The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar WaoThe Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao
Score Modern
What it's about
Oscar de León is an overweight, lovesick Dominican kid in New Jersey who reads science fiction, plays role-playing games and dreams of being the Dominican Tolkien and of finally being kissed. His family believes it's cursed by a fukú that goes back to the dictator Trujillo, and the novel follows that curse through his sister, his mother and his grandfather in the Dominican Republic.
Why it's worth reading
It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It's funny, furious and full of energy, with a narrator unlike any other.
You'll love it if you liked
The Sympathizer
The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay
AmericanahGood to know
It's full of Spanish, slang and footnotes about Dominican history and nerd culture. There's sexual violence and torture in the historical sections.
By the numbers
- Readers24 out of 100 · counts 42%
- Critics94 out of 100 · counts 34% (its stronger lane)
- Bestseller74 out of 100 · counts 14%
- Buzz0 out of 100 · counts 10%
Critics and Bestseller are two ways to earn a place: a book's stronger one counts more. Buzz rewards recent bestseller weeks and prizes, so older books start at zero. The parts combine into the Must-Read Score, shown on a scale where the best book we found scores 99 and the last book to make the ranking scores 50.
Where it ranks
- #78 of the 309 literary novels we rank
- #342 of the 1,573 modern books we rank
- #673 of the 2,816 books we rank
Why it made the list
Reads as
Moving, Thought-provoking
More by Junot Díaz
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Quick answers
Is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao worth reading?
Yes. It won the Pulitzer Prize and the National Book Critics Circle Award, and the New York Times named it one of the best books of the 21st century. It ranks #673 of the 2,816 books in our ranking, with a Must-Read Score of 76.3 (the best book we found scores 99).
What is The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao about?
Oscar de León is an overweight, lovesick Dominican kid in New Jersey who reads science fiction, plays role-playing games and dreams of being the Dominican Tolkien and of finally being kissed. His family believes it's cursed by a fukú that goes back to the dictator Trujillo, and the novel follows that curse through his sister, his mother and his grandfather in the Dominican Republic.
How long does it take to read The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?
About 8 hours (339 pages), or about 2 weeks at 30 minutes a day.
What awards has The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao won?
Pulitzer Prize for Fiction winner (2008); NBCC Award (Fiction) winner (2007).
What should I read after The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao?
If you liked it, try The Sympathizer by Viet Thanh Nguyen, The Amazing Adventures of Kavalier & Clay by Michael Chabon or Americanah by Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie.