ON EARTH WE'RE BRIEFLY GORGEOUS BY OCEAN VUONG

-

" YOU ONCE TOLD ME THAT THE HUMAN EYE IS GOD'S LONELIEST CREATION. HOW SO MUCH OF THE WORLD PASSES THROUGH THE PUPIL AND STILL IT HOLDS NOTHING. THE EYE, ALONE IN THE SOCKET, DOESN'T EVEN KNOW THERE'S ANOTHER ONE, JUST LIKE IT, AN INCH AWAY, JUST AS HUNGRY, AS EMPTY. " 




I found this book on Instagram during my search for a book that will take me out of my reading slump. And yes, am happy that I chose this one.


This book is about a young Viatnamese immigrant in the US, Little Dog who is looking back at his childhood and writes them as a series of letters to his mother. He writes about the impact of the Vietnamese war on his childhood, the struggle of immigration, his love-hate relationship with his mother, his grandparents, his sexuality, the racial discrimination that he faced, the PTSD that he and his mother suffered and much more.


PROS: It was definitely a good read for me. The writing style was different (in a good way) and I loved the parts where he tried explaining his love-hate relationship with his mother.


CONS: At some points I got confused about the timeline of the story, whether it was his childhood or his adolescence or the present. I had to reread such parts for clarity. Rest it was a good book to get rid of the slump.

MY REVIEW: 4/5.

#penbooksandscalpel

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

CHAPTER 1 - ALIZA AND AHMED

-
Image
Their eyes met for the second time in the day. Every time this happens, Aliza feels a ticklish sensation in her stomach. It's not that they have not been closer than just eye contact, but the jitters won't leave her alone. Her mother-in-law was busy scooping out the last few morsels of chicken from the bowl with a creaking noise that numbed Aliza's ears. Her father-in-law was lost in thoughts enjoying his chicken malai korma and tempered ghee rice.   ‘Aliza, can you get me some warm water?’ Aliza comes running with a jar of water to fulfil her new wife's duties, and Ahmed finds his moment just when Aliza is filling his tumbler and his parents are busy eating. He pokes her in the hip, which is faintly visible between her saree fold and her blouse. Aliza winces and moves behind quickly. She turns around to ensure no one has witnessed it and promptly returns to work, flashing a smile. Ahmed had to steal moments like these between daily activities because the house was alwa
Read more

CHAPTER 4 - DISTANCE MATTERS

-
Image
'Congratulations on your promotion and transfer. We are looking forward to your full commitment to us. Do get back to this letter at the earliest with your answer.' Read the crafted piece of paper. Ahmed's parents were delighted and jumping with joy. They were chanting 'Alhamdulillah' fervently while Aliza stood confused. She could not make anything of this news because Ahmed's promotion meant everything to her. But his transfer would only mean that Aliza must stay back with her in-laws while he would visit only during weekends. She would happily do so, too, if not for her unsupportive mother-in-law. Aliza wanted to cry, and her eyes brimmed with tears that the world looked like a smudged canvas laying still in front of her. She looked at Ahmed pleadingly and waited until 10 to ask him if he really wanted to go. Asking in front of her in-laws would only mean the end of her good days. Ahmed did not look up because he knew what his transfer meant for both of them.
Read more

MY FAVOURITE BLOGCHATTER MOMENTS FROM 2023

-
Image
Contrary to every other year, in 2023, the writer in me had a great time compared to the reader me—all thanks to the team of Blogchatter. If you are new to the world of blogging or have been living under a rock, Blogchatter is an open community for bloggers and readers, and they organise writing and reading challenges for its members. Blogchatter keeps motivating its writers and readers with badges and credit points that can be encashed. My journey with Blogchatter started in mid-2022, and it's been so great so far. I have had meaningful conversations with fellow readers, bloggers and writers. I was also introduced to unique content through this community. Though I try to write most days of the year, there are also times when I feel I can't write anymore because I can't think of anything. I would either just blank out or be overwhelmed with my personal life and a full-time job. During moments like these, Blogchatter comes up with a timely rescue by introducing challenges a
Read more