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Oreo
Oreo | Fran Ross
27 posts | 24 read | 44 to read
A pioneering, dazzling satire about a biracial black girl from Philadelphia searching for her Jewish father in New York City Oreo is raised by her maternal grandparents in Philadelphia. Her black mother tours with a theatrical troupe, and her Jewish deadbeat dad disappeared when she was an infant, leaving behind a mysterious note that triggers her quest to find him. What ensues is a playful, modernized parody of the classical odyssey of Theseus with a feminist twist, immersed in seventies pop culture, and mixing standard English, black vernacular, and Yiddish with wisecracking aplomb. Oreo, our young hero, navigates the labyrinth of sound studios and brothels and subway tunnels in Manhattan, seeking to claim her birthright while unwittingly experiencing and triggering a mythic journey of self-discovery like no other.
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review
Cortg
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Mehso-so

This was written in 1974 during the black arts movement. It‘s a satire story about a half black, half Jewish girl who is given clues to find her father. The story is also a mythology retelling of Theseus, though honestly, that part kinda lost me. #Booked2022
@4thhouseontheleft @Cinfhen @BarbaraTheBibliophage

Cinfhen Looks like you have the WHOLE beach to yourself!!!!!! Lucky 🍀 2y
Cortg Pretty much! We‘re in the OBX a mile from where the road ends, all the way at the top! 😂 2y
37 likes2 comments
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Bradleygirl
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Can‘t quite believe it but I have a lineup for the #readharder challenge sooooooo. Here goes! yes I know. It‘s mid-February 🤓🙄
#readharder2020 #bookriotchallenge

review
sarahbarnes
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

This book is a hilarious ride from start to finish. It‘s a brilliant spin on the Greek myth of Theseus. It‘s terrible that the book went out of print in Ross‘ lifetime and that she never got to know that it came back into print and received some of the recognition it deserves after her death. #LitsyAtoZ

31 likes1 stack add
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sarahbarnes
Oreo | Fran Ross
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“She still had to get inside to go through her father‘s bookshelf. She was still a bit pissed off at Samuel for falling out of the fool window before he had told her the secret of her birth.” This book is a complete riot.

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Ruthiella
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

This book was a lot of fun but also pretty crazy. It is based on the myth of Theseus which I actually got it because I had previously read The King Must Die by Mary Renault. I don‘t remember If Oreo actually has a #kinkyafro or not but she might have given the book was first published in 1974 and is contemporary. ☮️

#RedroseSeptember

arlenefinnigan Cool cover! 5y
Ruthiella @arlenefinnigan It‘s groovy! 😀 5y
batsy This book seems to have great covers in every edition 🙂 5y
See All 6 Comments
Cinfhen Awesome cover and graphics 5y
Ruthiella @batsy Agree! The library copy I read had a really cool textual cover.😀 5y
Ruthiella @Cinfhen Thanks 😀 5y
27 likes1 stack add6 comments
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REPollock
Oreo | Fran Ross
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1. 👆👍
2. I worked on the Hagrid body-padding for the Broadway Harry Potter show
3. Mexican, bc I can eat all of it even tho I‘m gluten/soy-intolerant
4. I do but honestly I don‘t know how many. We aren‘t close to that part of the family and I lost track of how many kids they have.
5. Will do!
#friyayintro @howjessreads

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Leftcoastzen
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

What a book! Clever & boisterous in spirit,Fran Ross interweaves Yiddish,wordplay,mystery,puns, & the myth of Theseus In Oreos journey to find her runaway Jewish father.Her descriptions of the history of her black mothers family who raised her ,is full of humor & wit about the human condition.Yet , I can understand that there is so much going on in this book , some people might not enjoy it.Glad I read it though I may have missed some references .

Booksnchill Good to see this review I own this but my cover is bright red 6y
Leftcoastzen @Booksnchill You probably have the New Directions one. 6y
batsy Great review! 6y
40 likes3 stack adds3 comments
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Leftcoastzen
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pretty bad at #24B4Monday I really can‘t keep a clear schedule.Saw Patton Oswalt , so funny . That was planned .A friend came town , didn‘t think I‘d hang with her till this week,forgot about the historic home tour on Sunday.....
Only about 6 and a half hours total.Still working on Oreo and started The Lonely City.I did finish 2 books during my readathon attempt.Maybe someday...

