The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao in Constant Reader

Dec 14, 2007 David rated it really liked it

Shelves: read-in-2007

I enjoyed this book a lot, and think it deserves the good reviews it's received. I just hadn't expected it to be quite as *sad* as it was. Somehow, it wasn't the more obviously depressing aspects (e.g. the persecution and torture that were routinely practiced under the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic) that got to me so much as the smaller stuff. The continued failure of the various members of Oscar's family to connect, the accumulated hostility between generations, as well as the I enjoyed this book a lot, and think it deserves the good reviews it's received. I just hadn't expected it to be quite as *sad* as it was. Somehow, it wasn't the more obviously depressing aspects (e.g. the persecution and torture that were routinely practiced under the Trujillo dictatorship in the Dominican Republic) that got to me so much as the smaller stuff. The continued failure of the various members of Oscar's family to connect, the accumulated hostility between generations, as well as the meanness and bullying suffered by outsider Oscar throughout, were ultimately more depressing than the earlier, more overtly brutal, events in Santo Domingo.

You keep rooting for Oscar to catch a break and he never really does. Equally depressing was the narrator's ongoing inability to transcend the machisto Latino stereotype of repeated infidelity because of an apparent need to screw any woman that came in range. Only the women are strong in this book, and only one of them appears to be granted a shot at happiness.

Fortunately, the book is not a total descent into darkness - primarily because the main narrator is sympathetic, funny and smart. He provides insightful commentary on Oscar's family affairs (even if he is unable to translate the insights to his own life). Oscar's family history unfolds according to a relatively complicated framework, intercutting past and present scenes using several flashbacks. Handled inexpertly, this has the potential to be confusing and/or irritating*, but Diaz manages it perfectly.

(* The execrable "Behind the Scenes at the Museum" comes to mind.)

A few random comments:

1. Diaz doesn't eschew the apparently obligatory 'magical' element, but I found the symbolism of the mongoose-lion critter in the canefield a bit murky (though I did learn the new word 'chabin(e)' : Person of mixed-blood who appears to bear the characteristics of only the lighter skinned parent; sometimes referred to in English as being "yellow.")

2. I think this book must achieve some kind of record for the number of acknowledgements made by the author. The impulse to thank everyone who ever gave him encouragement is understandable, perhaps even laudable. But I personally would have drawn the line at thanking whole cities (Perth Amboy?)

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Sep 21, 2007 Myfanwy rated it it was amazing

Oh boy, is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao an interesting, challenging, illuminating book. At first, I wondered if I would be at a disadvantage as I do not get most of the allusions to comic books (though the Tolkien, etc, is not lost on me)--still knowing these things is not necessary to find what you need in this book. I also initially worried over the footnotes--would they be a chore? Would I end up skipping them? Nope and nope. From the beginning, I looked forward to them and what they ...more

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Jan 04, 2009 Jenny (Reading Envy) rated it it was amazing

Shelves: favorites, read2009

I found myself completely immersed in this book, from its interesting characters (who doesn't love overweight science fiction geeks?) and setting to how it spans various generations of a Dominican family that might be cursed. The voice pulled me in, the use of Tolkien and Dune made me laugh, and the story made me stay. I hope to see more from Díaz in the future, and what a great first novel! ...more

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May 01, 2009 eve rated it it was amazing · review of another edition

Shelves: private-collection, 2009, fiction

Ayo akuilah. Tidak perlu malu. Bukan anda saja yang tidak secara spesifik mengetahui dimana letak Republik Dominika. Saya perlu men-google internet untuk mengetahui letak geografis negara kepulauan kecil Karibia tersebut. Alasannya: karena saya tertawan oleh sejarah dan kisahnya, seperti yang dituturkan secara memikat oleh Junot Diaz. Buku keduanya, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, secara gemilang meraih peringkat bestseller di seluruh dunia dan bahkan meraup pula Pulitzer Prize 2008 lalu.

C Ayo akuilah. Tidak perlu malu. Bukan anda saja yang tidak secara spesifik mengetahui dimana letak Republik Dominika. Saya perlu men-google internet untuk mengetahui letak geografis negara kepulauan kecil Karibia tersebut. Alasannya: karena saya tertawan oleh sejarah dan kisahnya, seperti yang dituturkan secara memikat oleh Junot Diaz. Buku keduanya, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, secara gemilang meraih peringkat bestseller di seluruh dunia dan bahkan meraup pula Pulitzer Prize 2008 lalu.

