This was the first I’ve read of Ocean Vuong’s literature—and I was completely swept away by their use of language to convey that which is not easily conveyed; a story of people caught between the difference in each other. Written in the form as a letter from a son to a mother who is unable to read, the story of a family history rooted in Vietnam is shared, combined with the plight of the modern immigrant; we experience, through characters’ experience—we leave Vuong’s text understanding a little bit more about race, class, masculinity, and more.
The emotion present in the story is interlaced with tender concepts such as addiction, violence, and trauma, causing readers to shed tears. Vuong’s ability to wield language and form in such a way that brings readers to a vantage point that enables them to capture the writers truth and empathize with them, as well as contemplate their very own life on this earth.
In this book, language becomes a key for the main character, Little Dog, to explicate the complexity of the familiar relationships in our fleeting lives. Vuong pulls as our heart strings to think deeper about our time on this planet. It is as the title says—On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous.
