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

challenging dark emotional reflective sad tense 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

4.25

I DNF'ed this book the first time I began to read it. It is a heavy and convoluted read that I found hard to get into at first. I picked it up again months later and though it was still a slow read, it was truly beautiful. Words can't express the heartache I felt reading this epistolary. Vuong's writing, while a bit confusing and complex at times, is otherworldly. His use of ongoing metaphors and symbols throughout the book are some of the best I've ever read. There are so many quotes that tug at my heartstrings, and so many lines that are poetry at its finest mastery. The story is a genuine and heartbreaking depiction of so many heavy topics such as being an immigrant, the generational trauma stemming from the Vietnam War, homophobia, sexuality, etc. Vuong explores these topics beautifully, with such great attention to language. I truly applaud his writing style
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