DivineDiana Good job! 👏🏻📚👏🏻 6y
Andrew65 Finishing two books and clocking up over six hours is still a good achievement. 👏 Thanks for playing along. 😊👏👍 6y
batsy That Oreo cover! 6y
See All 6 Comments
Leftcoastzen @batsy It‘s from a university press circa 2000 , they don‘t spend a ton on cover art.It‘s by Leslie Evans,looks like pen and ink? But they don‘t say.There are other titles in series,Northeastern Library of Black Literature edited by Richard Yarborough. (edited) 6y
batsy Cool! Honestly thought it was a 70s edition. Some of those pen and ink covers have such a retro vibe. 6y
Leftcoastzen @batsy good call! Since it was originally published in 1974 , they were going for that retro look. 6y
61 likes1 stack add6 comments
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Kshakal
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Holy creme Batman!!!

dariazeoli The filling‘s the best part! 6y
Smangela I used to only eat the creme out of the middle of oreos so 8-year-old me would have loved these. But 29-year-old me really likes a balanced ratio 😂 6y
Elizabeth2 Oreos are one of the few safe cookies for a milk allergy & my son is anaphylactic to milk. We‘ve been buying every flavor and variety for years. THIS. IS. OUR. FAVORITE. The only trouble is the package is too small. 😉 6y
See All 7 Comments
Booknerd222 I have a feeling this wouldn‘t be as good with peanut butter like he regular stuffed or the thin Oreos. Yes, I love peanut butter and Oreos 😍 6y
Ashley_Nicoletto Oh my gosh. 🤭 6y
BethM I talked myself out of these.... 6y
Karkar Oh I want these so bad!!!! 6y
41 likes7 comments
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REPollock
Oreo | Fran Ross
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1. OMG the tagged book is hilarious.

2. June

3. Thankfully, no. I‘m not a kid person.

4. Fritos!

5. 🥂🎉😄👍❤️📚

#friyayintro
@jesshowbooks

review
REPollock
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

Wow! The 2nd book I‘ve ever read with a Black Jewish female protagonist. This was so complex and contemporary and I‘m glad it‘s back in print, though it‘s sad that the author died before it happened. It‘s weird and postmodern and satirical and erudite and not for everyone but I really enjoyed it. Lots to think about.

callielafleur I love these flowers. I had similar ones, but the groundhogs just love to feast on them as soon as they bloom. Are they in your garden? 6y
Eggs Lantana!! 6y
REPollock @callielafleur they are up the street from my house! These are tall enough that it would take some big, smart groundhogs to bring them down. 6y
pgh.femme Gorgeous photo and intriguing description. Shelved! 6y
15 likes1 stack add4 comments
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REPollock
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Just started this. I know it‘s satire but it also is postmodern and absurdist/fabulist and I‘m loving it.

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rockpools
Oreo | Fran Ross
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#currentlyreading.

I'm well aware that a good portion of this is flying over the top of my head at speed. But I'm massively enjoying it anyway.

57 likes3 stack adds
review
Moray_Reads
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

Ferociously funny and fiendishly clever Oreo tells the legend of Theseus with utterly marvellous half-black, half-Jewish Christine (Oreo) as protagonist. This satire is razor-sharp and it WILL cut you at some point because the humour runs very close to the knuckle, you might wince but you'll definitely laugh. Its postmodern structure with its fragments, diagrams, equations and subsections is a delight if you like that sort of thing (I do) 👇

Moray_Reads One of the funniest, most original books I've read this year. NB I very much recommend you brush up on your basic knowledge of Theseus to catch all of the ingenious, hilarious allusions 6y
TrishB Great review 👍🏻 6y
saresmoore Agreed with @TrishB —this sounds refreshing! 6y
49 likes6 stack adds3 comments
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shawnmooney
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Bailedbailed

Bailed a fifth of the way in. It‘s good for me to try a satirical novel every once in a while to reconfirm that I absolutely loathe satire.

HippieChickHomeschool I had high hopes for this one, but couldn‘t make it through either. 7y
40 likes1 stack add1 comment
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krismarie_7
Oreo | Fran Ross
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I'm absolutely obsessed with this picture of Oreo snuggling his blankly 😂😂

JoScho So sweet! 7y
wanderinglynn Aww ... what a sweetie! ❤️🐶 7y
TheLibrarian How adorable! 7y
GripLitGrl 🐕😍 7y
35 likes5 comments
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batsy
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Today's #rockinmay was a bit of a challenge, @Cinfhen. But I did my googling. 😂 Nothing on my shelves, unfortunately, but this is a book I really want to read. Fran Ross was born in Philadelphia and early sections of the book are set in Philly as well, I believe. #philadephiafreedom

