On Earth we're briefly Gorgeous : Book review

 




Title: On earth We're Briefly gorgeous
Author: Ocean Vuong
Genre: Fiction


This debut novel by Ocean Vuong is a semi autobiographical work of fiction and a moving portrait of a family, identity and survival. 

This is a letter written by a character named Little Dog to his illiterate mother. In this letter, our protagonist brings out some of the most traumatic issues. This includes the history of Vietnam, the war and secrets about his family. He writes about his childhood where he was bullied, recollects memories of his mother and grandmother and how they fled vietnam during the war. He narrates about his life of a boy  trying to find his identity in a new place and hours spent in the nail salon where his mother worked. A large part of the narrative focuses on Little Dog's sexuality and his intimate relationship with another boy named Trevor. 

The writing is eloquent and flows like poetry. His words come to life and his style can be described as achingly beautiful. There is trauma, emotion and clearly a lot of pain while he brings his voice and story on paper. As readers we get to dwell inside his stream of consciousness. There are times when his thoughts feel a little disjointed but that doesn't stop you from being engaged with the storytelling. There are many phrases and lines that leave you stunned and address the nuances of immigrant life, freedom and resilience. 

On Earth we're briefly Gorgeous is emotional and poignant. The author's raw honesty in spilling his emotions all over the page makes it a challenging and a heartrending read. 

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