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dnandrews797's review against another edition
3.0
I love the idea of a hero who is both hopeless in love and nevertheless a hopeless romantic. The end of this book made me cry and the rest made me laugh and smile at Oscar’s antics. It was also a lovely look at the culture of DR and the Latin American community in the USA.
mitskacir's review against another edition
3.0
A very well written book with a good audio version (I listened to this on Audible), but I just couldn't get into a story about a horny teenage boy whose goal in life is to not die a virgin.
teaselkie's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
funny
sad
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? Yes
4.5
smartiebooknerd's review against another edition
I found the language and content offensive. I really can’t recommend this book at all. I
lizee59402's review against another edition
3.0
I really liked the style of this book, but the subject matter and story line was too dark for my liking. I think that this book would have been wonderful for me at a different time, but I need a light summer read right now.
tea_ffany'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
4.0
hayleybreadnbutta's review against another edition
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
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? Yes
5.0
heartbreaking retelling of the history of the reign of racial eugenics in DR, its consequences realised through the story of the fictionalised de León family.
sydneygard36's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
tense
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
4.0
katiegilley's review against another edition
4.0
This novel, the winner of the 2008 Pulitzer, won me over in the end. I didn't really enjoy the first half, but really got into it as the story went on. The story is, as told by a family friend, about the de Leon family. They are from the Dominican Republic and are living in New Jersey, and are tragically complex. Some believe there is a curse on the family that followed them from the DR, which may not be too far fetched.returnreturnThe family's story centers around Oscar, an overweight young man who is very much into sci-fi/fantasy, comic books, role playing games and anime, and who is constantly falling in love with random women. He is endlessly teased at school and as an adult and has zero luck with the opposite sex. As an adult, he becomes depressed and even attempts suicide.returnreturnWhat I liked about this book was that it showed how deeply others touch us - even those that are very different from ourselves and we wouldn't normally be friends with. It's a tragic story that at times feels too ridiculous to be true, but at other times really hit close to home for me.
bittersweet_symphony's review against another edition
3.0
Vulgar, crass and energetic. Oscar Wao is an endearing outcast character--completely geeky, and hopelessly romantic. Had the story spent more time on him and less building secondary details about the multiple generations in his Dominican family, Diaz would have found greater success with readers. This book certainly defies all sorts of genres as it weaves references to science fiction, fantasy, comic books and tv shows with real world violence, rampant sexuality, and the tyranny of 20th century Latin American governments.
Probably not worthy of all the praise it has received, but important for the additional voice it gives to Caribbean Americans--it bridges Dominican history with the wider American narrative. This book certainly deserves praise for this purpose and less for its literary merit alone.
Probably not worthy of all the praise it has received, but important for the additional voice it gives to Caribbean Americans--it bridges Dominican history with the wider American narrative. This book certainly deserves praise for this purpose and less for its literary merit alone.