10 STAR BOOK!!! Ocean Vuong's *The Emperor of Gladness* is simply stunning. A must-read! If you're looking for a deeply moving and unforgettable book review, look no further. This one earns all the stars.

Now Longlisted for the Dublin Literary Award 2026Arrghhhh... I applaud Ocean Vuong for shining a light on the mundane lives of contemporary working-class Americans, for giving them dignity and grace in beautifully rendered sentences, and for evoking atmosphere with perceptive details. Also, for the life of me, I couldn't get into this meandering text. Our protagonist is 19-year-old Hai, a queer Vietnamese-American who lives in a small town called East Gladness, Connecticut. Standing on a bridge ...

Ocean Vuong try not to make me cry challenge... failed. Seriously.I'm endlessly astounded by the way Ocean Vuong manages to capture the aching, joyousness, and everyday reality of being human in a way that feels both melancholic and raw, yet utterly beautiful. *The Emperor of Gladness* is an astounding story about two people living on the fringes of society – the elderly and the young adult – and how their differences are precisely what connect them. I'll be thinking about this one forever. Plea...

"Sometimes you don’t just read a book, you bleed through it!" My second five-star book of the year so far, and the magic of it still lingers, like an unsolved riddle in the back of my mind.One minute I’m revising Theory, the next I’m sobbing over a boy on a bridge. I got the ARC mid-finals. I wanted calm. I got cracked open like a walnut. I am unwell, I am in awe!! 📌 Full thoughts pending emotional clarity.Until then: Ocean Vuong's *The Emperor of Gladness* owns me!! Looking for profound and m...

Ocean Vuong really just asked, what if I emotionally waterboarded you, made it hauntingly beautiful and poetic, forced you to spiral about your immigrant mom and grandma with dementia, and then quietly put you back together with just enough hope to make you want to keep living?Still deciding on my rating, but I'm keeping it at 4 stars for now.-WE'RE GETTING READY FOR SAD GIRL SUMMER WITH THIS ONE!! Buddy read with my best girls ANH and CHES!!-OMGGG I FORGOT *The Emperor of Gladness* CAME OUT TOD...

Forget a hot girl summer, it's shaping up to be a depressing, slightly-better-than-awful spring 😔 Ocean Vuong's *The Emperor of Gladness* just hits different, you know? It’s not a pick-me-up; it’s more like a beautifully written acknowledgment that things can be relentlessly, soul-crushingly… meh. If you're looking for book reviews that understand the assignment of existential dread, this is it. Vuong doesn't offer easy answers, and *The Emperor of Gladness* isn’t a comfortable read, but damn,...

Ready for my soul to break open all over again.... I can't wait to dive into Ocean Vuong's *The Emperor of Gladness*. Seriously preparing myself for another emotional rollercoaster. If you're looking for a book review that tells you whether or not to read it: READ IT. Just have tissues ready. Vuong's writing is like a punch to the gut in the best way possible.

A new novel by Ocean Vuong? I used to pray for moments like these.His debut is one of my all-time favorite books.This is one of my biggest disappointments in years.I'm not always a huge poetry person, but I love how poets write prose: every word thoughtfully chosen, each sentence beautiful and purposeful, the overall effect stunning.I've since read some of Vuong's poetry, and haven't felt that same magic. And **The Emperor of Gladness** didn't do it for me either.I can only describe this in basi...

So, 2025 is shaping up to be a year for tears, huh? If Ocean Vuong's *The Emperor of Gladness* is anything to go by, get the tissues ready. This book is an emotional rollercoaster, and Vuong doesn't pull any punches. Prepare for some serious feels. A must-read for anyone looking for beautifully written, heart-wrenching book reviews that explore the depths of human emotion. Definitely a top pick for the best books of the year!

For fuck's sake, man.