Allison Pricener’s Reviews > The Emperor of Gladness > Status Update

It is capturing the specific sadness of the reality of the human condition in a way that feels like looking directly at the sun. It is blinding and too much, and if you don’t look away it changes how you see the world. I’m very invested in these characters and worried for them, Vuong’s writing is so believable and profound…I can’t stop reading, but it hurts.