Cinfhen I've already stacked this one, but didn't realize the Philly connection 💕awesome 🙌🏻I agree, today is tricky but Littens are super creative 😀 8y
batsy @Cinfhen So glad New Directions put this out again... Will try to get a paper copy, the cover is fab. 8y
21 likes1 stack add2 comments
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DebinHawaii
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Day15 #seasonsreadings2016 #weneeddiversebooks Litsy & all of you Littens have helped increase the number of diverse books I've read or added to my TBR pile. These 6 books are recent #blameitonlitsy additions based on recommendations. The top 3 I read/listened to & loved (Underground Railroad review coming soon) & the bottom 3 I downloaded or have on hold through the library to be read soon. Thanks for helping expand my mind along w/my TBR pile!🤓

BethFishReads Great looking group there!!! 8y
B.Reader Great group! Loved If I Was Your Girl and Underground Railroad. Excellent picks! 8y
Zelma Great choices. I've only read two from your bottom row but all are on my TBR. 8y
AmandaL Homegoing is one of my favorite reads this year. 8y
RealLifeReading Another Brooklyn was such a good read. I loved that she managed to say so much in such a short book 8y
108 likes5 comments
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EvieBee
Oreo | Fran Ross
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On sale today for $1.99 on #Amazon ! A biracial young woman leaves her home in Philadelphia to find her Jewish father in New York. Back in print since its publication in 1974. #kindle #kindledeals

BooksForYears I bought a copy! 8y
vivastory Going to buy right now. Thanks! 8y
See All 7 Comments
booksbythecup I waited too long and missed the deal. 😯 8y
EvieBee @r3ad3rsan0nym0us Oh no! Hopefully they mark it down again. 8y
SarahRotenberry It‘s back on special! 7y
50 likes1 stack add7 comments
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Lola
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Wow! What a great deal! This book was originally published in 1974, then was re-released and in last year's TOB. I've seen it on "best books you've never read" and "great authors you've never heard of" lists. Called ahead of its time, I think it's found its time is now. Here is the NYT review: http://mobile.nytimes.com/2015/07/15/books/review-oreo-a-sandwich-cookie-of-a-fe...

21 likes2 stack adds
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Cydster61
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Just finished Oreo. I made a commitment that 50% of the books I would read in 2016 would be by people of color and it looks like I will make that goal. Have others "set yourself a practice " to diversify your reading in some way? #diversebooks

charl08 Yup. Last year I read from a list of books by African women writers put together by the blogger Bookshy. Mind expanding. 8y
5 likes1 comment
review
halleycat
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

Twas GOOD and CLEVER

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Sue
Oreo | Fran Ross
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I did get #bookmail albeit not the bookmail I was expecting. I have heard such good things about this one but couldn't find an electronic of it anywhere. So I ordered an actual paper copy from Amazon. Yay.

BookishFeminist I have this too but haven't read it yet. I've also heard great things about it! 8y
Sue @BookishFeminist Do you wanna read it together? That might be fun. 8y
BookishFeminist @Sue Sure! That would be fun. 👍🏼 8y
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Sue Yay! Let me know when suits - I won't be able to pick it up till Sept at least. 8y
Sue @BookishFeminist The dope who wrote the above forgot to tag you lol 8y
BookishFeminist @Sue LOL. I do that all the time, no worries. How does mid Sept sound? 8y
Sue @BookishFeminist That sounds great :) It's a book-date :) 8y
BookishFeminist @Sue 🖐🏼 high five! It's on my calendar to check back in 😊 8y
Sue @BookishFeminist 🖐🏼Totes awesomesauce!! 8y
Cinfhen Can't wait to hear about this one...I think my book club might find it entertaining🤓 8y
kay89 I found it really smart and funny, but a lot of it went over my head. Reading it as part of a book club sounds like a great idea! Awesome cover though! 8y
76 likes3 stack adds11 comments
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moraghastie_author
Oreo | Fran Ross
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7 likes1 stack add
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bookloversnevergotobedalone
Oreo | Fran Ross
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Pickpick

Great find thanks to TOB. A satirical look at a mixed race girl on a journey to find her father. Written in 1974, ahead of it's time yet truly of its time. I laughed out loud and cheered Oreo on every step of the way.

Sue I've been trying to find a digital version of this book with little success. It sounds awesome. 9y
3 likes1 stack add2 comments
review
BradJohnson
Oreo | Fran Ross
Pickpick

Funny & experimental, Fran Ross' only book was flatly ignored when it was published in the 70s. Bless New Directions for re-issuing. This is the one of favorite books some of your favorite writers.

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Cloudy
Oreo | Fran Ross
Pickpick

Wild, hilarious, one of the funniest books I've ever read.

5 likes1 stack add