KEY POINTS:
The brief wondrous life of Oscar Wao
By Junot Diaz
Faber, $37.99
In 1996 Junot Diaz published a stunning collection of short stories, Drown, which illuminated the struggles of Dominican immigrants in the USA. Now, 11 years later, he has released his first novel. It too is a stunning display of linguistic dexterity.
Oscar is a complete nerd - a fat, geeky teenager with zero social skills and desperate to get laid. In reaction to his abject failure in love, he retreats into science fiction.
In some ways this novel is a simple love story.
But what sets this book apart is its literary craftsmanship. You are swept along by its vitality. It combines street American, Spanish, Caribbean and formal English with popular culture like Star Wars and Doctor Who with literary sources such as Yeats and Shakespeare. At times it is extremely funny and bitingly satirical, other times it is poignant and tragic. This is a delightful and important novel.
- Detours, HoS
