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Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit cover art

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

By: Jeanette Winterson
Narrated by: Jeanette Winterson
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Summary

Winner of the Whitbread Prize for best first fiction.

Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit is a coming-out novel from Winterson, the acclaimed author of The Passion and Sexing the Cherry.

The narrator, Jeanette, cuts her teeth on the knowledge that she is one of God’s elect, but as this budding evangelical comes of age and comes to terms with her preference for her own sex, the peculiar balance of her God-fearing household crumbles.

©1985 Jeanette Winterson (P)2015 Audible, Ltd
  • Unabridged Audiobook
  • Categories: LGBTQ+

The Pride List of Queer Storytelling

To mark Pride 2023 Audible teamed up with non-profit organisation, Out on the Page, supporter and champion of LGBTQIA+ writers and writing, to release an extensive Pride List of Queer Storytelling. Featuring contributions from some of the UK’s most important and exciting voices from the LGBTQIA+ community, this audiobook is one of the many featured on the list that is available to listen to on Audible.

What listeners say about Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

Weighing up the church and personal beliefs

Jeanette Winterson's classic semi-autobiographical story about growing up as a lesbian in a devoutly religious family shows the internal battle she had to deal with as a young girl. The exorcism scene is comically tragic as it's horrifying to think about how a girl is not accepted for who she is. An interesting story, but at times seemed a little repetitive.

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13 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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I love everything Jeanette writes.

What made the experience of listening to Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit the most enjoyable?

I think it was enhanced by the author reading
I think this always gives a more enjoyable experience, as the nuances and inflections are exactly as the authors intended.

What was one of the most memorable moments of Oranges Are Not the Only Fruit?

Hard to say as I adore everything Jeanette writes !

Have you listened to any of Jeanette Winterson’s other performances? How does this one compare?

I have listened to Why be happy when you can be normal, and loved that, but I think I may be somewhat biased!

Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?

The relationship between mother and daughter was particularly emotional for me

Any additional comments?

Next on my list is Sexing the cherry read by the fabulous Juliet Stevenson

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10 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Wonderfully Brilliant and Relevant

I have heard of this audiobook for a number of years now from other wlw groups. There's few lesbian books out there, and most of them seem far more focused on the sex aspect than of the actual challenges that gay women face. Having come from a very similar background as the book's protagonist, I decided to cave-in and give this a lesson. I am delighted that I did. I felt as though I had a special connection to the protagonist, having also come from a very religious family. Some of the tidbits that Jeanette Winterson has added, including learning to move-on from toxicity, have been very beneficial to me, particularly through this holiday season. My own family and church had abandoned me as well, and so I quite understood what the protagonist had gone through. Particularly because I also was very much involved with the church prior to coming out.

This was truly a fantastic listen. Thank you Jeanette Winterson!

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8 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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  • K
  • 04-10-19

A Literary Victoria Wood

You can't help it when you listen to this book to think of the late Victoria Wood and her gentle satire of the bourgeoise attitudes of the aspiring working classes. Both from Lancashire, parallels will be drawn between Wood and Winterson, not just because of place but also because of a shared motif. I assume because Winterson's themes include religion and sexuality and their elements of controversy she is thought of as literary - Wood merely light entertainment. I personally don't find Winterson's style or content that weighty. Perhaps her use of parables which pepper her narrative was intended to give the novel gravitas, but I actually found those interludes unsubtle and tedious. The narrative itself conveys theme and symbolism enough without the quasi-religious element (although I do get the intended irony and allusion). Perhaps Winterson's craft is to get the reader thinking about other people's struggles while smiling.

Surprisingly, I also enjoyed Winterson's reading. Mostly, author's attempting to read their own work crash and burn - not so here.

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8 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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The novel that gave me my wings

This is one of the most inspiring and life changing novels I have had the privilege of reading and exploring. With creativity, emotion, passion and imagination, The writer / reader transports me into a beautiful world in which her fictional and nonfictional experiences help me develop a sense of identity and self. It is a beautiful and colourful novel, novel, which would have taken determination and courage to write and read, and every word was a pleasure to hear.

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5 people found this helpful

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A great story; a great book; a great rendition

Based loosely on her life, as is any story, Jeanette Winterson reads her book with the feeling, nuance and humour that only an author can bring to their own work. Read it many years ago but her reading gives the tale vibrancy.

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4 people found this helpful

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Inspiring and empathetic

I fell in love with Jeanette, whose retelling of her experience in fictional form helped me sort through some of my own feelings. The performance was poignant and engaging, the characterisation believable and inspiring.

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3 people found this helpful

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    5 out of 5 stars
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Superb!

Very funny, honest and open. I love the juxtaposition of humour and difficulty which runs throughout the narrative .

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3 people found this helpful

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    4 out of 5 stars
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mildly satisfied about the book

I have read and listened to better books by J.W.
this was her first book so I guess a style still looking for himself.
Average overall.

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3 people found this helpful

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    3 out of 5 stars
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I wanted to love this book, but was disappointed

I sincerely wanted my mind to be blown away by this book and unfortunately, that just didn't happen. The Fairytale writing element, did make sense to me at the beginning; but it completely baffled and bored me by the end.

Jeanette Winterson's narration of the Audiobook, was very good. However, the Audiobook did skip,very slightly on two occasions.

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2 people found this helpful