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The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

by Junot Diaz
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

  • Comment on this title
  • Synopses & Reviews
  • Award Excerpt

ISBN13: 9781594483295
ISBN10: 1594483299
Condition: Standard


All Product Details

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List Price:$17.00
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Awards

2008 Pulitzer Prize for Fiction
2007 National Book Critics Circle Award for Fiction

The Rooster 2008 Morning News Tournament of Books Winner

Synopses & Reviews

Publisher Comments

The most talked about — and praised — first novel of 2007, and winner of the Pulitzer Prize.

Oscar is a sweet but disastrously overweight ghetto nerd who, from the New Jersey home he shares with his old world mother and rebellious sister, dreams of becoming the Dominican J.R.R. Tolkien and, most of all, finding love. But Oscar may never get what he wants. Blame the fuk — a curse that has haunted Oscar's family for generations, following them on their epic journey from Santo Domingo to the USA.

Encapsulating Dominican-American history, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao opens our eyes to an astonishing vision of the contemporary American experience and explores the endless human capacity to persevere — and risk it all — in the name of love.

Review

"A rich, impassioned vision of the Dominican Republic and its diaspora, filtered through the destiny of a single family.... Díaz's reverse family saga, crossed with withering political satire, makes for a compelling, sex-fueled, 21st-century tragi-comedy with a magical twist." Kirkus Reviews (starred review)

Review

"It's been 11 years since Junot Di­az published his acclaimed story collection, Drown, and he has spent the time well, honing the sharp, slangy voice that propels his terrific first novel....A joy to read, and every bit as exhilerating to reread. (Grade: A-)" Entertainment Weekly

Review

"Writing in a combustible mix of slang and lyricism, Diaz loops back and forth in time and place, generating sly and lascivious humor in counterpoint to tyranny and sorrow." Booklist

Review

"Told in blinkingly kinetic prose, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Junot Diaz's dazzling debut novel, fulfills the promise of this writer's short story collection (Drown) and fully reveals a powerful presence in moden American fiction." Cathleen Medwick, O: The Oprah Magazine

Review

"A book so astoundingly great that in a fall crowded with heavyweights — Richard Russo, Philip Roth, Nick Hornby, Tom Perotta — Diaz is a good bet to run away with the field." Lev Grossman, Critical Mass

Review

"[A] wondrous, not-so-brief first novel that is so original it can only be described as Mario Vargas Llosa meets 'Star Trek' meets David Foster Wallace meets Kanye West. It is funny, street-smart and keenly observed.... [Diaz has] written a book that decisively establishes him as one of contemporary fiction's most distinctive and irresistible new voices." Michiko Kakutani, The New York Times

Review

"[A] hell of a book." Los Angeles Times

Review

"[A] colorful and complex portrait of mad love, old-world superstition, and the continual strivings of a diaspora." Christian Science Monitor

About the Author

Junot Diaz's fiction has appeared in The New Yorker, The Paris Review, and The Best American Short Stories. His debut story collection, Drown, was a publishing sensation of unprecedented acclaim, became a national bestseller, won numerous awards, and is now a landmark of contemporary literature. He was born and raised in the Dominican Republic, and now lives in New York City and Boston, where he teaches at MIT.

4.6 34

What Our Readers Are Saying

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Average customer rating 4.6 (34 comments)

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Cheri P , February 07, 2015 (view all comments by Cheri P)
I liked this book more than I expected to, and I'm likely to read more Junot Diaz in the future. Even though I missed a good chunk of the novel due to my complete lack of Spanish, and even though it's full of footnotes (which I generally dislike in my fiction), I found this book compelling. And, I found it compelling even though this is not a happy novel. But it feels real. Most characters are so distinct and filled out, complex with desires and goals that aren't always the most honorable. There is no magical redemption, no saving grace... just life, in a harsh and yet somehow beautiful way. This book has violence, both physical and emotional. It has love, in its most twisted manifestations. It has degradation, and ostracization. It has hope and resignation, sometimes in the same thought. Yes, I liked this one.

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Seawall , October 22, 2014
I loved this book because it was a surprise in every way. I've never read a book with a main character like Oscar before but he's so real that he feels like he could be the boy down the street. How is your Dominican history? Don't worry, I didn't know the first thing about the DR either. This book will rectify that wrong. How is your Spanish? I don't speak any but I love how the story was peppered with spanish words I could understand by context. This novel takes you on a cultural road trip. My next read will be Mr. Diaz's first novel.

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brennan , January 01, 2013
Powerful!!!

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sageport , January 04, 2012
Couldn't put it down.