Cerita dibuka oleh narasi tentang fukú atau kutukan Dunia Baru yang konon kemudian menjangkiti seluruh dunia saat bangsa Eropa menduduki negara-negara hispanik. Kedahsyatan fukú di Republik Dominika sendiri sudah tidak perlu diragukan, mengingat ”pendeta” fukú tertinggi adalah sekaligus diktator, ’...Sauron, our Arawn, our Darkseid’ Republik Dominika, Rafael Leonidas Trujillo Molina. Junot Diaz dengan piawai merangkai cuplikan-cuplikan sejarah Republik Dominika ke dalam catatan-catatan kaki yang menarik. Narasi tentang fukú tersebut dkisahkan dari sudut pandang Yunior, sahabat Oscar Wao, yang pada bab-bab selanjutnya menceritakan ke- fukú-an Oscar dan keluarganya.

Oscar de Léon, atau kelak dikenal sebagai Oscar Wao adalah seorang kutu buku obesitas berkulit hitam yang ’sangat tidak Dominikan’ (konon katanya pria-pria Dominika memiliki reputasi sebagai Don Juan Karibia), terobsesi dengan science fiction, komik dan permainan komputer. Tambahkan ke dalam unsur-unsur tadi, obsesi Oscar untuk jatuh cinta dan dicintai, maka pembaca akan menemukan sesosok unlikely hero. Yunior mendeskripsikan Oscar sebagai ’Dude wore his nerdiness like a Jedi wore his light saber... Couldn’t have passed for Normal if he’d wanted to.’

Bersama Oscar, pembaca juga diperkenalkan pada keluarganya. Belicia, sang ibu Dominika yang bertangan besi, pekerja keras dan senantiasa menjadi partner sparring putri satu-satunya, Lola, dalam beradu pendapat. Berbeda dengan sang adik yang seolah ditakdirkan (fukú?) untuk selalu patah hati, Lola adalah sosok perempuan bohai ala Karibia yang memiliki otak encer, tubuh aduhai dan bermulut lantang cenderung lancang. Selain narasi mengenai Oscar, dikisahkan pula cerita tentang Lola dan sang ibu, Belicia serta keluarganya di Dominika Republik yang dihancurkan oleh kekejaman rezim Trujillo.

Satu demi satu wanita singgah di hati Oscar, Sang Kutu Buku Romantis, dan tak satupun dari wanita-wanita itu yang menerima cintanya. Klimaks patah hati Oscar terjadi di bangku universitas dan mendorongnya untuk mengambil keputusan nekat: bunuh diri. Gagal ber-harakiri, Oscar malah mendapat teman sekamar, Yunior de Las Casas, pacar on-off Lola yang bertolak belakang dengan Oscar seperti Batman dengan Penguin. Sifat nerd Oscar yang mendarah daging seperti ulahnya menulis speak, friend, and enter di depan kamar mereka dalam bahasa kaum Elf di Trilogi Lord of the Rings, pada awalnya menjengkelkan Yunior, playboy yang mengganti pacar sesering mengganti celana. Kelak, Yunior justru menjadi sahabat Oscar dalam pencariannya menemukan cinta sejati.

Kisah akhir buku ini meninggalkan saya dalam kesedihan yang manis. Kesedihan terhadap nasib Oscar Wao dan kesedihan karena harus menutup buku ini serta mengucapkan selamat tinggal pada tokoh-tokoh tropis berkulit coklat beserta cerita mereka yang begitu kaya. Saya tidak mau terdengar pretentious atau sok kritikus tapi penulisan The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao mengingatkan saya dengan One Hundred Years of Solitude milik Gabriel Garcia Marquez, seandainya Marquez membaca komik Watchmen, penggemar berat Star Wars serta suka memainkan game.

Jelas bahwa Junot Diaz menulis sebuah cerita epik tentang Republik Dominika seperti misalnya Salman Rushdie yang dengan Midnight Children-nya mengisahkan cerita tentang India kepada pembaca. Kalimat-kalimatnya penuh dengan humor, referensi pop culture dan science fiction serta ungkapan-ungkapan Hispanik yang terkadang tidak bisa saya mengerti tapi sekaligus juga melengkapi apa yang berusaha disampaikan oleh penulis.

Note: Kamus Spanyol-Inggris cukup dibutuhkan disini bila seperti saya, anda juga tidak bisa berbahasa Spanyol akibat di-dubbingnya telenovela-telenovela Mexico ke dalam bahasa Indonesia.

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Oct 15, 2007 Riv rated it really liked it

While it took nearly halfway through for this book to get truly compelling, it really did and I couldn't put it down; the mix of family saga and dominican history (though I'm not sure how much was exagerrated, not being at all familiar with it) was fascinating and I really felt sorry for the characters, especially the mother, though not so much the title character and the way in which his brief wondrous life comes to an end. (His family history was more wondrous than his own life). Definitely wo ...more

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Sep 24, 2007 Kate rated it it was amazing

I picked up this book because I had heard it was going to be one of the best reads of the fall season. I have to say, this story of a nerd and his search for love under the family's curse, was a great read. Full of heart, funny and sad. I really, really enjoyed it. ...more

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