On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Ocean Vuong

 

I was enticed to read this stunning novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, by someone's glowing review and I am absolutely blown away by how fantastic it was!

The epistolary novel is a letter from our protagonist, Little Dog, to his mother Rose, who cannot read. Now in his late twenties, Little Dog unravels a painful family history and attempts to make sense of the adult he has become.

We learn of the long-lasting impact of the Vietnam war on Rose, and how her own troubles led to the violence she often projected onto her innocent son. The novel is at once delicate and exquisitely-crafted in its use of language, whilst also being brutal, harsh and unforgiving in its difficult subject material.

Little Dog’s own struggle coming to terms with his sexuality and difficulty staying clean of the ever-prevalent substance abuse surrounding him and influencing him is poignantly clear in his words to his mother. He is honest, graphic and at times cruel in his correspondence, partly because he is unsure whether the letter will ever even reach his mother’s hands.

This is a stunning portrayal of love, fear, discovery and loss - an undulating journey of great emotion and attachment to the characters and a heartbreaking end. I thoroughly enjoyed the novel and would highly recommend it!