"On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" by Ocean Vuong - A Novel

My copy came in a very good shape. I am truly content with the book.My copy came in a very good shape. I am truly content with the book.: I have been dying to get my hands on this book. I was a bit nervous to buy it from Amazon since my books always come busted one way or another, however, this time it was well protected. The writing is beautiful and heartwarming. I read the first 15 pages and was already so engaged within the text that the rest of the world became irrelevant. If you are someone who has had a rocky relationship with your parents, you're also a child of a POC family, I truly recommend this.

United States on Nov 16, 2023

Amazon Customer: It is a difficult read, considering the author is almost able to relay her feelings through her words and stories. The stories take you through different worlds of different people in their life and at different decades in different countries, and showcases their basic survival instincts, and the ensuing trauma that they carry and pass on.

India on Nov 14, 2023

emily chanthavong: On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is letter from a son to a mother. Our main character, Little dog, writes a letter to his illiterate mother who immigrated to from Vietnam. Little dog explores many themes exploration in this letter such as love, identity, trauma, war, and masculinity. The exploration of these themes shown in the letter make up the person little dog is today.

I liked the novel a lot because it was very realistic and resonated with me personally. I like the approach on structure Little dog took when writing this letter to his mother. Sometimes it starts off with “Dear Ma,” other times it starts with a memory, or it would just be poetry. The inclusion of these different writing structures added another layer to the experience of reading this novel. I also like all the metaphors the speaker used to describe the complexities of his relationships with other people. I think the speaker does a neat job of using the combination of language and structure to convey his message. However, I do feel at times it does feel disconnected. Sometimes the speaker’s memories don’t correspond to the earlier or the later memory, so they get lost in translation. But when...

United States on Nov 02, 2023

Mahvish: The quotes are worth reading and the cover and side of the book is so calming.✨

India on Oct 26, 2023

PP:

India on Oct 18, 2023

Tamanna: the writing is beautiful, to say the least but the storyline was not it. it got a little boring towards the end but the writing saved it

India on Oct 08, 2023

RidaabRidaab: This was a great and quick read. In total it took me 5 hours to complete this book.

This story is a story of an immigrant living and retelling the stories of the immigrants before him such as his mom and grandma.

Beautifully written. Loved the portrayal of color. In the beginning of the book, the narrator describes colors to inanimate objects/feelings. As he grows older, other people begin to see him as his own skin color, hence they began to project their understanding of color on to him. Suddenly, color no longer describes an object/feeling but it becomes a weapon that divides people. Color becomes a tool that allows him to be put into a box before ever having the opportunity to give others a chance to know him. Color becomes his identity, as well as the identity of everyone around him. It’s also interesting how trauma affects not only those who lived through traumatic experiences, but also their children who will end up growing up with that trauma.

The book has many themes including:
• Race
• Growing up as an American
• Growing up with different cultural identities
• Self Identity/Self Discovery
• Generational Trauma
•...

United States on Aug 27, 2023

Nivedita DhankharNivedita Dhankhar: Dude, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" blew my mind. Ocean Vuong's writing is like pure art – it's like he's painting feelings with words. The whole book reads like a letter to his mom, diving deep into family, identity, and love. You'll feel every emotion like it's your own. It's like a heart-to-heart with your soul. Vuong's honesty is crazy refreshing, like he's letting you into his world. If you're cool with getting hit right in the feels and being mesmerized by beautiful prose, this book's a no-brainer. Get ready for a ride through the messy, breathtaking parts of life. 📖❤️

India on Aug 14, 2023