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 enlarge | Author: Junot Diaz
Publisher: Riverhead Hardcover
Category: Book
List Price: $24.95
Buy New: $13.85
You Save: $11.10 (44%)
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Avg. Customer Rating:  170 reviews
Sales Rank: 239
Media: Hardcover
Number Of Items: 1
Pages: 352
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.8
Dimensions (in): 8.6 x 5.8 x 2.1
ISBN: 1594489580
Dewey Decimal Number: 813.54
EAN: 9781594489587
ASIN: 1594489580
Publication Date: September 6, 2007
Availability: Usually ships in 1-2 business days
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| Customer Reviews:
 Well Written But Lacks Emotional Punch August 2, 2008
2 out of 2 found this review helpful
Before writing this review, I read many of the fine reviews that other readers had previously submitted, and now I want to throw in on some of the oft repeated comments:
1.Many readers objected to the heavy use of slang. Rather than offend me, I found the use of slang lyrical and realistic.
2.Like the prior comment, I enjoyed the use of spanglish. My Spanish is pretty good, and the spanglish added color and depth to the novel for me. However, the spanglish was hardly essential, and I was able to skip over those words I didn't know without any loss of enjoyment.
3.I really enjoyed the footnotes, and thought they added depth and uniqueness to the novel. One of the themes of the novel was the interaction of larger historical events (the demonic Trujillo regime) and the life of this family. In this regard, the footnotes were essential. Moreover, I appreciated the unique mixture of this "street" novel and these very detailed historical references.
At the same time, I was surprised to see that there weren't more reviewers that shared my lack of interest in the thoughts and fate of Oscar, the main character. As hard as I tried, I had a hard time empathizing with this character. For me, the best part of a well-written, well developed novel is the opportunity to inhabit the mind, spirit and experiences of another human being, to feel for them, to feel what they feel. For several reasons, I just couldn't get there in this book.
1. Here, the narrator was neither an omniscient voice, nor the main character, but instead, Yunior, another character who related the facts. To me, Yunior's narration was without much insight or understanding. While it was stylistically interesting, it did little to bring Oscar to life.
2.The title refers to Oscar's "brief wondrous life." While I certainly understand the brief part, the wondrous part completely escapes me. To me, Oscar's life was anything but wondrous, and in fact, was at times downright boring. His life was little more than a series of defeats and disappointments, and his one success was too little, too late for me.
3.Pagewise, much of the novel is spent on the lives of Oscar's family members, and not on Oscar. While this material adds to our understanding of the De Leon family history (including the theme of "fuku", the curse), it detracts from Oscar's story.
In conclusion, this is a unique, well written book, but lacks the emotional punch to make it really shine, Pulitzer notwithstanding.
 the american-domincan experience July 31, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
this is one amazing journey. every character is vibrant, well developed and the book is written in a way in which you might get slightly lost from chapter to chapter, however, you quickly realize the method used by the author, which makes the read that much more enjoyable. I truly belive that you have to be knowledgeable of the Dominican culture to get the most out of this novel. and fuku is pronounced foo-koo. very proud that Mr. Diaz won the Pulitzer price for this work.
A novel about immigrants, who don't read novels about immigrants July 30, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The novel about the immigrant is almost cliche. In typical American literature or movies he arrives on our shores (after waving to the Statue of Liberty) struggles and then goes on to "melt" into our big pot. THIS IS NOT THAT BOOK. The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is funny and you will be really entertained because Diaz writes in a clear, fast and witty manor. What's remarkable about this book is that is educational. The novel is based around the Trujillo regime. The novel includes extensive footnotes that you can learn from or you can ignore because the story is good without them. The footnotes are incredibly relevant to the story. Also, if you are Latino and are all ready familiar with the basics of the Trujillo regime they add even more substance.
Diaz includes a new angle on immigrants. Oscar feels a tremendous pressure to be a typical Dominican man. It raises the question, Do we welcome immigrants in the United States or Do we assume that people from the same culture all have the same personality? We watch Oscar struggle to fit in and find love. This novel also chronicles his intense family dynamic and how living under a dictatorship changes people. Well worth it.
WOW! The word AMAZING does no justice... July 30, 2008
1 out of 2 found this review helpful
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
I could not put it down! It is an amazing depiction of immigrant life and the cruelty some of us face growing up at the hands of our peers.
Funny, Poignant, DELIGHTFUL, and Real July 24, 2008
Just read it -- that is all there is to say. This is the best of contemporary fiction, a justification for compulsive reading -- you keep exploring until you find something like this! The prose is honest, down-to-earth, and refreshing -- I can't remember the last time I laughed so much reading a book. (And I tend to read at my lunch hour, so I know there were a lot of people staring as I laughed and gasped in delight.) I am still absolutely capitivated by Oscar, and I have ordered extra copies of the book, but I know I will be giving them out as gifts for some time to come. Truly "wondrous." -- Una Morena
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