Poetic, poignant portrait of family, identity, survival.
If you have ever felt caught between worlds, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" can resonate with you deeply. Ocean Vuong crafts a narrative that’s both achingly personal and profoundly universal. His ability to weave poetry into prose brings forth a raw and vivid exploration of life's sharpest complexities, from the bond with a mother to the struggle with identity. This isn't just a book; it's an experience, tender and startlingly real, that will leave imprints on your mind long after the last page.
ISBN: 9781787331501
Authors:
Ocean Vuong
Publisher: Jonathan Cape
Date of Publication: 2019-06-20
Format: Hardcover
Goodreads rating: 4.04
(rated by 313609 readers)
Description
Brilliant, heartbreaking, tender, and highly original – poet Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a sweeping and shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is a letter from a son to a mother who cannot read. Written when the speaker, Little Dog, is in his late twenties, the letter unearths a family's history that began before he was born – a history whose epicentre is rooted in Vietnam – and serves as a doorway into parts of his life his mother has never known, all of it leading to an unforgettable revelation. At once a witness to the fraught yet undeniable love between a single mother and her son, it is also a brutally honest exploration of race, class, and masculinity. Asking questions central to the American moment, immersed as it is in addiction, violence, and trauma, but undergirded by compassion and tenderness, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is as much about the power of telling one's own story as it is about the obliterating silence of not being heard. With stunning urgency and grace, Ocean Vuong writes of people caught between disparate worlds, and asks how we heal and rescue one another without forsaking who we are. The question of how to survive, and how to make of it a kind of joy, powers the most important debut novel of many years.
Condition guide
Book Condition Guide
Books in Like New Condition
This book may contain very minor cosmetic defects, but it is in pristine condition. There should be no yellowing, no foxing, no water damage, and no annotations of any kind on the cover and the pages. For paperbacks, there should not be any crease marks on the spine. This book is good as new — lucky you!
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Very Good Condition
This book has been used, but it is still in a clean condition. There should be no foxing or annotations of any kind on the inner pages, but a sparse amount may be present on the cover, title pages, or outside edges of the book. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be light crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Good Condition
We do our best to ensure the quality of our books, but there is no escaping the wear and tear that comes with time. Slight foxing and some annotations may be present on the pages and the cover. There should be no water damage of any kind. For paperbacks, there may be several crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
Books in Well Read Condition
This is a well-read book, which means that the previous owner probably really enjoyed it! The cover and pages may include moderate foxing and annotations, but the text is not obscured and still readable. Moderate cosmetic defects and minor water damage may be present on the edges of the book. For paperbacks, there may be multiple crease marks on the spine.
*Books may be missing bundle media (e.g. CD, e-book code), if included.
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Poetic, poignant portrait of family, identity, survival.
If you have ever felt caught between worlds, "On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous" can resonate with you deeply. Ocean Vuong crafts a narrative that’s both achingly personal and profoundly universal. His ability to weave poetry into prose brings forth a raw and vivid exploration of life's sharpest complexities, from the bond with a mother to the struggle with identity. This isn't just a book; it's an experience, tender and startlingly real, that will leave imprints on your mind long after the last page.
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