A review by miocyon
Tropic of Orange by Karen Tei Yamashita

4.0

Magical realism spread across the stage of LA. I read this as a finalist for the upcoming year’s Common Book, the theme of which is ‘Los Angeles’. It is definitely a Los Angeles novel, following seven residents, of varying backgrounds as they navigate the city that seems to be coming apart at the seems to reveal its underlying roots (to mix metaphors, which this book seems to do a lot). Along the way it touches on ideas about migration, multiculturalism, economic exploitation, inheritance, and more i.e., all the things that make up LA. As such, I kept thinking this book was more recent that it is (1997), because the issues are all still salient today. I loved it for the most part. The characters are distinct, knowable, and likable, and the stage of LA is portrayed in all of its beauty and ugliness. The only reason I didn’t give it five stars is that it seems to take on so much for such a small book. The themes and metaphors smash into each other, making the end a bit of a muddled mess.