RMC Book Club

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.

The RMC Book Club read Oreo during the 2024 spring semester. The discussion questions that guided our conversation are below.

1. What happened to Oreo’s dad?
2. Oreo parodies the myth of Theseus. Who was Theseus? Why do you think Ross based Oreo on him?
3. Why does she go looking for him?
4. What do you make of the equations, images, menu, etc?
5. Some critics have called the book a work of postmodern fiction. What is postmodernism? How does Oreo fit in postmodernism?
6. Have you read something like this before?
7. The book is often called a satire. What do you think is being satirized? Is it an effective satire?
8. Did you find Oreo funny?
9. What did you think of the different languages used? 
10. What is the secret of Oreo’s birth?
11. Overall the book can be pretty silly but is there anything you found serious or relatable?
12. If the characters aren’t relatable, is there something else to connect with in the novel?