On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous (Paperback)
Staff Reviews
If you have read Vuong before, you know what you're getting yourself into—something that is deeply gorgeous, unsettling, and breathtaking. On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous takes the shape of a letter from the main character, Little Dog, to his illiterate mother. Grappling with themes of sexuality, violence, generational trauma, and pain, this piece of autobiographical fiction transforms the reader from 'reader' to 'witness'. reading Vuong is like going to an art museum, standing in front of a painting you just can't stand to leave, and then thinking about it all night. I read this book three months ago and I still think about it.
— JessJune 2019 Indie Next List
“Alright 2019, this is the novel to beat. On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is the rare novel that makes you experience reading in a slightly different way and shows you that, no matter how many books you’ve read, something new and uniquely beautiful can still be found. The novel takes the form of a letter written by the main character, Little Dog, to his mother — an immigrant from Vietnam who cannot read. The power of Vuong’s poetic writing shimmers with every paragraph, and each phrase is a carefully considered, emotional journey. Grappling with themes of identity, sexuality, addiction, violence, and finding your place in a world where you feel you don’t belong, this book already feels like a modern classic, destined to be read and talked about for years to come.”
— Caleb Masters, Bookmarks, Winston-Salem, NC