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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Waoby Junot Diaz |
Gail Reid: The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is the story of a Dominican-American teenager who by his own admission is nerdy, overweight, and obsessed with fantasy fiction. Oscar wants nothing more than a girlfriend but he lacks the most minimal social skills and believes that his life is ruled by "fuku"- a Dominican curse. Oscar's problems are not difficult to understand once we are introduced to his sister Lola, his mother Beli and his friend Yunior -- all of whom are hugely affected by their Dominican roots in spite of the life they lead in New Jersey. Lola has a wild streak but is more grounded in mainstream society. Beli, as a young rebellious woman, was chased out of the Dominican Republic by the Trujillo regime because her boyfriend the "gangster" was married to a Trujillo sister. Oscar's pursuit of the girl he loves brings the reader back to the Dominican Republic and a resolution of the curse that has followed him.
I read this book because it was the 2008 winner of the Pulitzer Prize for fiction.
I look forward to the selection each year as an opportunity to be exposed
to new works or authors. Oscar Wao was a disappointing read. It was
impossible to gain any rapport with the dysfunctional characters. Junot Diaz's
style includes a constant influx of Spanish phrases. The narrative is frequently
interspersed with lengthy historical footnotes which makes the flow disruptive.
The assimilation of Dominican Republicans to American life is wonderfully portrayed
in the Tony Award winning Broadway play "In the Heights." Unfortunately, the richness
of that culture does not come across in The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao because
of the unrewarding characters and unappealing style.
Rating: **
