Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit by Jeanette Winterson (1985): A Review

Title: Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

Author: Jeanette Winterson

Publication Year: 1985

Pages: 171 pages

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Genre: Semi-autobiographical, Queer, Feminism

Source: Book

Upon revisiting Jeanette Winterson's "Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit," I found myself immersed in a refreshingly complex pool of emotions. This semi-autobiographical gem chronicles the life of young Jeanette—who shares her name with the author—after her adoption by fervent evangelists so strict they'd consider having coffee on Sunday morning an act of rebellion.

What unfolds is one of the most poignant yet darkly humorous coming-of-age tales imaginable. Jeanette's search for identity—particularly as a lesbian in a family, community, and society that appear to be from a different planet or see Jeanette from a different planet, depending on which planet you belong to—will resonate with anyone who has felt like a mismatched puzzle piece. Her journey to find agency in a world of denial is challenging, to say the least, and makes you question whether oranges are the only fruit. What about other fruits?

Winterson's signature style reads like a literary maze, peppered with cultural references. Her allusions to other texts are so abundant that without either extensive literary knowledge or Wikipedia at hand, you might miss some clever jokes. Yet the story's dark, sardonic humor makes even the heaviest moments bearable. I cherish how dark humor illuminates the bleakest stories, helping us navigate through without losing ourselves or our hope—even if that hope might be nothing more than sweet illusion.

Rather than dissect every layer of this book or detail Jeanette's struggles further, I'll say this: you need to experience this narrative firsthand. Lose yourself in Winterson's world, and you might discover a slice of hope—or at least find yourself laughing in the midst of chaos. Happy reading!