Reviews tagging 'Cursing'

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

115 reviews

handful_of_frogs's review against another edition

dark emotional reflective sad medium-paced

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

3.75

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Homophobia, Racism, Sexual content, Blood, Excrement, Grief, and Death of parent

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

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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

buchstabenmaedchen's review against another edition

emotional inspiring reflective medium-paced

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

4.0

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Bullying, Cancer, Child abuse, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Emotional abuse, Homophobia, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Abortion, and Abandonment

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

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

sydapel's review against another edition

dark emotional hopeful reflective medium-paced

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

4.75

There's a blurb on the back of this book that calls it "raw" and that's really all I've got to say about this story, these people, this writing. Its a book that requires revisiting, despite the heartache and suffering that almost leaks through the page, and it reminded me of the strength in remembering, of drawing beauty out of suffering, and oddly of the complex community of Hartford. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Domestic abuse, Drug abuse, Drug use, Gun violence, Sexual violence, Violence, and War

Moderate: Addiction, Alcoholism, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Cancer, Child death, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Homophobia, Mental illness, Physical abuse, Blood, Grief, and Colonisation

claudiamacpherson's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional sad medium-paced

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

2.5

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Body horror, Child abuse, Cursing, Death, Domestic abuse, Drug use, Gore, Physical abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Blood, Medical content, Grief, Death of parent, and War

Moderate: Alcoholism, Bullying, Cancer, Genocide, Homophobia, Self harm, Sexual violence, Suicidal thoughts, Transphobia, Vomit, Medical trauma, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

kia_y_k's review against another edition

challenging dark emotional hopeful inspiring 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? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Addiction, Animal cruelty, Animal death, Bullying, Death, Drug use, Racism, Sexual content, Xenophobia, and War

Moderate: Child abuse, Cursing, Miscarriage, and Abortion

Minor: Physical abuse, Racial slurs, Blood, and Excrement