A review by suchsweetsorrow89
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

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

5.0

I honestly have no idea where to even start. this book is a gorgeous and stunning portrayal not only of motherhood and queerness but also of trying to figure out where one fits and is viewed against the rest of the world. as someone who studies ancient greek and roman texts one of the biggest questions we see figures, politicians, poets, and philosophers of the ancient world grappling with is: where are we? in the midst of violence, chaos, war, destruction, plagues, and many other issues it is hard to figure out where one stands and is viewed in relation to the world around them. it isn't just a matter of different skin colors or class status-- but it is ultimately this idea of-- not 'us v them' but 'me v them' in this incredibly tragic, heartbreaking, and beautiful way. it was really what pulled me into the classics and leaned me more heavily into the romanticism movement. as a black woman, this 'me v them' cannot be understated-- especially when living in America (a country where I belong yet never will belong to). ocean vuong takes a contemporary approach to all of these factors in a way that I have never seen it done before. this book is intense and beautiful and tragic all at once. 

I'm excited for what he has in store. my only critique on this book is that I think it would have been all the more powerful if it had been a bit shorter. but hey-- you're talking to someone who reads the odyssey and the illiad. 
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