On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous

“I am exactly twenty-eight years old, 5ft 4in tall, 112lbs. I am handsome at exactly three angles and deadly from everywhere else, I am writing you from inside a body that used to be yours. Which is to say, I am writing as a son.”

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    In celebration of a new year, I decided to reread my favorite book, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong. I read this book for the first time a few years ago and fell in love with it for two reasons: the writing and the subject. As unremarkable as they sound, these two elements are what make this book unlike anything else. 

    On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous is based on the author’s own life, and takes the form of a letter written by a son to his illiterate mother. The novel grapples with what it means to be Vietnamese American and gay in Hartford, Conneticut. Using poetic prose, Vuong unravels the affects of PTSD, war, and abuse on three generations–Lan, the grandmother, Rose, the mother, and Little Dog, the main character. 

    In his letter, Little Dog tells Rose things she’ll never know. He tells her that his friend Trevor was more than just a friend, about Trevor’s addiction to Oxycontin and his death, and what it means to be a writer. Mostly, however, Little Dog writes about things his mom already knows, like how she used to hit him, the time she told him that “the human eye is god’s loneliest creation,” and Lan’s life in Vietnam during the war. His insights on his life and childhood are heartbreaking on their own, but more so when you, the reader, remember that his mother can’t appreciate the beauty of his writing and thought. 

    I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in it. It’s extremely bittersweet and does deal with heavy topics. Nevertheless, the writing is beautiful and perfectly captures the essence of the subjects it tackles. Here are some of my favorite quotes:

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“I want to meet the millionaire of American sadness. I want to look him in the eye, shake his hand, and say, ‘It’s been an honor to serve my country.’”

“I’m not with you ‘cause I’m at war. Which is one way of saying it’s already February and the president wants to deport my friends. It’s hard to explain.”

“They say nothing lasts forever but they’re just scared it will last longer than they can love it.”

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-Bonnie