“It’s beauty, I learned, that we risk ourselves for”
Through a collection of letters from a Vietnamese American to his mother (who cannot read), a striking story of family, life, love and tragedy is skillfully crafted. I cannot find the words to truly provide a summary which captures the essence of this book; all I know is that Vuong’s writing has impacted me in a way I was not expecting and On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is an instant favourite.
This book is unbelievably raw, honest and heartbreaking; its unexpected, beautiful and rightly gorgeous. The prose is incredibly well written; line after line I found myself stopping to absorb not only the splendour of the sentence but its long-lasting impact. Vuong makes no effort to embellish the lives of the characters with bright spots but instead shows family dynamics and love in a crude and natural state – the way that life is lived. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is heavily driven by the characters and relationships between one another and the world, because of this the plot is less complex. This does not bother me at all, in fact, I think it adds to the style of writing and the impact that it has. Although I recognized that this book may not resonate the same way for everyone as it has for me, I highly recommend reading it for the stunning prose alone.
Rating: [5/5]
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