Discussion and Review: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

[@alovesam]

Great review! I’m Salvadoran-American but grew up around Caribbean Slang. Your review nailed my exact thoughts.

[@abichomo6530]

Of the You Tube reviews of Oscar Wao, yours is the best. You cogently tell us why we might not appreciate or connect with this book. I am so glad that you specifically mention the humor. I don't have a molecule of Latina blood in me, but I found myself laughing in so many places. I seldom find humor in literary fiction so to find it in a book that is so language and culture specific and totally unfamiliar to my experience surprised the hell out of me. It and the wonderful life stories of the characters are what makes this book brilliant. However, I am positive that hearing it read by Jonathan Davis converted me. Pure reading may not have exposed those humorous moments. In any case the book is well worth the effort to read even if you don't finish it. I hated the ending until I listened to it again and discovered how touching the few days between Oscar and Ybon were. You're right: he dies happy.

[@teacherstorieswithlessons]

I thought the same, it's for a niche. My niche. I loved it. He took a risk writing for such a specific generation and subgroup. It was worth it. I really appreciate that he did this. He wrote the book I have always wanted to read.

[@missusdr]

I realize that I’m very late to this conversation, but I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed and appreciated your review. I just finished the novel this afternoon, and my brain is still buzzing. I wanted to love this so much...and I didn’t quite get there. I really liked it and I think it was so beautifully written, but I think I missed out on truly connecting with the story because of what you were mentioning. I do have a little bit of Latin descent, but my mom is basically assimilation-mission-accomplished...and I’m even farther. And none of that lineage is Caribbean, so that plus my very basic and limited Spanish meant that so many of the references were lost on me (and while I’m a self-proclaimed nerd, I have yet to read LOTR, so I missed all of that as well). I was able to grasp the gist of much of the story with context and the footnotes, but I was never really cracking up like you and a few others have said that you were. I also was a bit disturbed at times because of the vivid brutality that so much of the family was met with. I understand that it was a true and harsh reality of the era with Trujillo, but I just didn’t realize it would be so prevalent in the story, and just wasn’t ready for it...so that’s my problem. But I thought it was worth mentioning for anyone who hasn’t read it yet. This was a fantastic novel, so well-done, and it really pulled at my heartstrings... but it’s just a valid point that if someone doesn’t have a lot of natural connections to the culture, it’s likely that they may miss out on a bit of it. Thank you for sharing!

[@gnirrednow]

I loved this book! I am not Dominican so I definitely missed a lot of the culturally specific references and slang, but I still felt like I understood what was going on and still really enjoyed it. Thank you for your review!

[@joycejarrard6958]

I am going to start listening to this tomorrow. I guess I will be at a major disadvantage, because I only know a few words of Spanish.

[@RunwrightReads]

I read this a few years ago and am thinking of rereading it because I can't remember the details. Thanks for the reminder :-)

[@bih80]

Runwright Reads I am so glad I picked it up hidden in the back of that forgotten bookcase!

[@gnirrednow]

Also your cat sounds adorable! I showed your video to my boyfriend because it was so funny how the cat bumped your camera and you muttered "this freaking cat..." LOL

[@nerdyozzy]

Im a puerto rican and I got all of the references that Junto had put. I was laughing my ass off in parts of the book and personally felt connected with Oscar and Yunior's way of telling the story. In Spanglish 😂

[@spencer1531]

White boy here. I found the neologisms and Spanglish very engaging. Same thing with the history of Trujillo. Diaz knows how to make footnotes interesting. One of my favorite books.

[@lexisisk8079]

I’ve never hated a book so much in my whole life, couldn’t believe I had to read it for college. Beyond inappropriate and perverted.

[@andrewrussell2845]

If this only appealed to a narrow audience, it would be a failure as a piece of literature and it isn't. Just because someone is from another culture, this doesn't mean they can't read about cultures other than their own.

[@monblancnoland4666]

It hit dif when you qas really a part of that dominican diaspora and remember what leaving dr meant and made you feel I've read it 2 and might run it back some years from now recommend drown ans this is how you lose her

[@j.alaniz3495]

I didn't like this book, full of racists words and offensive sexual content. Not sure who would love this, I can't imagine anyone would enjoy this book. The DR culture is nothing to be proud of in this story. FYI, I read the whole book.

[@DDsangles]

If you knew the history/culture and the lingo, maybe you'd enjoyed it more.

[@viktormuerte]

Why're you going around and commenting your distaste on videos related to this book?

[@lexisisk8079]

I had to read this garbage for college! I absolutely despised it

[@ShannySumner]

The most beautiful heartbreaking book!

[@infinityb33]

at first I did not enjoy it, but once the book got into the life of oscar's mother, I was instantly hooked. I didn't understand every single reference, however I still found it comprehensible and very fun.