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The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

Junot Díaz

Start date: March 1, 2021

Finish date: March 31, 2021

Discussion: Group Reads

Why we're reading this: March 2021 Completist Poll Winner
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What Members Thought

Jan 19, 2019 Sue K H rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: favorites, pulitzer-s-fiction, pulitzers-to-read

Wow, this book is quite a tour de force. It's hard to believe that it was the first novel. It's riveting, artistic, raw, literary, sad, funny, frightening and highly stylistic all in one. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. This isn't for the easily offended, or even those who get mildly offended. It's not politically correct and it's filled with sex, violence and harsh slang. The narrator, Yunior, feels at least somewhat autobiographical since, like Oscar, he's a writer and is also Wow, this book is quite a tour de force. It's hard to believe that it was the first novel. It's riveting, artistic, raw, literary, sad, funny, frightening and highly stylistic all in one. I absolutely loved it and couldn't put it down. This isn't for the easily offended, or even those who get mildly offended. It's not politically correct and it's filled with sex, violence and harsh slang. The narrator, Yunior, feels at least somewhat autobiographical since, like Oscar, he's a writer and is also from the Dominican Republic and emigrated to New Jersey.

The books spans 3 generations of Oscar's family showing their tumultuous history and how they survived and didn't survive the brutal Dominican Republic dictator "Rafael Leónidas Trujillo Molina, the Dictatingest Dictator who ever Dictated.” And how they survived and didn't survive immigration to America.

The story starts out explaining the curse called "fukú" that is over Oscar and his family. Yunior tells you all about where the curse comes from and then says “It’s perfectly fine if you don’t believe in these “superstitions.” In fact, it’s better than fine—it’s perfect. Because no matter what you believe, fukú believes in you.”

Oscar and his sister live with their abusive single mother Beli. She's so abusive and is without redeeming loving qualities, that his sister Lola runs away to escape her. You hate Beli, she's awful in every way but, though this quote isn't from her, it certainly applies to her as well as others:

“If you didn't grow up like I did then you don't know, and if you don't know it's probably better you don't judge.”

You understand why she is the way she is as the story unfolds. Junot Díaz does an excellent job of making you feel the immigrant experience and understand their history from their point of view. This book is meant to be an antidote for the curse, because sharing their story lessens the power of the curse the way that sharing a problem with someone lessens the problem.

I almost didn't read this because of some bad reviews that complained about the interspersed Spanish without translation. I decided to get it on audio read by Lin-Manuel Miranda (of Hamilton fame) and Karen Olivo, because it was highly rated. I'm glad I did and strongly recommend taking it in this way. I followed along with a copy from the library, because I can't listen to an audiobook when I'm relaxed for the night. Only when exercising, cleaning, driving etc... I didn't have a problem with the Spanish in either format, but it's hard to say if I would have, had I not started with the audio. I felt I got the gist of it and if I didn't, it didn't matter. This is one of the best audio books I've ever experienced.

If you do listen to it, don't do it with kids around!

...more

15 likes · Like · see review

Mar 05, 2021 Eileen rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: 2021-ng-group-challenge, ownvoices, contemporary, 2021, audiobook, historical-fiction, magical-realism, literature

So this was one of those books that's very hard for me to review because it's hard for me to decide how I feel about it. The author has given us a glimpse into the lives of Dominicans during the time of Trujillo and the aftermath and it's not pretty. At first glance, I would say I'm surprised that I was caught by the book as much as I was. It seems very misogynistic, which normally would turn me off, but my sense is that the author is saying this is what the Dominican society was like both durin So this was one of those books that's very hard for me to review because it's hard for me to decide how I feel about it. The author has given us a glimpse into the lives of Dominicans during the time of Trujillo and the aftermath and it's not pretty. At first glance, I would say I'm surprised that I was caught by the book as much as I was. It seems very misogynistic, which normally would turn me off, but my sense is that the author is saying this is what the Dominican society was like both during that time period and this is how many of the people had to deal with it, male or female. It certainly was not an easy life, but how much harder was it for these "regular" folks to make the hard choices. I can't say I "got" the whole book, but I think this is a book I need to read, put down and reread at a later date, appreciating more the second time around. As emotionally and maturity stunted Oscar seems, I rather liked and felt bad for him. And as tragic as the book really is, there is some element of hope left at the end for future generations in Oscar's family. It's easy to judge the actions of many of the characters here from afar, but actually having to live their lives? I truly appreciate Junot Diaz's exceptional writing in bringing these characters and their stories to life. The narrator was even pretty good, even if he was not Lin Manuel Miranda, who narrates another version of this book. Any Spanish I have in my vocabulary comes from Duolingo, so I definitely missed the meaning of some of the many Spanish/Spanglish phrases thrown into this book, but I was delighted to learn that I could understand some of them, even if I couldn't do a direct translation. I probably could have done a more serious job with this book by listening and reading the book (which would have included footnotes), but I did enjoy this rather odd book and can see myself revisiting it in the future.

I also read his short story collection that was in the same book as this one and there are definitely some nuggets in there as well. It looks like some of the stories in that collection stood out more for some than others and for me, it was very interesting to read the reviews after I read both of these books. ...more

10 likes · Like · see review

Feb 25, 2013 Mmars rated it really liked it · review of another edition

Shelves: experimntal-i-mite-like

Coincidentally I also read The Confederacy of Dunces this winter. I am struck by the character parallels of Oscar Wao and Ignatius Riley. I'm sure I'm not the first to make this comparison. But the Brief Wondrous Life is much more sympathetic to the trials and tribulations of the outcast/nerd. And as humorous as it was at times, it was also heartbreaking. Hats off to Diaz for creating a palpable story of life under a murdurous, immoral dictator. Being a lover of footnotes, well, I loved his use ...more

2 likes · Like · see review