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kamillaweka's review
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
2.5
litkive's review
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? N/A
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Tropic of Orange is quite the novel. Definitely very enjoyable and maybe quickest to read thanks to its short, easy sentences. I particularly liked the tone and syntax changes based on the character. At one point character introductions were unnecessary because the writing gave away whose perspective we were reading. As the other novels, Tropic of Orange touched upon many different themes and issues such as immigration, environmentalism, human trafficking, drugs, organ black market etc. It depicted an apocalyptic world in which we pick some things and choose to ignore others, and where displacement and stretching of space, time and humanity is normalized.
The elements of magical realism were very heavy, and I keep on wondering whether the choice of the orange has a deeper meaning. The fruit is a constant, a sort of string connecting seven lives that meet at different cross-overs.
I was particularly impressed by an early passage in the book when Buzzworm talks about trees, how he was taught the ‘correct’ way even if his trees looked different. I also enjoyed the, perhaps intentional, reference to ‘conversation pieces’, the Rococo high class paintings associated here with Buzzworm’s watches.
I was particularly impressed by an early passage in the book when Buzzworm talks about trees, how he was taught the ‘correct’ way even if his trees looked different. I also enjoyed the, perhaps intentional, reference to ‘conversation pieces’, the Rococo high class paintings associated here with Buzzworm’s watches.
Again, simulacra is a key word to me. Some references to the spectacle world were expected with the book being set in L.A. but it felt as if the TV was seen as a barrier from reality, a framework. Perhaps, because of the very nature of L.A., it was only here that the events of the book could have taken place. Another reoccurring theme I found is the dehumanization of humans, from an immigration perspective but also more broadly. Humans being reduced to something they own, something they have achieved or an object of desire and spectacle.
Border definitely are dominant, both in their geographical meaning, but also in their mental one. The novel plays with magical elements until the borders between fiction and reality cannot be seen anymore, until as a reader as well, it becomes difficult to distinguish the point from which magical realism takes over. It questions our sense of self and the other, stepping onto and over the line of our own definitions of the world. The more we reach the ending of the book though, the more confusing it gets with too many events, too many elements overlapping each other without a clear line to decipher them. It became hard to keep track of my own thoughts and to fully grasp the meaning of the book.
huunnybeee_'s review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.75
neridah's review against another edition
adventurous
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
Liked a lot of the elements in this one, particularly the narration voice, but it was a bit untethered for me
intorilex's review
4.0
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This book was a wonderful rumination of what unites and divides us. The characters explore class, race, real or imagined borders and the violent realities of poverty. Emi and Gabriel are a couple who chase after stories, and Buzzworm is a man who has the skills and hope to assist a homeless community. All of the characters serve a purpose and their existence and dialogue works on multiple levels. After a slow start I became completely engaged in how the characters come together to show just how hard existing can be if your not apart of mainstream society. The book covers the span of a week and changes point of views between different connected characters.
The writing is politically driven and there is commentary that makes sense in the context of the LA Riots which happened around the time this book was published. The political nature of the book may turn some people off, but I enjoyed the philosophical musings thrown in between very weird events. The Tropic of Cancer is "the most northerly circle of latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead, " according to Wikipedia. The Tropic of Orange is a tangible representation of the borders that separate our planet's hemispheres and countries. The books' events start to unravel as the Tropic of Orange is moved, LA's highways completely shutdown, and time and space begins to bend.
I admire this book's scope and ability to describe many different cultures, as they collide in people and occupy very different spaces.This book illustrates how important it is to develop an understanding for those we may ignore, and appreciate the value of diversity. The ending wraps up the sprawling events and characters nicely. The magical realism in the book was used well to adapt to the events and feelings that are hard to describe in our reality. I would recommend this book to readers who don't mind a slow start into an engaging politically driven narrative filled with magical realism.
This book was a wonderful rumination of what unites and divides us. The characters explore class, race, real or imagined borders and the violent realities of poverty. Emi and Gabriel are a couple who chase after stories, and Buzzworm is a man who has the skills and hope to assist a homeless community. All of the characters serve a purpose and their existence and dialogue works on multiple levels. After a slow start I became completely engaged in how the characters come together to show just how hard existing can be if your not apart of mainstream society. The book covers the span of a week and changes point of views between different connected characters.
"The assemblage of military might pointed at one's own people was horrific, as was the amassing of weapons and munitions by the people themselves."
The writing is politically driven and there is commentary that makes sense in the context of the LA Riots which happened around the time this book was published. The political nature of the book may turn some people off, but I enjoyed the philosophical musings thrown in between very weird events. The Tropic of Cancer is "the most northerly circle of latitude on the Earth at which the Sun can be directly overhead, " according to Wikipedia. The Tropic of Orange is a tangible representation of the borders that separate our planet's hemispheres and countries. The books' events start to unravel as the Tropic of Orange is moved, LA's highways completely shutdown, and time and space begins to bend.
"Talked about mythic realities, like everyone gets plugged into a myth and builds a reality around it. Or was it the other way around? Everybody gets plugged into a reality and builds a myth around it."
I admire this book's scope and ability to describe many different cultures, as they collide in people and occupy very different spaces.This book illustrates how important it is to develop an understanding for those we may ignore, and appreciate the value of diversity. The ending wraps up the sprawling events and characters nicely. The magical realism in the book was used well to adapt to the events and feelings that are hard to describe in our reality. I would recommend this book to readers who don't mind a slow start into an engaging politically driven narrative filled with magical realism.
nielsfeels's review
adventurous
challenging
dark
funny
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
moni____k's review
screaming, crying, throwing up. Oh my god this was SO GOOD. will be rereading and rerereading and rererereading.
esoken's review
challenging
dark
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.75
cornelio3's review
adventurous
challenging
funny
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.0
bri_rap's review against another edition
4.0
Fitting to have finished reading this on the summer solstice. I really liked this book. It's overtly political, but not in an annoying way. I was so intrigued by the happenings, but even more by the characters themselves and their roles in all that happened. There is SO much to unpack in this book, on so many levels, and I feel like multiple reads would continually surface new details and thoughts. I thoroughly enjoyed reading it.