IHC Book Reviews by NscafeUnleaded: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao [IHC Book Club]

Title: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Author: Junot Diaz
Publisher: Riverhead Books

“…This version contends that he got in trouble because of a book. (Cue the theremin, please.)…”

I’m not sure what I’m supposed to feel at the conclusion of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but what I am feeling is melancholy.  This is not a ‘triumph of spirit’ novel, it’s more of a ‘life is a motherfucker’ novel.

Well, a ‘life is a motherfucker if your a cursed Dominican’ novel.  Set mainly in the 1980’s and 90’s, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao take us on a play by play hard luck story of Oscar (and his family).  See, Oscar is a nerd.  A fat nerd at that.  Now that in of itself isn’t always a death sentence, but if you are properly socialized, then it becomes an issue. More to the point, it becomes (one of) Oscars issue(s).

As Oscar ages (and grows) he finds scifi books, fantasy books, role playing games, anime, porn and all of the other healthy past times a nerd can find. Of course, while he fixates upon girls (and the women), he doesn’t really do anything to charm them.

This turns out to be phase one of the novel.  Next we get into his sister’s story and then to his mother’s.  After that we move on to Oscar’s roommate and finally to the ill-dated trip to the Dominican Republic.  One of the really good things about The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is that Diaz provides us readers with footnotes along the way to help give us a historical context of the DR and it’s dictator’s of the 20th century … Historical context that actually makes the novel a lot more interesting to read.

Where was I?

Oh yeah, the ill-fated trip to DR.  Oscar, sadly fixates upon a puta (how is your Spanish slang anyways?  Rusty?  Mine too… Blessed be the internet) who is seeing a police captain.  I did say that this was a ‘life can be a motherfucker’ novel, right.  Oscar gets one hell of a beating as a result, and then for kicks, life gets worse.

I can see this book becoming popular for  English Lit. classes when the student has to choose a ‘foreign’ author.

I’m pretty sure I liked The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, but I’ll be damned if I can give you a clear reason as to why.  Maybe it’s the geeky humour thrown around it.  For example, it’s not everyday that losing ones virginity is measured in 4d10 damage, right?

7.5/10

Related books: Canal Dreams

Review by: Nscafe Unleaded of Books.Kawphy

Read the review in its original form here.