On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong
Posted on February 5, 2021 in Books
It’s been awhile since I read a literary novel like this one. The author is a poet and this is his first novel.
This is a very well written first novel. The prose is so sparse yet so powerful. The storyline and the characters are heavy though. As a first generation immigrant and someone who had not the most peaceful relationship with my mother growing up, some of the scenes between the narrator and his mother hit me hard. It was a difficult read for me at times. I do admire the style and it makes me wish I could write and express feelings and moments so well.
I do have to read something lighter again to lift myself up. I thought it was a very good novel.
Read Feb 2-3, 2021.
This was such a beautiful work! I’m always hesitant when poets write novels (and vice versa) because you never really know what you’re going to get. But the elegance of his language in contrast to the harshness of a lot of parts of the story was just so perfectly balanced. AND just like you I had to read something super light and fluffy after because it stayed with me for quite some time after finishing it!
Hi Geoff! Agreed it was beautifully written and you can tell that it the author is a poet. I really liked the pose but it was so hard to get through at times. Thanks for the comment!