Things have never been easy for Oscar, a sweet but disastrously overweight, lovesick Dominican ghetto nerd. From his home in New Jersey, where he lives with his old-world mother and rebellious sister, Oscar dreams of becoming the Dominican J. R. R. Tolkien and, most of all, of finding love. But he may never get what he wants, thanks to the FukΕ-the curse that has haunted the Oscar's family for generations, dooming them to prison, torture, tragic accidents, and, above all, ill-starred love. Oscar, still waiting for his first kiss, is just its most recent victim.
Dβaz immerses us in the tumultuous life of Oscar and the history of the family at large, rendering with genuine warmth and dazzling energy, humor, and insight the Dominican-American experience, and, ultimately, the endless human capacity to persevere in the face of heartbreak and loss. A true literary triumph, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao confirms Junot Dβaz as one of the best and most exciting voices of our time.
Media Buzz
Colbert Report - July 1, 2008 Colbert Report - June 18, 2008 CBS Sunday Morning - June 8, 2008 Fresh Air - NPR - May 2, 2008 NewsHour with Jim Lehrer - April 29, 2008 Fresh Air - NPR - October 18, 2007 All Things Considered - October 14, 2007 Early Show - September 13, 2007 All Things Considered - August 28, 2007