Reviews with content warning for Homophobia - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Usually, I don't go for slow-paced books, yet I think this is one of the most beautifully written books I've ever read, so I clearly don't regret it. The prose was just splendid, surely because Vuong is originally a poet.

The book is actually a letter from a son, named Little Dog, to his mother who cannot read. The letter traces their family history, largely affected by Vietnam War; how they never really found peace but still want to build a future in America. It's a story about violence, growing up alone, family issues, passion, and life.

Since I'm not familiar with this kind of book, sometimes I found myself a bit lost in the storytelling and the rhythm was too slow. But overall this book was heartbreaking, meaningful, and full of life.

Some of my favorite quotes :
"They say nothing lasts forever but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it"

"Sometimes being offered tenderness feels like the very proof that you've been ruined"

Content Warnings

eve_o's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

Content Warnings

steph_canread's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

Content Warnings

marinapetal's review against another edition

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challenging emotional informative sad medium-paced

5.0

i started this book, barely read a page and immediately thought “am i actually ready for this?”. this kind of writing you need to process and appreciate properly!

ocean vuong is simply outstanding! or i just rarely encounter good books these days. it’s giving me sad nostalgia, vivid images in my head, impossible to look away from the text, i want it to engulf me.

this book is so amazing, impossible to forget and will shatter your heart.

Content Warnings

markandcover's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

Content Warnings

heyshannonhall's review against another edition

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This was so incredibly beautiful. Other reviewers have said they were left wanting more, which I get, but I love the way this novel was written—scattered, emotional, and poetic. It's like Vuong put into words how you often remember traumatic events in life, when it's hard to bring to memory the full picture, but little details stand out. My phone contains so many pictures of lines from this book that resonated with me (since I checked it out from the library and couldn't write in it).

CW for drugs and overdose deaths, which I wish I would have known going in, but reading it was actually very healing for me.

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