On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous: ‘A masterpiece’ – Max Porter
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‘A marvel’ Marlon James
Brilliant, heart-breaking and highly original, discover Ocean Vuong’s shattering coming of age novel.
This is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family’s history that began before he was born. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family’s struggle to forge a new future.
And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog’s life his mother has never known – episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion – all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation.
‘Reminded me that every word can be an incantation, and that beauty does hard and important work’ Rebecca Solnit
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Additional information
| Publisher | Vintage, 1st edition (1 Sept. 2020) |
|---|---|
| Language | English |
| Paperback | 256 pages |
| ISBN-10 | 1529110688 |
| ISBN-13 | 978-1529110685 |
| Dimensions | 21.6 x 13.8 x 1.09 cm |
by Giorgia
This is one of those books that reminds me why I read.
Sure, I read for pleasure and to keep at bay anxieties and worries that otherwise occupy my mind (that’s what my romance/chick-lit stacks are for) but my true love for the written word came from discovering the beauty of depth and emotion that’s hidden within the lyrical prose of select writers.
To say that the writing in this book is gorgeous would be an understatement. There is one measure I use to determine if I find a particular writer/book worth of high praise and that’s if it makes me jealous. And boy am I jealous of Vuong’s ability to write so rawly that it almost bruises you.
Of the top of my head, I have a few favorites when it comes to formidable, evocative but also heartbreaking writing, Yiyun Li, Haruki Murakami, Madeline Miller to name a few. Today I’ve just added Ocean Vuong to the list.
I’ve forgotten how much I love to stare at a phrase and reread it in my head until it involuntarily imprints itself in my memory . I tend to read a lot of “feel good, easy to digest” books with simple writing, for the obvious fact that I won’t dwell on them, I won’t torture myself with existential questions and most importantly I can file them away as soon as I’m done. There will be no extra burden on my mind, I won’t obsess for days questioning life, meaning, history, etc.
But sometimes I want to invite that kind of reaction, I want to feel, I wanna be awed and lured in by gorgeous words that cut deep and then I wanna be healed of their bruising force, by extending my own understanding and contemplation to their meaning and purpose.
I did all that with this book. And I loved every second of it.
I realise this sounds more like a diary entry than a review but I feel like I don’t need to talk about plot, characters, or any of the usual suspects because this book inspires so much more than a clinical analysis. So pick it up and enjoy it, don’t give it that much thought.
by Donna D
A beautiful prose poem, a journey through lives and longing. The ease of going between memory and present, words linking thoughts. A worthy read, just to discover not only the tragic stories but also what is possible with language.
by Christine Jamison
requested as a present dont know
by Kindle Customer
Don’t let my opinion influence your decision to read this. It deserves to be read. Hailed as a Masterpiece, and I was looking forward to reading it. However I found it confusing and often repetitive.. Ii t gave the impression, it had been written by a person in a highly emotional state. If this is autobiographical, my heart bleeds for you. It put me im mind of Catcher in the Rye. Which I also felt was highly charged, emotionally .
by Eric Smith
This book, to me, is very much like a master work of modern art. It is immensely lyrical, dripping in vivid imagery and intense emotion. Also much like a work of art, you know that as you stare at it, there is so much more going on then what you can physically see and you might be able to grasp it if only you had a little more of … something.
This book is profoundly meaningful from cover to cover, to the point that it can be frustrating knowing that you are not really reaching the full scope of what the author is trying to describe. In some fairness, the author themselves are seemingly equally frustrated trying to understand their place in the world, and perhaps just sharing their frustration is enough for this book. Somewhere in the book I stopped actively trying to know what was going on in any deeper sense of the word and just let them imagery wash over me, keeping whatever experience seemed to stick.
That’s how I recommend reading this book: take what you can, but think of it more as a meditation rather than a message.
by M
Heard great reviews about this, but I simply do not understand why. Awkward to read at times and didn’t enjoy
by Anna Quayle
Such a beautiful read, I couldn’t put it down. Ocean Vuong has the most beautiful way of carrying you to other places with his language and imagery. I cannot recommend this one enough!
by khad
Amazing