You need to sign in or sign up before continuing.
Take a photo of a barcode or cover
4.24 AVERAGE
4.24 AVERAGE
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Mental illness, Dementia
Moderate: Addiction, Suicide attempt
“And he was reminded of what they did there. That somewhere, right now, someone is waiting in line asking to be satiated. And those who serve them, who lord over nothing but a stainless-steel counter and its crumb-speckled dominion, stand at the end of the line saying, again and again, How can I help you? Because our kind has built a box using four walls and a roof and called it HomeMarket, called it McDonald's, Wendy's, Burger King, Burger Chef, Subway, Panda Express, Pizza Hut. Centuries from now, when the cosmos are no longer mysteries infinitely multiplied by syllables, they will unearth the ancient and mildewed libraries and understand us as the epoch that reheated chemically preserved sustenance we never cooked under red roofs, from which we asked How can I help you? endlessly, day and night, through droughts and earthquakes, through wars and floods and assassinated presidents, fallen towers and allegiances, impeachments and suicides, through birthdays, some so insignificant they will be forgotten even by those they crown, knowing so little can be kept — not even the gnomic words that nonetheless birth the histories between two people: Hello, Hai, Labas.”
i think ocean vuong was put on this earth to learn what it is to be human and then explain it to the rest of us using the most beautiful language imaginable.
i think ocean vuong was put on this earth to learn what it is to be human and then explain it to the rest of us using the most beautiful language imaginable.
emotional
inspiring
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Moderate: Addiction, Drug abuse
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
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
emotional
funny
hopeful
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
slow-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
how i found: recommend by my friend tiffany
took me 13 days to read: 07/27 - 08/08
honestly..
the book is beautifully written, and i think vuong is an incredibly eloquent writer. i like the way things are described and visualized. i like that we get to know each of the characters' quirks and personalities so vividly. honestly, there were many parts, especially in the first half of the book, that literally made me laugh out loud. this book is emotional but weirdly humorous at the same time. i also found many of the parts to be quite relatable, especially the pessimism and repetition relating to working in customer service. i unfortunately seem to have quite a bit of experience with that.
however, i honestly found the book to be pretty mundane and hard to read. i would get bored after a few pages and have to come back to it later. this is probably why it took me nearly 2 weeks to read (although it is also because i was on vacation). i also found the ending to be very sad and moving, but also a bit unsatisfying.
i can understand why many people speak so highly of this book, but i think it's maybe just not for me. i would find it difficult to recommend the book, but i think if vuong's writing style or genre is up your alley, it's worth giving it a shot.
took me 13 days to read: 07/27 - 08/08
honestly..
the book is beautifully written, and i think vuong is an incredibly eloquent writer. i like the way things are described and visualized. i like that we get to know each of the characters' quirks and personalities so vividly. honestly, there were many parts, especially in the first half of the book, that literally made me laugh out loud. this book is emotional but weirdly humorous at the same time. i also found many of the parts to be quite relatable, especially the pessimism and repetition relating to working in customer service. i unfortunately seem to have quite a bit of experience with that.
however, i honestly found the book to be pretty mundane and hard to read. i would get bored after a few pages and have to come back to it later. this is probably why it took me nearly 2 weeks to read (although it is also because i was on vacation). i also found the ending to be very sad and moving, but also a bit unsatisfying.
i can understand why many people speak so highly of this book, but i think it's maybe just not for me. i would find it difficult to recommend the book, but i think if vuong's writing style or genre is up your alley, it's worth giving it a shot.
slow-paced
Beautifully written, occasionally saccharine. A departure from his first person pseudo memoir style and I’m excited for that. A character driven novel with well fleshed out characters. And Sony is a lifelong friend now.