Scan barcode
bookdragon217's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Life was full of failure, grief, and misery for everybody, but there certain people hellselected for an unstoppable battering."
Tropicália by Harold Rogers was a stunning debut. The writing is poetic and cuts so deep at times. The story is raw and gut wrenching. Rogers tightens the grip on the reader with a tension that can only be cut with a knife. This debut is stunning and I am so excited to read more of Roger's work in the future.
This story is told in multiple perspectives, all from different members of the same family. There is so much unresolved and unspoken grief and trauma and it fills the reader with so much angst as all the back stories unfold. In the backdrop is the immense poverty in Brazil caused by tourism, political unrest and the colorism that still divides Rio de Janeiro. The cast of characters are multidimensional, flawed and human in every sense of the word. Rogers portrayal does an amazing job of blurring the lines of 'good' and 'bad'.
Rogers' explores poverty, lack of choices, unfulfillment, alcoholism, unrequited love, fatherlessness, lust, unwanted pregnancy, abandonment, biracial identity, revenge and generational curses. After reading this one I'm left reflecting on the power of forgiveness, the human ability to change, the loss of regret and how sad life would be if we were judged by the worst moments of our lives without opportunity for redemption. It reminds how messy families can be but also how love brings about hope and how living in the past keeps us trapped in vicious cycles. Love can cause the deepest of wounds but also be restorative. It can blind you to make bad decisions but it also teaches you how to give grace. I can sum this one up by saying people find ways to numb the pain that lives in the heart and storytellers in families sift through all the broken glass and make a beautiful mosaic for the future generations to gaze at. This book was a beautiful disaster.
If you love generational stories that don't always have a happy ending, you'll totally be captivated by this one. If you loved The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, then this one will make a nice pairing. Thanks to @atriabooks for sending me a gifted copy.
Tropicália by Harold Rogers was a stunning debut. The writing is poetic and cuts so deep at times. The story is raw and gut wrenching. Rogers tightens the grip on the reader with a tension that can only be cut with a knife. This debut is stunning and I am so excited to read more of Roger's work in the future.
This story is told in multiple perspectives, all from different members of the same family. There is so much unresolved and unspoken grief and trauma and it fills the reader with so much angst as all the back stories unfold. In the backdrop is the immense poverty in Brazil caused by tourism, political unrest and the colorism that still divides Rio de Janeiro. The cast of characters are multidimensional, flawed and human in every sense of the word. Rogers portrayal does an amazing job of blurring the lines of 'good' and 'bad'.
Rogers' explores poverty, lack of choices, unfulfillment, alcoholism, unrequited love, fatherlessness, lust, unwanted pregnancy, abandonment, biracial identity, revenge and generational curses. After reading this one I'm left reflecting on the power of forgiveness, the human ability to change, the loss of regret and how sad life would be if we were judged by the worst moments of our lives without opportunity for redemption. It reminds how messy families can be but also how love brings about hope and how living in the past keeps us trapped in vicious cycles. Love can cause the deepest of wounds but also be restorative. It can blind you to make bad decisions but it also teaches you how to give grace. I can sum this one up by saying people find ways to numb the pain that lives in the heart and storytellers in families sift through all the broken glass and make a beautiful mosaic for the future generations to gaze at. This book was a beautiful disaster.
If you love generational stories that don't always have a happy ending, you'll totally be captivated by this one. If you loved The Inheritance of Orquídea Divina, then this one will make a nice pairing. Thanks to @atriabooks for sending me a gifted copy.
Content Warnings
Minor: Alcoholism, Cancer, Gun violence, Infidelity, Death of parent, Murder, and Abandonment
2treads's review against another edition
challenging
hopeful
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
There is a furious pacing to this family story, drenched in the heat, scene, and reality of Rio. Daniel, Lucia, and their mother all have unresolved and festering familial baggage. Each moving through their world coping apart yet with an air of delusion, not really acknowledging what is at the core of the schism that has held them all apart.
But Rogers takes us into the mind of each individual breaking down their past thoughts and actions and the rippling effects it had not only on each other but their very familial structure. Hurt people hurt people and selfish people completely damage psyches and identities. And then they emerge from the wreckage of themselves, moving towards mending fences and moving forward.
I enjoy multigenerational, multi-perspective novels, every voice builds the story out more and gives the reader more blocks from which they are able to garner more of a particular character. What an affecting read, I rooted for the family to heal together, it was not complete yet there ws that glimmer of hope that going forward the Cunhas would be better than the those who came before.
But Rogers takes us into the mind of each individual breaking down their past thoughts and actions and the rippling effects it had not only on each other but their very familial structure. Hurt people hurt people and selfish people completely damage psyches and identities. And then they emerge from the wreckage of themselves, moving towards mending fences and moving forward.
I enjoy multigenerational, multi-perspective novels, every voice builds the story out more and gives the reader more blocks from which they are able to garner more of a particular character. What an affecting read, I rooted for the family to heal together, it was not complete yet there ws that glimmer of hope that going forward the Cunhas would be better than the those who came before.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Drug use, Infidelity, Police brutality, Grief, Abortion, and Death of parent
Minor: Cancer, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Gun violence, Suicide, Terminal illness, Torture, Violence, and Car accident
lackadaisical_ally's review against another edition
dark
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
4.25
A very solid debut! The book is about the cycles of generational trauma; the sins of the father are the sins of the son, or whatever the quote is. The book showed how easily children can make the same mistakes of their parents and the hard work it takes to break that cycle.
The book is told Daniel and Lucia's POV with POVs from their various family members throughout the book. Daniel and Lucia's voices were well drawn; they each have distinct voices. Lucia is very likeable, which, obviously, because she's the Cunha who's fucked up the least. Daniel was someone who was going down the path of his family, but ultimately I liked where he ended.
The book has untranslated Portuguese. It didn't bother me because it was usually pretty easy to deduce the meaning in the context of the scene/sentence. There's also no quotation marks. It also didn't bother me, but I also don't understand the purpose of it in this book but also in general. I don't have a BFA in creative writing, so I'm perhaps too small brained to understand.
The book is told Daniel and Lucia's POV with POVs from their various family members throughout the book. Daniel and Lucia's voices were well drawn; they each have distinct voices. Lucia is very likeable, which, obviously, because she's the Cunha who's fucked up the least. Daniel was someone who was going down the path of his family, but ultimately I liked where he ended.
The book has untranslated Portuguese. It didn't bother me because it was usually pretty easy to deduce the meaning in the context of the scene/sentence. There's also no quotation marks. It also didn't bother me, but I also don't understand the purpose of it in this book but also in general. I don't have a BFA in creative writing, so I'm perhaps too small brained to understand.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Alcoholism and Death
Moderate: Gun violence, Police brutality, and Murder
Minor: Miscarriage
More...