On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous is structured as a letter addressed to the narrator's mother, a Vietnamese woman traumatized by the war and struggling to be happy in America. through this lens, the reader gets bite-sized glimpses into her and her son's lives that come together to illustrate one whole experience of otherness and the different shapes love can take.

i went into Gorgeous not expecting to love it quite this much. i think the form of the novel was so enchanting and evoked such a particular sense of reflection that i found myself deep in its sadness, like i was struggling to keep my head above water but it felt so good to swim. i had to take the occasional break because at times Vuong's writing eluded me or challenged me in a way that warranted coming back later-- but this is a good thing, because it forced me to take my time.

it is clear that Vuong is a poet; Gorgeous felt like one large poem, rambling and beautiful, chock full of metaphors and symbols that at times could even (unfortunately) shroud Vuong's true meaning. i believe a book is often a communication between author and reader, while poetry is often indulgent of the poet. with this in mind Gorgeous did, occasionally, feel self-indulgent, and what Vuong was trying to communicate sometimes felt lost among the language. but i think readers have a responsibility to compromise with the author, as well, and these small moments of confusion or misunderstanding added to the realness and authenticity of the novel. 

this authenticity feels even more true when thinking about Vuong's relationship to the subject matter. i don't know much about Ocean Vuong but i feel that the line between Vuong and Little Dog blurs often, giving the reader a sense of intimacy, exposing the reader to the Vuong's own musings through Little Dog as a conduit. it is masterfully done, and feels oddly therapeutic in a way, as if through reading Little Dog's attempt at closure, i myself received closure with him as someone on the other side of the page.