A review by iced_mochas
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

dark emotional informative inspiring reflective sad medium-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? Yes
  • Loveable characters? It's complicated
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

One of the most poetic titles and author names I ever did see. Ocean Vuong is clearly a talented writer with depth. The way in which he evokes moments from the Vietnam War and connects them to the lived realities of the survivors was brilliant. His profound analogies on migration (the monarch butterfly!) left me stunned. The whole novel is written to his mother and his tone is pleading, steeped in tenderness and vulnerability. Along with his sweet grandma Lan, the three of them form an unbreakable trio. What let this book down (for my taste anyway) was the sense of ‘trauma porn’ throughout. His relationships with his mother, father and first love came across unnecessarily graphic, violent and crude at times. Some may deem this kind of narration to be raw and authentic, but for me it felt like a Hollywood-style vulgarity written for the white gaze. Sometimes less is more.
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