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himom , January 01, 2011
Best book I've read in years! The story was superbly told and the unique writing style kept it interesting and fresh. Loved it so much!

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booklover27 , January 01, 2011 (view all comments by booklover27)
A delicious book--loved the read out loud language and the laugh out loud story.

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KnickerbockerNY , January 19, 2010
Utterly transporting. Should be read in tandem with Moby-Dick. Seriously. Diaz's range of allusions & references is dazzling and yet the book is never "lofty" - - instead the story is consistently grounded and beautifully humane.

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Morgan D , January 19, 2010 (view all comments by Morgan D)
An excellent novel. Engaging and sympathetic characters keep you involved, and dynamic perspective changes keep it interesting. Forces the reader into the perspective of Latino immigrants and their children, and the way their beliefs and culture are effected by the shifting sands of modernity and popular culture.

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Travis , January 18, 2010
This is the novel my wife and I most shared with others in the past couple of years. We loved the writing and characters.

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Robert Donnelly , January 14, 2010
One of the best books I have read. Junot Diaz is an amazing writter.

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Julie Miller , January 09, 2010 (view all comments by Julie Miller)
I loved this book! It made me laugh, cry, and learn new things. Oscar, the main character, was memorable and lovable in all his pain and longing for a better life. Beautifully structured and written with warmth and wit--the novel instructs us on the Dominican Republic, as well as keeping us turning the pages to see Oscar's ultimate destiny.

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susietron , January 07, 2010
I enjoyed reading this book because I can relate to all the characters in the story. I know what it's like to be from a Dominican family and move to the United States. I also know what it's like to be the nerdy Dominican kid in school. As I read this book, I felt as if I somehow was reliving my childhood but from another point of view. I definitely recommend this book.

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Michael Miller , January 04, 2010 (view all comments by Michael Miller)
For reasons very obvious to those who read this, never has a book stayed in my head quite as much as Junot Diaz's "The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao". The blend of fantasy, culture, love-ache, and curses, left an indelible mark on me and made me reconsider what constitutes a great novel.

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libbywatch , January 04, 2010
Fantastic and wondrous.

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Charles Sanderson , January 02, 2010 (view all comments by Charles Sanderson)
Simply, the very best book I've read.

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piksea35 , January 02, 2010
Diaz's amazing tome is the perfect amalgam of history lesson, character study, pop culture encyclopedia and geek chic. This is undoubtedly the best book I've read in years. I read about 150 books per year, so that's really saying something.

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Meave , January 02, 2010
This was by far one of the best reads of the aughts. I hope it wins the Puddly!

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Padraic , January 02, 2010 (view all comments by Padraic)
A great, exciting and engaging book.Even a relative oldie like me who didn't get all of the cultural references couldn't help but be swept up in this great tsunami of storytelling. My joint favourite book of the decade along with That They May Face The Rising Sun by John McGahern (a completely different kind of book).

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vmantle , January 01, 2010 (view all comments by vmantle)
Definitely the best book I've read in many years.

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jlulamae , January 01, 2010
Amazing book that spans several generations of a Dominican family and the mysterious curse that weaves its way through each family member's life.

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kruby , January 01, 2010
I read this book for a class, which caused me to delve into it more than I normally would. It was great. The farther in we went the more I was blown away by what an incredible creation this novel is. It's kind of an inexhaustible source of ideas, there's so many things to look into and think about that it raises both explicitly and by its own functioning. It's definitely one of the best books I've ever read. It's funny too.

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Nan Wigington , January 01, 2010 (view all comments by Nan Wigington)
Okay. I don't much believe in stars, ratings or best of the decade contests. My favorite book is usually the last one I read. This book stands out. It tries to capture the diaspora which is America. It fails in many places, but it mostly succeeds. I love it for its successes.

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Diane Smith , January 01, 2010
Some of the most amazing dialog I have ever read. Diaz's ability to create unique characters is the best I have come across in a long time.

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alexfaye , January 01, 2010
The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao completely bowled me over, and is my favorite read of the decade. Funny & heartbreaking, beautiful and vulgar...densely woven narrative voices tell the story of a multi-generational family living in two worlds: the Dominican Republic under Trujillo, and the East Coast Dominican Diaspora (NY/NJ/+) -- a mother, a sister, and a great geek of a boy named Oscar...I loved and feared for them all. Junot Diaz works magic with language. At times, I had to stop and read passages out loud so I could hear them. There has only been one book that I've had to re-read every ten years or so -- One Hundred Years of Solitude by Gabriel Garcia Marquez -- but I believe this novel may have joined the rotation.

