A review by reallivejim
Tropic of Cancer by Henry Miller

challenging reflective tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

Wanted to enjoy this more than I did. Generally speaking, I’m very ok with episodic/stream-of-consciousness/deeply interior stories lacking cohesive propulsive action, and I’d even take that further to say that I’m also generally happy with a narrator and characters who aren’t likeable. Altogether, however, this one just didn’t captivate or intrigue me as much as its reputation led me to hope. Undoubtedly Henry Miller inks some incredible turns of phrase, and I found the sections that introspect upon sense-of-place to be particularly compelling, but the character work and even the oscillations between romanticism and nihilism didn’t coalesce effectively, at least not for me. With all this said, I could envision reading more of his work, I just don’t know that I’ll pursue something as free-form when coming back.