The Brief and Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao by Junot Diaz is the story of three generations of one Dominican family. Its main character is Oscar, the fat, lazy, lonely, dorky, nerdy, dweeby, unhip, uncool, always-will-be-a-virgin Oscar, and his subsequent rise and fall.
Oscar Wao is a tragedy of tragedies, an account of the vile history of its Dominican dictators, and an examination into the heart of Life. Diaz’s Spanglish pops and fizzles, his brutal honesty is raw and heartfelt. Buy it, borrow it, make sure you read it.
Ross Gale is a writer and editor from the Pacific Northwest. 