The Emperor of Gladness

I've never read any of Ocean Vuong's poetry, but I did listen to his other novel, and in many ways, this one reminds me of that story. The details have long since left, but the raw, bruised echoes remain firmly in my mind. I expect this novel will be the same.

There are a lot of things about The Emperor of Gladness that are hard. Drugs are a prominent theme and play a very significant role in the story and its progression. There's family trauma, and drama, and death. None of the characters in this story have lived easy lives, but I would argue that they've lived good ones, and the lyrical way that the story shifts back and forth between time, only seems to make that even more apparent.

This book is painful and it isn't easy, but it is so full of love and desperate hope too, and that part is easy. I loved as they loved and when I finally reached the last page, I couldn't help but cry.

This is the first book by Ocean Vuong that I've read, and he's left a positive impression on me. The theme is quite dark and I'm not a fan of flowery writing, but the author writes beautiful, honest, and cutting prose. Most of the comical elements felt forced, and it's not his strong suit. But overall, this book has made me want to check out his first novel.