REVIEW: The Emperor of Gladness (Ocean Vuong)

Book: The Emperor of Gladness

Author: Ocean Vuong

Premise: One summer evening in the town of East Gladness, Connecticut, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on a bridge, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow succumbing to dementia. Over the course of the year, the unlikely pair develops a life-altering bond.

This story is all about found family and everyday lives. Hai is the central character and we follow him as he befriends Grazina and gets involved with the antics of his colleagues. It's funny in parts but also quite sad. It's not a plot driven book, focusing more on the characters and their day-to-day. I confess that I found the ending a bit of a let down - it sort of just ended in a confusing, open way, which I think I now understand. Beautifully written although not quite what I was wanting storywise.