Sexing the Cherry by Jeanette Winterson (1989): A Review

Title: Sexing the Cherry

Author: Jeanette Winterson

Publication Year: 1989

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Pages: 144

Source: book (2nd hand)

Genre: literary fiction, Postmodernist Fiction, Historical Fiction

Having read Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit, I thought I knew what to expect—oh, how delightfully wrong I was! Sexing the Cherry packs a whirlwind of postmodern mischief and symbolism into such a slim volume that I was left spinning (in the best way). Before reading the first pages, I couldn’t help but wonder: why is it called Sexing the Cherry when the cover parades bananas and pineapples? No spoilers, but the book wastes no time unraveling that fruity little mystery.

This book doesn’t just break the historical fiction mold—it stomps on it, cartwheels over it, and then invites you to join a merry game of question-everything. Postmodernism here means nothing is safe: norms, identity, history, gender, time, space, love, even truth itself—all tossed into a literary blender. At first, you might ask yourself, "What on earth am I reading?"—and that’s half the fun. Every event and character feels like a clue in a madcap treasure hunt, daring you to chase down allusions and puzzle out meanings. The real delight is searching for sense in a book that gleefully resists making any sense in a sensical way.

Even if the story refuses to behave, there’s so much joy in teasing out the fruit symbolism (bananas, pineapples, cherries—oh my!), spotting fairy tale retellings (my personal favorite), and watching stories ripple through time as characters retell and reshape them. So, what’s it all about? This is the story of Jordan, an orphan plucked from the Thames by the formidable Dog Woman (yes, you read that right), embarking on globe-trotting adventures in search of his ideal love, Fortunata. Do not worry, Winterson gives enough and equal spotlight to both in different chapters. Along the way: floating city, city of words, historical cameos, timelines that zigzag, and fruits galore. Trying to catalog all the wild wonders would take another book! (Believe me! We did it in the book club! And the comments were longer than the book itself.) If you enjoy a playful romp through postmodern mayhem, this one’s for you. I had an absolute blast, especially chasing down all the hidden meanings and gleeful symbolism.