooked by the critics.
Jeanette is more rebellious than her religion can allow her to be. She is interested in her sexuality and she experiments with her close friend Melanie, though due to their strict upbringings they are both quite naïve in this respect- neither of them really understand what they are doing. When her church community find out about their encounters, they rigorously exorcise Jeanette, and put her through several other punishments in the hope that her suffering will cleanse her. This may not be a common practice today, but it is often still a very Christian view, and Winterson is somewhat ruthless in portraying it.
There is more to the book than its sexual theme, however. The novel demonstrates the classic clash between an older and younger generation, particularly within a faith that is not willing to evolve with the ages. It is also a journey of self-discovery for Jeanette, and her quest to find her own truth outside of the religious conformity and authority she has always known.
Jeanette's mother has little tolerance for things she disagrees with, and she sees everything in black and white: to her, there is God and The Devil, and there is nothing in between. Hence, she tells Jeanette that 'oranges are the only fruit', but Jeanette is not convinced and is driven to seeking out other types of experience or way of life.
As a first novel Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is strikingly original and full of literary merit. Personally though I found the book hard to follow, as the themes Winterson uniquely covered at the time of release are now prevalent in many novels, so I found them to be a tad repetitive. I also struggled with some of the language in the book. It is not difficult to read exactly but I found that it took a lot of work to get through, as there is so much to think about in it. I think Oranges is perhaps better as a studied text than a book read for pleasure. I will add however that I am a fan of Winterson, and I think some of her other works which are far more enjoyable than Oranges have been overlooked by the critics.
19 of 21 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase
Jeanette Winterson has written a powerful novel which will challenge the reader on many different levels. Its treatment of the lifestory to young adulthood of a non-conformist woman is so real you can touch the emotion. The layering of one story on another demonstrates Miss Winterson's marvellous technique as a novelist, whilst the way she weaves the Pentateuch into her plot will send you racing to check the original! A great read and well worth a deeper look.
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Most Recent Customer Reviews
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good for book club, but no page turner
We read this recently in our book club (a group of aged twenty-something women) having had it recommended to us by the book club of one of our mothers, who raved about it. Read more
Published 4 days ago by An RE teacher
5.0 out of 5 stars
Wonderfully rhythmical
Saw Jeanette Winterson interviewed in the BBC some months ago and was really impressed with her ideas, her life, and the way she expressed herself. Read more
Published 11 days ago by Jo Skipp
5.0 out of 5 stars
Marvellous
Oranges is wonderfully written with engrossing characters and an engaging social setting, loved the surreal touches throughout, this writer`s talent is clearly evident in her first... Read more
Published 21 days ago by write on
5.0 out of 5 stars
Oranges are not the only Fruit
A moving and very funny book, of Jeanette Winterson's childhood and her attempts to find her birth parents. Wonderfully told.
Published 1 month ago by SA
5.0 out of 5 stars
Good read
I was asked to read this for research and I liked most of it. Sometimes it went off at a tangent at times, but generally a good book.
Published 1 month ago by Kirsty Chapman
5.0 out of 5 stars
Lesbian love.
I watched this series in the eighties and loved it. It was so different, stimulating from the 'normal' TV series.
Published 1 month ago by Margaret Gorman
1.0 out of 5 stars
Not to my taste
This book was not to my taste, it depressed me particularly the mother with her obsession !
I couldnt even finish the book.
I couldnt even finish the book.
Published 2 months ago by MsCatherine
4.0 out of 5 stars
very reasonable condition for price
great book and bargain price slightly shoddy condition didnt detract from enjoyment.Appears to have been an old school book!-school stamp inside.
Published 2 months ago by dorothy harrison
5.0 out of 5 stars
brilliant book
a good read and loving that all my purchases by this author have similar covers which will look very good on my bookcase your gonna see that a lot in my reviews
Published 2 months ago by Ms. Amanda P. Blondel
5.0 out of 5 stars
Genius
One of my all time favourite books. She explores human nature better than any author. Jeanette Winterson knows more of the human psyche than most analysts.
Published 2 months ago by eileen Daugherty
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