The Queerish Book Club 2024: On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong

The Queerish Book Club is a monthly book club that specialises in LGBTQ+ literature. It typically runs on the last Monday of the month at 7pm and takes place at The Queerish Bookshop.

Our September book is On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous by Ocean Vuong and our meeting will take place on Monday 30th September at 7pm.

To attend, you will need to book your free ticket here in order to guarantee your spot. You can also buy the book in-store or order online. 

Below are the questions we will discuss at the club. Please note the questions contain spoilers.  
 

On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous - Book Club Questions

 1. The novel is written from Little Dog to his mother, and the prose is very lyrical. Did you enjoy this writing style? Why/why not?

2. Names are precarious and shifting throughout the novel, for both the narrator and his mother. How does he feel about the name his grandmother gives him, Little Dog? Does his reflection that “to love something, then, is to name it after something so worthless it might be left untouched—and alive. A name, thin as air, can also be a shield” suggest acceptance or dismissal of his given name (pg.18)?

3. Does the family’s story evoke pity or sympathy from you as a reader, and why if so? Consider how they use mood rings to evaluate if they’re happy, and the idea that “Good was more often enough, was a precious spark we sought and harvested of and for one another” (pg.214).

4. While reading, did you know that the novel was autobiographical? How did that affect your understanding of the story if so, and if not does that change your interpretation of it now?