The Emperor of Gladness by Ocean Vuong is a literary fictional novel set in a town called East Gladness in Connecticut. The novel depicts a boy on the verge of ending his own life by jumping off a bridge when he’s saved unexpectedly by an old lady. The story tackles issues such as poverty, drug addiction, old age, dementia and depression, but it also gives readers a glimpse of hope and a sliver of taste of redemption in unexpected ways. Don’t get it twisted though. After having completed the novel in just the span of three days, it has given me goosebumps thinking about it. This is my first introduction to the author, and I just love his writing prose throughout the book.

Initially, I had thought and believed the story to simply revolve around Hai taking care of Grazina after having saved his life. While that is true, the story really blooms once he starts his new part-time job at HomeMarket. There, he meets his new friends and coworkers who, unbeknownst to Hai, will give him a new outlook on life. Anyone who has ever worked in the fast-food industry in their younger years will likely be able to relate. The scenes and daily happenings that go on in this little restaurant are some of the best parts of the story and offer some of the brighter spots in such a depressing story. His interaction with his cousin Sony can also, at times, be heartwarming and hilarious in a way.

I can’t stress enough how entertaining this novel is from start to finish. It’s easily one of the best novels I’ve read all year. I actually wanted the story to go on for just a few more chapters, but it likely would have missed the message from the author. In the end, I don’t think Hai chose to end his life a second time. One of the major hints is how Hai is able to let the audience know how certain events play out years into the future while he’s living homeless in the dumpster after having given everything away. While readers may balk at not getting a satisfying conclusion, I personally think that what was given to us by the author, while ambiguous regarding Hai himself, is something the reader can piece together based on clues from earlier in the story. Again, he’s letting the readers know how certain events play out in the future, and so that must mean that Hai himself has kept up with his HomeMarket family through it all. He likely will one day have to finally confront his mother with the lie he has kept going for so long. But the important part I took away is while Hai is worse off in the end than in the beginning from a possession perspective, he now appreciates and understands his situation a lot more and no longer wishes to end his life but to continue pushing forward, regardless of how hard it can be.

The Emperor of Gladness I’m happy to say is not just all hype due to it making it to Oprah’s Book Club. It really is a fantastic journey that most readers should enjoy.