Reviews - The Emperor of Gladness

2.2k reviews for:

The Emperor of Gladness

Ocean Vuong

4.26 AVERAGE

e_o_c's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful reflective medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Plot

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

artist_lace's review against another edition

4.0

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

clarissacardona's review against another edition

4.0

challenging dark emotional hopeful 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

“The hardest thing in the world is to live only once."

That's the essence of the novel. It encompasses the complexity of surviving in this world through the eyes a suicidal 19-year-old and the friendship he develops with an 82-year-old Lithuanian woman suffering from dementia. We're immersed into their static lives as we explore themes of immigrant experiences, drug addiction, the working class, and the weight of memory, among others, through lyrical prose. The emotional depth is devastating but the reflection taking place will leave you with hope.