Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who—from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister—dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fukú—a curse that has haunted Oscar’s family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the … the USA. Encapsulating Dominican-American history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao opens our eyes to an astonishing vision of the contemporary American experience and explores the endless human capacity to persevere—and risk it all—in the name of love. Listen to Junot Díaz’s interview on iTunes “Meet the Author” here. Download iTunes here.
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A different read for me, loved it!
i never knew about the impact the American government had on the Dominican Republic
Hated this book.
Gives you lots to think about.
I don’t know what the point of the book was. Did not like the character maybe I missed something
The biggest tragedy was that I spent hours reading this turkey. I didn’t find any of the characters interesting or sympathetic. I have no idea why this got such rave reviews
One of the most original novels I’d read at the time of publication! In its characters and locales along with its wonderful story-telling prose, my reaction to it reminded me at times of my first encounter with A Confederacy of Dunces. I was both in awe of the powerful story and enamored of the characters.
I took my time with this book, reading the footnotes, and using Google Translate for the Spanish including slang. Yes, it is magical realism, at its best with the use of fuku, the curse, and their tie-in to Science Fiction and Fantasy literary references. I also enjoyed the history of the DR which for me ties into colonialism and slavery that is …
I did not care for the story or the writing style.
My favorite book. Written in the present tense throughout. Informative. Diaz expresses the universal through the personal.
Simply one of the best books I’ve ever read.
A historical dystopia
This is a very well written book and I was completely engaged in the story
Love this guy!!!
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Díaz is pure genius storytelling at its core. This was a Book Club choice that had me a little nervous but in the end had me tightly strapped in for the ride.
As the title suggests, there is brevity to Oscar Wao’s life. Going into the read knowing this fact makes it even harder to accept as you have …
I can’t remember what this book was about. Read it about 4 or 5 years ago.
I did not enjoy this book at all.
A Latino voice that needs to be heard. This book introduces character that are relatable, regardless of race or ethnicity.
I was really looking forward to savoring this highly acclaimed story this summer and truly enjoyed the first few chapters, but with the ever-increasing cast of characters and the flashbacks I quickly became irritated. Sadly it is one of a handul of books in my lifetime that I put in the donation bag without having finished. Time’s a precious …
Just okay, othingspecial