Reviews tagging 'Dementia'

Op aarde schitteren we even by Ocean Vuong

59 reviews

serenspace's review against another edition

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? Yes

5.0

a book is not a life, but sometimes they encapsulate it so well that that barrier is obfuscated. this one cannot be understated. there is so much grief and beauty that seems so impossible to consume, but here is proof that it can be done.

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Homophobia, Racism, Dementia, Grief, and War

average's review against another edition

emotional reflective medium-paced

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

4.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Cancer, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Sexual content, Dementia, Car accident, Abortion, and War

lautreamont's review against another edition

dark emotional inspiring reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.25

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Animal cruelty, Cancer, Drug abuse, Drug use, and Death of parent

Moderate: Addiction, Death, Homophobia, Mental illness, Excrement, and Dementia

Minor: Alcoholism

sketchydelusion's review against another edition

challenging emotional inspiring mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Death, Racial slurs, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, Abortion, and Alcohol

Moderate: Animal cruelty, Pregnancy, and War

Minor: Panic attacks/disorders, Terminal illness, and Dementia

leemonade's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective

4.25

What I really wanted to say was that a monster is not such a terrible thing to be. … To be a monster is to be a hybrid signal, a lighthouse: both shelter and warning at once. … Perhaps there is a monstrous origin to it, after all. Perhaps to lay hands on your child is to prepare him for war. 

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, and Sexual content

Moderate: Cancer, Domestic abuse, Dementia, and War

jamesliggins's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective slow-paced

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

5.0

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Child abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, and War

lexipassno's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful reflective sad slow-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? Yes

4.5

heartbreaking

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Alcoholism, Bullying, Child abuse, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Hate crime, Homophobia, Mental illness, Miscarriage, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Racism, Self harm, Toxic relationship, Transphobia, Dementia, Grief, Abortion, and Alcohol

honorablemmmention's review against another edition

dark 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

4.75

Vuong's book is much more of a meditative collection of poems than a story with a middle beginning or end, openly breaking the confines or genre. It goes nowhere, simply because it does not want to. Go into it expecting to read a letter, not an adventure, as it doesn't end with a conclusion, as much as a full stop.

No one wanted to like this book more than I, and I can't say I didn't, but be warned that there is so much animal cruelty, and in pretty graphic detail. Like it's a full-on motif.
I have never had so much fun underlining and annotating, but that's mainly where the fun begins and ends. The amount of breathtaking absolutely gorgeous lines in this is endless, and I weep at both the beauty, and for those who do not care for literature. Because they are missing out.

(It's been a few months now, and what I've noticed is how much I miss reading it. I miss the characters, the style, the story. The sum is definetly better than its parts.)

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction and Animal cruelty

Moderate: Animal death, Death, Homophobia, Racism, Violence, Dementia, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , and War

Minor: Car accident

sunsetcity's review against another edition

challenging emotional reflective 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

2.5

---

Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Alcoholism, Bullying, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug abuse, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Terminal illness, Toxic relationship, Violence, Dementia, Trafficking, Grief, Cultural appropriation, Gaslighting, Alcohol, Sexual harassment, 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.” 

---

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