Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #4403 in Books
• Published on: 1990-09-06
• Binding: Paperback
• 144 pages

Amazon.co.uk Review
Set in 17th century London, Sexing the Cherry is about the journeys taken by the boisterous Dog-Woman and her son Jordan: journeys across seas to find bananas and pineapples; journeys through time that weave snatches of the present with tales of Charles 1 and Oliver Cromwell; journeys in search of the self. As mothers go, the Dog-Woman takes some beating. She's a giant, wrapped in a skirt that could "serve as a sail for some wartorn ship" and strong enough to fling an elephant into the air. She's hideous too, with smallpox scars on her face where fleas live, a flat nose and black, broken teeth. To top it all, she's a "fantasist, a liar and a murderer". But her son, Jordan, is proud of her--who else has a mother who can hold a dozen oranges in her mouth at once?

Like the best of Winterson's writing, such as Oranges are not the Only Fruit and The Passion, the novel is engaging, ambitious and contrary. Alongside a hearty historical realism, young girls swoon in locked towers that don't exist, islands slip sideways in time and mysterious diseases wipe out towns and cities. Even though Sexing the Cherry is short, it is impossible to read it in a straight line--fairy tales and dreams run in and out of the text and it's hard to resist chasing them. There is an exceptional playfulness at work too--an unravelling of the most solid of historical facts and fantastically unconventional fairy tales in which princesses smash the skulls of their princes with silver candlesticks or become worn and grey "like old sweaters". --Jane Honey

Synopsis
Set in 17th-century England this is a novel of magical fantasy that celebrates the power of imagination as it juggles the readers perception of history and reality. A novel about love and sex; lies and truths; and 12 dancing princesses who lived happily ever after, but not with their husbands.

Customer Reviews

Simply Bizarre!
This is msot definitly a book to make you think. Though it is blessed with Winterson's always spectacular writing, the style is very different. If you are looking for a basic structured novel simple telling a story, then this is not for you.
Sexing The Cherry is an unusual book, filled with numerous little tales that all add to the brilliance of the book.
Interesting characters, fantastic writing, and ideas to play on your mind, this book is truely unique.

Fantastic
For me, this is Winterson's best work. It is a book I have read many times but never once tired of. Winterson covers a great many truths without making the reader aware of it! It reads like a wonderful, fluid story of wonder but reveals much more on closer inspection. Highly recommended.

A fruitful read to say the least
If you've never read any Jeanette Winterson before, this is a great place to start. It is very indicative of her style and will lure you into her unique literary world. The narrative is split between two very likeable, magical characters who let you explore their fantastically bizarre lives. Don't be afraid of the idea of a fantasy read; Winterson's dry, cynical humour and visual characterisation grounds the book in a way that means even if you start to think 'erm, just what's going on here' your laughter will drown it out. The novel tackles issues on time, gender and history and I would certainly recommend it to all English Literature students (particularly those studying magic realism and the Fantastic). Even if you're not academically involved, read this book to sweep you away from whatever you are involved in.