hannakutlu's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
tense
medium-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? It's complicated
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Domestic abuse, Grief, Drug abuse, Sexual content, Violence, Abortion, Addiction, and War
grxcezhxng's review against another edition
3.0
This is a book about trauma and the struggle of recounting and making meaning out of it. I think this is reflected in the book’s most distinct quality, which is the way Vuong employs language. Vuong's writing style consists of sporadic and disconnected vignettes and memories, his paragraphs frequently transitioning to a different storyline midway through. At times, he sustains multiple threads simultaneously for several pages without them ever converging or intertwining until later on. The story lacks a clear structure or order, as it continuously loops and circles back on itself, seemingly reflecting the cyclical nature of trauma. Symbolic repetition, such as the recurring motifs of "green apple," "the table," "the buffalo," and the "monarchs," parallels the way PTSD comes in visual, disruptive flashbacks. It’s almost as if the mind repeatedly replays them in an attempt to process and make sense of the past. Restlessness permeates Little Dog’s voice as he takes these sentence fragments (and fragments of himself) and continuously rearranges them in different ways, striving for a reconfiguration that is coherent and whole. “I’m not telling you a story so much as a shipwreck,” Little Dog says, “the pieces floating, finally legible.” The significance of language becomes clear as Little Dog puts a tremendous burden on it, desperately seeking it as a vehicle to articulate experiences and heal intergenerational wounds. Is it possible to put words to one’s experiences in a way that can fully capture and do justice to one's lived reality?
The breakage of form: While Vuong's utilization of abstract and symbolic language occasionally left me yearning for something more concrete, I grew to appreciate it. Recently, I took an Asian American art history course where we learned about how Japanese artists, in the aftermath of the trauma of WWII, turned to abstract art as a means of expression. In the face of immense tragedy and horror, abstraction was the only medium that allowed them to express the inexpressible. Realism would have never done justice to their experiences. I felt that Vuong was operating under a similar vein, relying on symbols and metaphors to convey the profound depth and complexity of his own traumatic encounters.
In the end, Vuong seems to settle on the idea (he spoils it with the title) that despite trauma, there is beauty. That even if you have a very difficult life, that is not all that you are defined by; there are still infinite glimpses of marvel wherein you can find relief, even if only briefly. “In a world myriad as ours, the gaze is a singular act: to look at something is to fill your whole life with it, if only briefly”. I don't know yet if I completely agree with this thesis in relation to my own life, but it spoke to me.
This book is truly a work of art, and I appreciate its intent and what it did. It made me walk away wanting to take advantage of experiencing the radiance of the world. It's not ranked higher because while reading, I had difficulty feeling engaged with the book. Despite being Asian-American and having some similar familial experiences with Little Dog, I did not feel as connected/invested as I expected and have with other AA stories.
The breakage of form: While Vuong's utilization of abstract and symbolic language occasionally left me yearning for something more concrete, I grew to appreciate it. Recently, I took an Asian American art history course where we learned about how Japanese artists, in the aftermath of the trauma of WWII, turned to abstract art as a means of expression. In the face of immense tragedy and horror, abstraction was the only medium that allowed them to express the inexpressible. Realism would have never done justice to their experiences. I felt that Vuong was operating under a similar vein, relying on symbols and metaphors to convey the profound depth and complexity of his own traumatic encounters.
In the end, Vuong seems to settle on the idea (he spoils it with the title) that despite trauma, there is beauty. That even if you have a very difficult life, that is not all that you are defined by; there are still infinite glimpses of marvel wherein you can find relief, even if only briefly. “In a world myriad as ours, the gaze is a singular act: to look at something is to fill your whole life with it, if only briefly”. I don't know yet if I completely agree with this thesis in relation to my own life, but it spoke to me.
This book is truly a work of art, and I appreciate its intent and what it did. It made me walk away wanting to take advantage of experiencing the radiance of the world. It's not ranked higher because while reading, I had difficulty feeling engaged with the book. Despite being Asian-American and having some similar familial experiences with Little Dog, I did not feel as connected/invested as I expected and have with other AA stories.
jord098's review against another edition
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
2.75
natkbailey's review against another edition
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
nuriamsc's review against another edition
4.0
{4.5 stars}
this book… words aren’t enough. one of (if not) the most beautifully written books i have read so far, so raw, intimate and transparent.
not the smartest decision to read this book in public my eyes felt extremely watery most of the time. if you are a child of an immigrant this one will hit close to home, so glad i picked this one up
“All this time I told myself we were born from war--but I was
wrong, Ma. We were born from beauty.
Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence--but that vio-
lence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it.”
this book… words aren’t enough. one of (if not) the most beautifully written books i have read so far, so raw, intimate and transparent.
not the smartest decision to read this book in public my eyes felt extremely watery most of the time. if you are a child of an immigrant this one will hit close to home, so glad i picked this one up
“All this time I told myself we were born from war--but I was
wrong, Ma. We were born from beauty.
Let no one mistake us for the fruit of violence--but that vio-
lence, having passed through the fruit, failed to spoil it.”
beckym1728's review against another edition
sped thru after first 60 pages, not my style of writing but seems depely emotionally beautiful if youre into real vague poetic writing style.
bizmcm's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
inspiring
lighthearted
reflective
sad
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
isabyrne's review against another edition
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
While beautifully written, definitely note the trigger warnings for homophobia, substance abuse, grief, and suicide. I didn’t know about anything going into this poetry collection and it make me really uncomfortable to read.
Nonetheless, Vuong has a strong voice and I’m sure this book really affects contemporary poetry readers, especially queer folks & allies. I didn’t rate it higher because I was uncomfortable for most of it
Nonetheless, Vuong has a strong voice and I’m sure this book really affects contemporary poetry readers, especially queer folks & allies. I didn’t rate it higher because I was uncomfortable for most of it
l_u_c_y's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
sad
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
elianachow's review against another edition
I don’t particularly desire to discuss the content so I’ll stick to everything else. Vuong’s writing is undeniably unique in its visceral beckoning. Both his poetry and prose usually succeed in swallowing the whole of my attention. But I’m not sure how I feel about the blur between lyric essay and fiction in this particular work. I found myself confused by the narrator, unsettled, stressed at how much like a memoir it sounded yet with the self-aware expectation that it ought to be read as a novel—a classification I could not shake from conscious thought while reading. Left me with a lot of unanswered questions about form, purpose, audience, and what if any distinction there might have been between speaker and author.