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A review by teamoxfordcomma
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
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
4.0
It has to be said that Ocean Voung is one of the greatest wordsmiths of our present moment.
Read his poetry, this book, really anything he's had his fingers on, and you'll see. What he writes is pure literary and poetic gold. This novel (which is semi-autobiographical) is the exact same way.
I knocked it off a star because this took me a long time to get through... Sort of put me into a little bit of a slump. Not because it wasn't good, but because this is very much a character study. The events of the story (which I would argue are not arranged in a way in which you could call a plot) do not matter half as much as the images Little Dog uses to tell his mother about his experiences, and though those images are beautiful and jam-packed with meaning and gorgeous literary technique, it definitely made for a slow reading experience.
I love this novel for what it is – an impossibility – and I eagerly await more Voung books/collections/anything so I can once again gorge on his words.
Read his poetry, this book, really anything he's had his fingers on, and you'll see. What he writes is pure literary and poetic gold. This novel (which is semi-autobiographical) is the exact same way.
I knocked it off a star because this took me a long time to get through... Sort of put me into a little bit of a slump. Not because it wasn't good, but because this is very much a character study. The events of the story (which I would argue are not arranged in a way in which you could call a plot) do not matter half as much as the images Little Dog uses to tell his mother about his experiences, and though those images are beautiful and jam-packed with meaning and gorgeous literary technique, it definitely made for a slow reading experience.
I love this novel for what it is – an impossibility – and I eagerly await more Voung books/collections/anything so I can once again gorge on his words.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Addiction and Chronic illness
Moderate: Child abuse, Mental illness, Panic attacks/disorders, and Physical abuse
Minor: Bullying, Cancer, Racial slurs, Racism, and Excrement