On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is Ocean Vuong’s prose debut. You may know the author from his poetry volume Night Sky with Exit Wounds. The novel is styled in the form of a letter which the narrator, called Little Dog, sends to his illiterate mother. Through this letter, we learn the family history and the narrator’s coming of age story.
There are stark autobiographical elements in the novel. For instance, Vuong’s grandfather was a soldier who fell in love during the Vietnam war. When Vuong was two years old, his family came to the United States as refugees. In the novel, the memories Little Dog’s mother and grandmother appear frequently, referencing their past in Vietnam and their stay in a small apartment in Hartford, Connecticut. On the forefront of the storyline, we see the everyday life of Little Dog’s teenage years, featuring themes such as discrimination, violence, racism, health problems and addiction.
Two events are formative for Little Dog in adolescence: his first job and his momentary relationship with Trevor, whom he met at work. This first love helps Little Dog discover and define his sexuality, explore his desires and dreams, but also understand that if he wants to establish himself in the world, he will have to fight for it.
Using fragmentary narration, Vuong presents the reader with a puzzle of a story. Although this non-linear patchwork of events is not easy to interpret, the message is loud and clear: somewhere between our experiences and challenges, there is space for the most beautiful, carefree, and naïve moments of our youthful lust for life.
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