Audrey A. (Arosea) reviewed on 9/5/2023 + 455 more book reviews

I found myself bedazzled from the very first page by Diaz' remarkable prose. These are among the most dynamic prose of our century ... and perhaps any century. Diaz' prose take wondrous leaps and abysmal dives into rich meaning and provocative literary nuances. And then they can be so simple as to capture a cultural utterance that might knock the reader out of her chair. Fabulous.

Diaz' weaving of a fascinating curse, a hopeless nerd in America, and the tragic yet spellbinding life under Trujillo in Santo Domingo make for an unforgettable and powerful novel. We follow Oscar's ominous family history and the author does impressive work of interlacing that history into Oscar's modern writhing for an American identity. We all know where the story ends, but that takes nothing away from the deeply talented telling of it: we must know how it happened. So nice to see a modern Pulitzer winner with a noticeable plot!

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