Reviews tagging 'Grief'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

358 reviews

julia_rose's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense slow-paced

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

4.5

Definitely the most beautiful prose I’ve ever witnessed in my life, I underlined so many incredible sentences. At one point he describes his language like a shipwreck very fragmented with pieces coming to the shore out of order and that’s a good description of how the plot unfolds. Occasionally hard to follow but not impossible and amazing portrayal of flawed but endearing characters. So sad and emotional with tiny sparks of hope. There was a scene of animal cruelty early on in the book which really turned me off for a while but the whole book is impressively unflinching. Will definitely be reading all Ocean’s future books. It’s just gorgeous, excuse the pun!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Death, Homophobia, and Grief

Moderate: Addiction, Mental illness, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Murder, Toxic friendship, and War

Minor: Abortion

sir_ren's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional funny inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

Especially in the beginning some of the writing felt a little forced and gave some bad Tumblr/Insta poetry energy, but hey, Vuong is an award-winning writer and I'm just reviewing his novel. I mention this because, people raved about his writing specifically, and don't get me wrong there is a lot to love, but I had to mention this part as well, for a realistic picture. Maybe it's just his style and I happen to not like that approach.

This book also made me genuinely laugh aloud a couple of times, sometimes due to the line itself and sometimes due to all the tenseness and heaviness that you let go of, with the laugh, that Vuong had been building up.
The writing shifts from personal essay-type prose to formal serious report-type factual writing. Then it switches to lyrical fiction and Vuong writes all of these styles really well. Some sections are written like poetry- line breaks and all-and it builds and sounds good read aloud. So poetry then.
There are a lot of themes full of richness that was explored which feel really vulnerable and gripping - the kind people would say is important, even if it gets a little uncomfortable. The "real" feelings evoked and insight shared remind you of Hemingway- sit at a typewriter and bleed.
 The details and content give the novel the kind of verisimilitude that reminded me of Murakami. 

I advice going through some content warnings for this one as it contains a lot of dark/heavy topics.

I would recommend this for slightly experienced readers and not young teens, not just because of the content, but also the style of writing. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Physical abuse, and Sexual content

Moderate: Animal death, Bullying, Death, Domestic abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Grief, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and Alcohol

__manu___'s review against another edition

emotional reflective sad slow-paced

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

3.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty and Animal death

Moderate: Addiction, Bullying, Death, Racism, Terminal illness, Xenophobia, Grief, and Abortion

Minor: Cancer, Sexual content, Car accident, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

discluvs's review against another edition

challenging emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Mental illness, Racism, Xenophobia, Grief, and War

koyuki5's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring 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? No

5.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, and Grief

adelaidecooper's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cancer, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Car accident, and Classism

marissasa's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring reflective sad medium-paced

• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes

5.0

This book is stunningly beautiful and raw. There are really no adequate words strong enough to describe the way Ocean Vuong writes, no way to describe how his writing is so lyrical and poetic that it makes your chest both warm and shiver after you read a particularly astounding line. Every sentence and word in this book felt so intentional and charged with meaning, and it felt so deeply personal in a way that makes you want to cry at how much pain and care is behind every word written to his mother even with the knowledge that she cannot read it. The metaphors, symbolism, incredible imagery, and seamless shifting of the narration between a present moment and a past memory were all masterfully used in this book to craft a story that will definitely stick with me for a long time. There were so many hauntingly gorgeous quotes I read that made me think of things in ways I never did before, and that is a testament to how thoroughly impressive and beautiful this book was and how immeasurably talented Ocean Vuong is.

"You once told me that the human eye is god's loneliest creation. How so much of the world passes through the pupil and still it holds nothing. The eye, alone in its socket, doesn't even know there's another one, just like it, an inch away, just as hungry, as empty. Opening the front door to the first snowfall of my life, you whispered, 'Look.'"

"All this time I told myself we were born from war—but I was wrong, Ma. We were born from beauty. Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence—but that violence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it."

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, Abortion, Death of parent, and War

yolie's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional 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

4.25

This book needs you to take your time. Although the novel appears slim it is quite dense in terms of the content and Vuong’s prose. Some chapters read more like short stories and long form poetry than a linear account. The book has moments of absolute hopelessness, you’re shattered by Little Dog’s accounts of growing up an Asian immigrant in America, gay and poor. His one-sided and ill-fated relationship with Trevor makes me cautious (and sad) to say he is Little Dog's 'first love'. So much of their relationship is marred by Trevor's homophobia and recklessness. 

I wish less time was spent on that relationship and more weight was given to the other significant relationships in his life and the milestones he achieves in his adulthood. 

But there’s beauty in it too - a nod to the book’s title. Vuong/ Little Dog is able to hold so much compassion for people, he chooses to see them in their gorgeousness - irrespective of the brevity of that moment.  Long after the novel is over you’ll keep coming back to certain phrases, marvelling at how stunning and lyrical Vuong’s writing is.

One of my favourite passages from the book reads:
“Because the sunset, like survival, exists only on the verge of its own disappearing. To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.” 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal death, Child abuse, Chronic illness, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Genocide, Hate crime, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Racism, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Violence, Blood, Dementia, Grief, Cannibalism, Toxic friendship, Colonisation, War, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Bullying, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Violence, Vomit, Car accident, Abortion, and Abandonment

Minor: Biphobia, Fire/Fire injury, Outing, and Classism

bookwormfr_t0's review against another edition

dark reflective sad medium-paced

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

4.0

The book is beautiful, raw, harrowing, and captivating.  Vuong's writing is beyond impressive, the impact it had on me emotionally was staggering.  I would read it for a bit, feel very sad and almost hollowed out, then have to read something lighter after (look into the trigger warnings before reading!).

Some of the portions of the book went a little over my head - possibly too lyrical for myself.  It was still beautiful and I think someone who reads lyrical/poetic works often will be able to experience this to it's fullest extent!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Bullying, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Mental illness, Sexual content, Violence, Grief, and Pregnancy

Moderate: War

adrians_library's review against another edition

emotional reflective fast-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

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Xenophobia, Grief, Abortion, Alcohol, Colonisation, and War