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jhohos , January 01, 2010
This was an unexpected find for me and was definitely one of the best books I read in the last decade. Wow, that sounds so significant.

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cstanton2 , January 01, 2010
junot diaz is brilliant. His ability to swing you through the emotions of life with Oscar was terrific. He delivered with great form and restraint...i so wish the he would come out with another book soon.

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PDX_reader , October 13, 2009 (view all comments by PDX_reader)
After reading all of the praise for this book, I felt ashamed I couldn't finish it. For someone with only high-school level Spanish, I couldn't get past all of the untranslated Spanish woven into the story. It was tough to stay interested when I wasn't sure exactly what was going on or what was being talked about. For someone fluent in both English and Spanish, probably a great book.

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julieb43 , August 27, 2009 (view all comments by julieb43)
I can understand why Diaz won the Pulitzer Prize. He's created a novel that encompasses the Dominican Republic's brutal history, complete with footnotes, while simultaneously presenting us with the engaging personal story of the fictional Oscar Wao and his family. And what a story it is! The characters are richly drawn and we feel for Oscar, the overweight dorky outsider; his sister Lola, who calls him Mister and fiercely loves him; we even come to understand their mother Beli who raised them with a strict hand, while suffering from a tragic past. Diaz presents us with the rich back-stories of these characters, enabling us to envision the family's history. By giving us Oscar's family's history Diaz also gives us the D.R.'s history. The novel, although breath-taking in its storytelling, can be confusing for the non-Spanish speaking reader as there are many Spanish words and phrases throughout. Wikipedia proved useful for me. It's a very dense novel, definitely not for the lazy reader; but it's highly rewarding.

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PCAnderson , May 30, 2009 (view all comments by PCAnderson)
A "wondrous" illuminating family saga with believable characters that I could see in my mind. However, the reading experience was marred by an abundance of untranslated Spanish--to a non-Spanish speaker, the meaning was often unintelligible.

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Effie , March 29, 2009 (view all comments by Effie)
A winner all the way around!

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leaf slayer , January 13, 2009 (view all comments by leaf slayer)
I purchased the book on a whim. I wasn't sure I'd enjoy it, colonialist that I am, but was very pleasantly surprised. I especially enjoyed the parts of the novel that focused on Oscar. I did not find the footnotes distracting or annoying as I anticipated. And when the novel jumped to a storyline with a new character, while I was initially frustrated, I was sucked in very quickly. It felt a little bit like he jumped the shark at the end but overall I enjoyed the book and would recommend it. I'm still not sure why it won the Pulitzer but what do I know, I'm just some dummy that reads books.

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kitten60 , January 02, 2009 (view all comments by kitten60)
parts are good many parts dreary repetitive about a fat guy noone is interested in..plus this book is not a novel ..it is short boring stories great title spell losing

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lbelyavski , November 12, 2008 (view all comments by lbelyavski)
I had heard of Junot Diaz, but didn't know his work. He came to my area to do a reading, and I fell in love with his words and his personality. I ran into The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao and had to get it, even though I still have yet to get Drown. All I can say is that Oscar Wao made me fall even more deeply in love with Junot Diaz and his work. This book is such a good example of the crossroads where extensive research, personal experience, beautiful prose, humor and an empathetic portrayal of disappointment all meet. The book feels so human, and it's consequently lovely to read.

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s0sn0wy , October 19, 2008 (view all comments by s0sn0wy)
This novel was A-M-A-Z-I-N-G. The language is creative and visionary. The story is identifiable for every type of reader. This is a must read for any lover of literature. The only thing I can say that was a downer was my own lack of knowledge of the Spanish language. However, I give major props to Diaz, who made the general idea clear even if I didn't always understand the words written. This is a novel to be enjoyed countless times.

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Product Details

ISBN:
9781594483295
Binding:
Trade Paperback
Publication date:
09/02/2008
Publisher:
PENGUIN PUTNAM TRADE
Pages:
352
Height:
1.00IN
Width:
5.00IN
Thickness:
1.00
LCCN:
False
Age Range:
18 and up
Grade Range:
13 and up
Number of Units:
1
Copyright Year:
2008
UPC Code:
2801594483297
Author:
Junot Diaz
Media Run Time:
B
Subject:
Domestic fiction
Subject:
Blessing and cursing
Subject:
Literature-A to Z
Subject:
Dominican Americans

Ships free on qualified orders.
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$9.95
List Price:$17.00
Used Trade Paperback
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1Burnside

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  • New, Trade Paperback, $17.00
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