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A review by imissyou
Night Sky with Exit Wounds by Ocean Vuong
5.0
“my
father went to kneel in the bathroom until we heard his muffled cries through
the walls. & so I learned—that a man in climax was the closest thing
to surrender.”
I'm not a poetry fanatic as one of my best friends Anika, most of the time I find poetry books stiff and soul-less even when they are full of life for other people... This was an exception and I will never shut up about it.
Ocean Vuong addresses topics as war, sex, family, and immigrants in such a way that I have never seen before, he creates visual sharp scenarios through brutal stories that are full of memories, he creates a collection full of his own life and the life many other Vietnamese people had to endure because of the tragedy the Vietnam war is.
The most touching part for me is the way he mentions how war and PTSD change people and the way they act, pretending that everything is fine when it's not. He has a poem from Jackie Kennedy's point of view that's a perfect representation of it and I would like to include a brief part of it to prove my point:
“
We made it, baby.
We’re riding in the back of the black
limousine. They have lined
the road to shout our names.
They have faith in your golden hair
& pressed grey suit.
They have a good citizen
in me. I love my country.
I pretend nothing is wrong.”
Poem: Of Thee I sing
I repeat, I'm not a poetry fan, but for sure this is one of the most touching and beautiful books I have ever read, he slammed Crush by Richard Siken (my old favorite poetry book) and replaced it with itself in a manner of 3 days.
father went to kneel in the bathroom until we heard his muffled cries through
the walls. & so I learned—that a man in climax was the closest thing
to surrender.”
I'm not a poetry fanatic as one of my best friends Anika, most of the time I find poetry books stiff and soul-less even when they are full of life for other people... This was an exception and I will never shut up about it.
Ocean Vuong addresses topics as war, sex, family, and immigrants in such a way that I have never seen before, he creates visual sharp scenarios through brutal stories that are full of memories, he creates a collection full of his own life and the life many other Vietnamese people had to endure because of the tragedy the Vietnam war is.
The most touching part for me is the way he mentions how war and PTSD change people and the way they act, pretending that everything is fine when it's not. He has a poem from Jackie Kennedy's point of view that's a perfect representation of it and I would like to include a brief part of it to prove my point:
“
We made it, baby.
We’re riding in the back of the black
limousine. They have lined
the road to shout our names.
They have faith in your golden hair
& pressed grey suit.
They have a good citizen
in me. I love my country.
I pretend nothing is wrong.”
Poem: Of Thee I sing
I repeat, I'm not a poetry fan, but for sure this is one of the most touching and beautiful books I have ever read, he slammed Crush by Richard Siken (my old favorite poetry book) and replaced it with itself in a manner of 3 days.