Sophia C. reviewed on 12/26/2014 + 289 more book reviews

Junot Díaz's vibrant, colorful prose saves The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao from the very sad story that could have been formulated from the plot elements. The title character, Oscar, is an overweight nerd growing up in Paterson, New Jersey, threatening to become the first Dominican male to die a virgin. Fukú, a curse on his family for generations, may or may not be to blame. This idea is explored in the calamities of his various relatives, including his sister Lola and mother Beli. I enjoyed learning more about the recent history of the Dominican Republic (some told through footnotes) and the change in pace through the different timelines, but I never got the sense that I understood the role-playing gamer and aspiring novelist Oscar very well or whose perspective we are hearing from. Nonetheless, I enjoyed this Pulitzer Prize-winning entry on the list of 1001 books you must read before you die.

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