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meganjung's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
fast-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
7_minutes_of_weeping's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
slow-paced
4.0
jenzhg's review against another edition
4.0
I love this book. In fact idek where to begin? The prompts and concepts in ‘On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ is simply…gorgeous! I’d definitely say check the trigger warnings because oh boy was i so unprepared…Being completely true to myself I think this book lies somewhere between a 3 to a 3.7 however that is only because I felt like some paragraphs were lost on me, maybe it’s because i’m not as exposed to the vast world of literature so I couldn’t properly grasp the references, or I’m just stupid. More on the writing, I felt that the prompts were great but it would often end abruptly with no explanation? Granted, he did state many times that it is a mess and is supposed to be however I felt that there were some unfinished prompts that were dropped halfway :-((
Moreover, I also think that the writing was sort of hard to follow. Of course the digestion of ‘On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ is very much subjective to a reader’s knowledge and experience—much like how beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I found the writing to be too (emphasis on too) abstract/poetic? It went to the point where amazing concepts were lost and muddled because of the “fancy” language. However, while some parts were extremely confusing, a large majority of the epistolary novel had me by the neck—it is a siren and I am its helpless sailor. Overall, the writing was, while a pain in the ass, so breathtaking, vivid and fluent that it had me physically reacting.
Ps: Looking back at this paragraph, this is very much a rant and I’m more so just explaining the things I’m dissatisfied with. Anywho, I think I would definitely reread this once I’m older. This book was a delight from beginning to end :-))
Pps: Much much much much love to Trevor
Moreover, I also think that the writing was sort of hard to follow. Of course the digestion of ‘On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous’ is very much subjective to a reader’s knowledge and experience—much like how beauty is in the eye of the beholder, I found the writing to be too (emphasis on too) abstract/poetic? It went to the point where amazing concepts were lost and muddled because of the “fancy” language. However, while some parts were extremely confusing, a large majority of the epistolary novel had me by the neck—it is a siren and I am its helpless sailor. Overall, the writing was, while a pain in the ass, so breathtaking, vivid and fluent that it had me physically reacting.
Ps: Looking back at this paragraph, this is very much a rant and I’m more so just explaining the things I’m dissatisfied with. Anywho, I think I would definitely reread this once I’m older. This book was a delight from beginning to end :-))
Pps: Much much much much love to Trevor
everesto's review against another edition
emotional
informative
reflective
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
If I could give this book more than 5 stars I would. It was written so so beautifully and made me feel so many emotions. Vuong uses such descriptive language you can really see what is going on and understand well what is happening and what he was feeling. I don't think I'll ever stop thinking about this book.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual content, Death, Racism, Addiction, Animal cruelty, Drug use, Drug abuse, and Death of parent
Moderate: Grief, Homophobia, and War
ashybear02's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
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
2.0
libraryofjon's review
emotional
reflective
sad
slow-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
4.0
piamikaela's review against another edition
4.0
haunting, tragic, unbearably lovely. i have no more words for how much this made me feel. it's as if i have been cut open.
saint_eleanor's review against another edition
I’m gonna come back to this when i can read it physically, the audiobook is unbearable but i really love the writing?
rmreads's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-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
jyeetreads's review against another edition
4.0
9.5/10 rating
Initial thoughts:
I finished it. I even read the acknowledgments…
I now possess both identities of Ocean-Vuong-fan-girl and zestful-undergoer-of-existential-crises.
This book… is masterful and important, so important. I was gonna give it 9.5/10 because tbh I’m no lyrical genius and some of the metaphors/poetic writing were lost on me, but in the end, that I think is just a doorway to further exploration— new nuggets of syntax/semantic wonders to explore in re-reads, which will definitely be happening with this book.
Because, (haha I’m breaking free Ocean Vuong!) despite those lulls, I still felt and tasted and saw and smelled and touched and heard and breathed with this story. It made me reflect and wonder and hope and fear and live in ways anew.
Gosh, this book, Ocean Vuong, me, us, you… (my review is even getting a little poetic itself here) wow we really are existing right now under the same sun that Cleopatra once gazed upon. Haha! That makes no sense to you! But nevertheless, please do read this book.
“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.”
Initial thoughts:
I finished it. I even read the acknowledgments…
I now possess both identities of Ocean-Vuong-fan-girl and zestful-undergoer-of-existential-crises.
This book… is masterful and important, so important. I was gonna give it 9.5/10 because tbh I’m no lyrical genius and some of the metaphors/poetic writing were lost on me, but in the end, that I think is just a doorway to further exploration— new nuggets of syntax/semantic wonders to explore in re-reads, which will definitely be happening with this book.
Because, (haha I’m breaking free Ocean Vuong!) despite those lulls, I still felt and tasted and saw and smelled and touched and heard and breathed with this story. It made me reflect and wonder and hope and fear and live in ways anew.
Gosh, this book, Ocean Vuong, me, us, you… (my review is even getting a little poetic itself here) wow we really are existing right now under the same sun that Cleopatra once gazed upon. Haha! That makes no sense to you! But nevertheless, please do read this book.
“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.”