On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
by Ocean Vuong
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Ocean Vuong's debut novel, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, opens up as a deeply moving letter to his illiterate mother, but by the end, we realize that this is more of a letter to himself, to us, to the powers that be, to all of mankind, and to the past. In this relatively short memoir/novel, Ocean encapsulates some of the rawest wisdom I have ever encountered, all while developing his own definition of humanity by reliving (and reshaping) his past. 

I struggled writing this review at first. What else is there to say other than that it is one of the most profound pieces of writing I have had the pleasure of experiencing? What else is there to say other than that this changed my perspective on grief and trauma? 

Admittedly, it took me a while to finish this book. It sat heavy on my heart each time I picked it up. I would read, cry, process, and read again. These pages bleed with trauma, loss, love, but most of all, hope, the kind of hopeless hope that hits you in the chest, leaving you breathless because how do we carry our accumulative corpses if we can't wish for a day in the future where we can set them down? Every time I picked up On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous,  I left with something new and heavy imprinted onto my soul

Subjectively speaking, this is one of the most important novels/memoirs to exist in my opinion. Ocean's pain is substantial and his longing is a longing that I, and many others, can resonate with on an incredibly deep level. Objectively speaking, Ocean's real life experiences spark a discourse on the coexistence of negligence and care, hate and love, authenticity and insincerity - all in the name of survival. Ocean also discusses his relationship with colonialism, sexuality, queerness, drug use, and racism, all while setting a phenomenal example of what effect beautiful prose and lyricism can have on us emotionally. 

This book might be little, but she is fierce - she packs a punch. I would highly recommend any of Ocean's work for the world to read. His is a voice that belongs to an entire generation and I believe also to a future literary legend. I adore him just as I adored this book.