A review by paperindy
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.25
On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a deeply poetic reflection on a life I assume inspired by the author's own. Done in the form of a letter, Vuong flips between second and third person as he reveals and muses upon the people and relationships he was raised amidst as a queer Vietnamese man in small town America.
There was some stunning, reflective moments in this and beautiful descriptions of people, places and events in this novel. Vuong's writing is filled with vivid imagery and nuanced and insightful moments of comparison. The experiences he articulates are complex, interesting, and worth telling.
I did feel the poetic elements were sometimes too heavy handed for my taste, some of the writing was slightly too drenched in figurative devices and the weight of some seriously beautiful lines and observations weren't given quite enough breathing space. There is an art to the balance of poetic and prosaic that I think this book doesn't quite hit perfectly, making it more a collection of compelling observations and stitched together themes and stories rather than a truly wonderful novel.
That being said, this is worth the read if you enjoy poetic musing. It is more than briefly gorgeous, it is endlessly packed with intimate, vulnerable and delicate insights with a beautifully unique perspective on it all.
There was some stunning, reflective moments in this and beautiful descriptions of people, places and events in this novel. Vuong's writing is filled with vivid imagery and nuanced and insightful moments of comparison. The experiences he articulates are complex, interesting, and worth telling.
I did feel the poetic elements were sometimes too heavy handed for my taste, some of the writing was slightly too drenched in figurative devices and the weight of some seriously beautiful lines and observations weren't given quite enough breathing space. There is an art to the balance of poetic and prosaic that I think this book doesn't quite hit perfectly, making it more a collection of compelling observations and stitched together themes and stories rather than a truly wonderful novel.
That being said, this is worth the read if you enjoy poetic musing. It is more than briefly gorgeous, it is endlessly packed with intimate, vulnerable and delicate insights with a beautifully unique perspective on it all.