Brilliant, heartbreaking and highly original, Ocean Vuong's debut novel is a shattering portrait of a family, and a testament to the redemptive power of storytelling.
'A marvel' Marlon James
This 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. It tells of Vietnam, of the lasting impact of war, and of his family's struggle to forge a new future. And it serves as a doorway into parts of Little Dog's life his mother has never known - episodes of bewilderment, fear and passion - all the while moving closer to an unforgettable revelation.
'A masterpiece' Max Porter
'Luminous, shattering, urgent, necessary' Celeste Ng
Product description
Review
Everything is beautiful inĀ this debutā¦Ā Vuong has originality running through his veins, and a good deal of humour and impish charmā¦Ā This impressive debut hints at even greater things to come.Ā āĀ The Times
A stunning, beautiful book... His writing is phenomenal... Simply brilliant.Ā āĀ BBC Radio 4 Saturday Review
This is some of the most moving writing Iāve read⦠The tenderness of the prose feels likeĀ a triumphĀ against a world hellbent on embittering the tenderhearted⦠the truths arrived at in this book are valuable precisely because they areĀ steeped in feeling. āĀ New York Times
Vuong is surely a literary descendant of the author ofĀ Leaves of Grass. Emerging from the most marginalized circumstances, he has produced a lyrical work of self-discovery thatās shockingly intimate andĀ insistently universal⦠Not so much briefly gorgeous as permanently stunning.Ā -- Ron Charles āĀ Washington Post
Ocean Vuong'sĀ On Earth We're Briefly GorgeousĀ confirms him as a master of inventive languageĀ that has its roots in the spoken word but reaches shimmering heights of lyricism, too. -- Joseph O'Connor āĀ Sunday Independent *Books of the Year*
Product details
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Publisher ā : āĀ Vintage (1 September 2020); Penguin Random House
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Language ā : āĀ English
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Paperback ā : āĀ 256 pages
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ISBN-10 ā : āĀ 1529110688
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ISBN-13 ā : āĀ 978-1529110685
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Item Weight ā : āĀ 181 g
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Dimensions ā : āĀ 12.9 x 12.9 x 19.8 cm
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Country of Origin ā : āĀ United Kingdom
