Filth, absolute filth, rape, murder, suicide, and so much talk about sex it would make any twenty-one year-old sailor blush. So how did this type of book win a Pulitzer Prize? Because it is amazing. Absolutely amazing.
Yes, this book, does have a bunch of filth, however, there is also a wonderful story line, an empathetic main character, a gripping plot, and enough background information to practically make any reader an expert on the history of the Dominican Republic. The main character of this book, Oscar, is a sci-fi enthusiast and a fat Dominican ,therefore he does not believe he has a lot of chances in life. However, Oscar is also a romanticist and a writer and who he wants nothing more than to find out of life woman to love; a dream he chases to his own demise.
Junot Diaz, author of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, explains the history of the Dominican Republic as he tells the story of Oscar and his family, including his controlling mother and sister. In fact, readers get so much back-story they virtually experience what life as a Dominican would have been like for all three characters as they move back and forth between New Jersey and the Dominican Republic. Diaz also put a great deal of effort into telling the story of Trujillo, the unruly and cruel dictator who ruled the Dominican from 1942 to 1952; the things he did will leave mental scars after you read the book.
About The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, LA Times said, “Panoramic and yet achingly personal. It’s impossible to categorize, which is a good thing. It’s a hell of a book.” Esquire said, “Unruly, seductive, and manic…”. Time said, “Astoundingly great.”
Do yourself a favor, download or pick-up a copy of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and settle in for a wonderful, wild ride.