Reviews

I’m sorry I keep saying How are you? when I really mean Are you happy?

Honestly one of the most beautiful novels I've ever read. I loved how intimate the writing was, the second person storytelling, the way it muddied together past/present/future, how the narrative was able to simultaneously exist in multiple places at the same time: Hartford, Vietnam, Virginia, his childhood home, the barn, the fields, the trailer.

The kind of book you finish and think "damn, who knew the English language was capable of this."

Not a straightforward read by any means but I loved the journey.

ogcopperqueen's review

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dark emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.0

story_of_steph's review against another edition

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challenging emotional reflective sad slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

1.0

Despite the beautiful and lyrical writing style of On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous, I found myself struggling to connect with the story. While I sensed an underlying important narrative, it felt overshadowed by the writing's pretentiousness, leaving me feeling lost amongst the prose. The scenes of animal torture were particularly disturbing and felt unnecessary. Overall, while I appreciate the author’s obvious talent, this book didn't resonate with me, and I didn't enjoy the experience as much as I had hoped.

Content Warnings