On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

Book 14 of my 2021 Reading Challenge

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

by Ocean Vuong

Summary (via Goodreads)

published 2019

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 epicenter 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 our American moment, immersed as we are 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.

First Impressions/Judging a Book by Its Cover

I added this book to my list after seeing my friend post about it on Instagram.  My initial feeling looking at the book in my hands is the same as when I saw the photo of the cover - the black and white photo cover photo is stunning and between the photo and the title, it just feels smart.  Do you know what I mean?  Like if I was going somewhere and this was the book people saw me carrying, I would appear like a very studious reader.

Based on the description and blurbs on the back, this sounds like an emotional book.  As much as I mentioned what it would look like in public, I also feel like this is the kind of book that I wouldn't want to read in 2 minute snippets while waiting for kids or in a waiting room.

My Opinion

5 stars

I found myself reading aloud to myself because the cadence is part of the experience and the book is so lyrical.  I could reread it and get something different because there are layers beneath the words and starting over with knowledge about the characters would change everything.

My first impression was correct.  It was emotional and not something I would want to read in short bursts.

Quote from the Book

"They say nothing lasts forever but they're just scared it will last longer than they can love it."