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A review by lucyfette
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.75
oh my god … this book … i finished it in just under a day, it was … wow … i have so much to say and i will attempt to convey my thoughts in a succinct manner. firstly the writing is so so beautiful, the way the backstory and flashbacks interweave with present day and present feelings is so cleverly done. the extended metaphors and overall semantic field ties everything together so unbelievably well? i was on page 39 and i was already gushing at how gorgeously (haha) it was written. the words and sentences are true poetry, it makes you question life and morals and how to truly live. there are so many quotable moments of truly incredible storytelling that i don’t even know how a single person could think of them. it also plays with syntax and grammar, wobbles in chronological order and doesn’t follow a particular narrative line. it is simply a letter written to the main speakers mother in a way he wants to write that letter.
and the story itself is rich with diverse representation and intricate details of storytelling. talking about the vietnamese war and how insanely impactful it was upon our characters and thousands of real people too. how the whole narrative itself is heartbreaking, because the main speaker is writing a letter to his mother, who cannot read. he’s pouring his heart out and sharing his life to somebody who will never be able to read it. we have asian-american lgbt representation too, and the impact of holding that identity has as well. everything is so .. incredibly handled and discussed im actually in awe.
the characters are all so different and unique and can be visualised so easily. the main narrator of the book, little dog, is extremely insightful and breaks the world into little pieces to be able to discuss it. i wouldn’t say little dog necessarily does anything spectacular or creates a massive event or anything like that, but you can’t help but be so intrigued in what he has to say and the way he views the world. the love, the hate, the admiration he has for everything that’s ever happened in his life or anyone he is close to lives.
i experienced incredible heart ache for all the people in this book, i was captured by the story and truly cared about everyone. this book is one everyone has to read, i adore books that sit in the metaphorical, poetry like category and this is definitely one of them. i cant wait to see what else ocean vuong writes, because this was an absolutely spectacular debut novel.
tldr: READ THIS BOOK YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT !!!!
and the story itself is rich with diverse representation and intricate details of storytelling. talking about the vietnamese war and how insanely impactful it was upon our characters and thousands of real people too. how the whole narrative itself is heartbreaking, because the main speaker is writing a letter to his mother, who cannot read. he’s pouring his heart out and sharing his life to somebody who will never be able to read it. we have asian-american lgbt representation too, and the impact of holding that identity has as well. everything is so .. incredibly handled and discussed im actually in awe.
the characters are all so different and unique and can be visualised so easily. the main narrator of the book, little dog, is extremely insightful and breaks the world into little pieces to be able to discuss it. i wouldn’t say little dog necessarily does anything spectacular or creates a massive event or anything like that, but you can’t help but be so intrigued in what he has to say and the way he views the world. the love, the hate, the admiration he has for everything that’s ever happened in his life or anyone he is close to lives.
i experienced incredible heart ache for all the people in this book, i was captured by the story and truly cared about everyone. this book is one everyone has to read, i adore books that sit in the metaphorical, poetry like category and this is definitely one of them. i cant wait to see what else ocean vuong writes, because this was an absolutely spectacular debut novel.
tldr: READ THIS BOOK YOU WILL NOT REGRET IT !!!!
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Minor: Schizophrenia/Psychosis