The pain of the Vietnam War left splinters all across the globe—at the scale of both
war-torn countries and broken households. In the novel On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, poet Ocean Vuong details the years of physical abuse endured from a mother suffering from post-traumatic stress disorder after fleeing her homeland and the intense guerilla warfare associated with it. The United State’s involvement in the Vietnam War comes a result of a vain attempt to ‘contain’ communism within Southeast Asia. Vietnam was torn into two separate entities; one of which supported the Soviet cause and the other backed by the military giant that is the United States. Vuong beautifully illustrates the racialized and politicized distributions of ‘controlled’ space and power over nature, while also including the achingly painful caveat of war time abuse and the devastating effects of the struggle for materialistic control of land.
One of the most powerful aspects of this piece of work is its showcase of the intersectionality between race, gender, and power. In Part 1, Vuong details the story of his grandmother, a young Vietnamese woman who flees an arranged marriage and is sexually assaulted by an American soldier, producing a ‘white-passing’ child. The woman, self-named to be Lan, is approached by two American soldiers on the street, both of which are noticeably intoxicated and carrying massive M-16s. Lan urinates on herself, standing “on the life-sized period of her own sentence, alive” thanks to the paleness of her daughter. This memory from Vuong’s grandmother is striking as it points back to an argument made by researcher Donna Haraway regarding feminist political ecology. The earth, with an “independent sense of humor, is its own active subject in the propagation of gender and social norms. Lan’s ability as a woman to reproduce protected her from imminent death, pointing to an argument made by feminist poltical ecologist Sharlene Mollett which describes that as humans, we are historically entered into heavily racialized and sexualized relationships, so there is no way to properly separate these traits as completely isolated from the other. The binary hierarchy that existed within this confrontation was ultimately created by the differing characteristics that nature and culture have created to categorize men and women into separate social classes, with regard to race as well.
Vuong also successfully illustrates the lack of fairly paid domestic labor done by women of color. His mother, Rose, works in a nail salon where the violent, noxious fumes worked to develop asthma in the young lungs of the employee’s children. The ability of this environment, glamorized by the lure of the ‘American dream,’ to cause extreme bodily harm is not reflected within the American economy. The deeply ingrained, patriarchal ideal of success does not include labor that is seen as undesirable. Silvia Federici, an influential socialist feminist thinker, argues that this ignorance points to an even larger flaw in the way our workforce is structured, and how capitalism takes advantage of our nation’s most vulnerable. Vuong shares an
interesting perspective on this by stating that he hates and loves his mother’s battered hands for what they can never be. Even the child of an immigrant, conditioned by abuse to respect and
fear his mother, is ashamed of her occupation. Compared to similar accounts of families chasing the ‘American dream,’ the rawness of Vuong’s emotions makes his entire sentiment even more powerful, as he appeals to each side.
Later in the story, Vuong grapples with his sexuality and an opioid addiction, conditioned to believe both are evil. This novel is special in many ways, but its strong, emotional tone helps the reader to connect even deeper to the barriers an immigrant family faces, even if they have no experience with the subject. Early on in the story, we learn that Rose, Vuong’s mother, is illiterate. This open letter of resentment, pride, and love that he feels towards his mother will never be received by her, as she cannot conceptualize the act of reading and writing. The notion that Vuong is writing this as a way to reinforce his ownership over the experiences he has endured continues to impress his audience as a second generation, queer man of color taking his own power in a society that systemically does not grant him any.
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Because freedom, I am told, is nothing but the distance between the hunter and its prey.Highlighted by 7,909 Kindle readers- To be gorgeous, you must first be seen, but to be seen allows you to be hunted.Highlighted by 6,667 Kindle readers
- When does a war end? When can I say your name and have it mean only your name and not what you left behind?Highlighted by 5,028 Kindle readers
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"I never wanted to build a "body of work," but to preserve these, our bodies, breathing and unaccounted for, inside the work."Ocean Vuong's debut novel is original, insightful, prolific and so very brave.I'm left with immense gratitude that author and poet Ocean Vuong, so freely gave of himself to tell this story. It is deeply personal, the reader would feel an intruder, had Vuong not made the narrative so immersive, sweeping you up, taking you with him along the journey.This story says so much about our own mortality and the mortality of the ones we love, about trauma and abuse, about first love and the first taste of despair, and all the despair that follows it.Vuong tackles broad themes, but through the intimate survival of a family of three. In a profound way for me, he shined an exposing, excruciating light on the United States' military involvement during the Vietnam War and the havoc that conflict brought upon the region, and most importantly, the human beings living there. You will learn reading this, you will grow reading this. What more could you ask for?A personal favorite aspect of Vuong's style was the interlacing and intertwining of nature and natural elements into the narrative structure. From monarch butterflies to baby cows, Vuong has observed and studied the world around us to bring forth a truly connected and alive body of work.This particular exchange will stay with me:"Hey," he said, half-asleep, "what were you before you met me?""I think I was drowning."A pause."And what are you now?" he whispered, sinking.I thought for a second. "Water."I can't say it's a sad or difficult read because of its themes, On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous just is. A perfect, brave little picture of life and whatever comes of it. And whatever comes after it.
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ashish_the_reader
Beautiful as ever
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on April 29, 2022
ashish_the_reader
Reviewed in India 🇮🇳 on April 29, 2022
This is not a novel, or at least not in a sense a novel is often described as but more like an amalgamation of ideas, poetry, essays, memoir with a touch of fiction, just enough to camouflage it as a novel for the sake of the wider world. In an interview, Ocean Vuong says he was inspired to write something similar (thematically and structurally) to Moby Dick, how Herman Melville never "compromised in a way it follows it's curiosity". And here as well Vuong replicates it. On Earth We Are Briefly Gorgeous isn't about one thing solely; it's multi faceted. And what can I say about the beauty?
It's not a secret that he writes beautifully; even the word "beautiful" feels redundant in comparison but that's the highest praise in the English dictionary, isn't it? Read this - "If you forget me, then you've gone too far. Turn back", do I need to say anything else about the language, the writing style. As for the plot, there is none. It just flows, stories mingle into each other, more like smoke rising in the sky. It's about Vietnam, war, immigration, mothers, sons, heritage, queerness, sex, American, dream and whiteness.
It's not a perfect book; there are points where the book is relatively weak and inconsistent; points where I thought, wtf! Speaking politely, I even got bored especially towards the end where things got a little "abstract". Sometimes the beautiful words just seem like beautiful words and nothing more, weightless and fleeting. But when it's good, it's really good, when it shines, it shines like the lord himself.
If you are planning to read this book, I will say one thing, read it slowly. Even though it's a 240 page book and one could read it in a day or two, I would recommend stretching it over a week. Read a paragraph and let it sink. Take time with this book because it demands it. Read a passage you think is beautifully written again and again until you memorize it. This is how this book should be read. Like an expensive meal.
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Ocean Vuong - On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous
Reviewed in the United Kingdom 🇬🇧 on July 27, 2022
