Today's Read Contributor Ocean Vuong delivered his highly anticipated second novel, The Emperor of Gladness, on May 13, 2025, with Penguin Press. The book opens in the fictional, economically struggling town of East Gladness, Connecticut, where 19-year-old Hai finds himself on the edge of suicide. His life takes a dramatic turn when an elderly immigrant named Grazina—a Lithuanian widow living with dementia—intervenes, pulling him back from the brink and unintentionally offering him a place to stay. In exchange for housing, Hai becomes her caregiver, and an unlikely, life-changing bond forms between them.
Hai’s journey extends beyond his new role caring for Grazina. He takes a part-time job at a HomeMarket fast-food outlet, where he works alongside a cast of charmingly eccentric co-workers who become, in effect, a chosen family. Through interactions with Sonia, his autistic cousin; the pro-wrestler-turned-manager; and fellow staff members, Hai begins to understand the dignity hidden within labor and human connection.
Critics broadly praise Vuong’s lyrical prose and emotional depth. Kirkus Reviews describes the novel as “messy but worthy,” calling it an exploration of how hurt and self-deception permeate daily existence and applauds its unique depiction of generational trauma. The New York Times observes that this “florid” new novel finds beauty in the grit of dead-end jobs while preserving dignity within routine life. Meanwhile, The Guardian lauds it as a compelling meditation on resilience, queer identity, and immigrant experience written with both lyricism and grounded storytelling.
Stylistically, reviewers note that Vuong shifts from the abstract lyricism of his debut, On Earth We’re Briefly Gorgeous, to a more accessible narrative style—full of concrete details and relatable characters. A piece in Vulture suggests that Vuong is “finally ready to talk” and has embraced prose’s need for clarity and shared understanding. Some critics, like The Telegraph, argue that the novel occasionally veers into over-sentimentality, becoming claustrophobic under the weight of emotional density.
Set against East Gladness’s backdrop of post-industrial decay and opioid struggles, the novel is less plot-driven and more episodic—structured around fragmented but poignant moments that build a rich emotional resonance. AP News underscores this structure, noting that Vuong’s poetic sensibility imbues moments with visceral color and memoir-like intimacy, drawing on his family’s history and personal work experiences.
Time Magazine included The Emperor of Gladness among the “14 Best Books of 2025 So Far,” affirming its status as both emotionally nuanced and socially perceptive. The novel also secured a spot in Oprah Winfrey’s Book Club, further cementing its cultural impact.
Vuong, a Pulitzer-finalist and acclaimed poet, draws on his own experience working in service jobs and caring for loved ones when shaping this tender portrait of interdependence. According to Wikipedia, he intentionally resisted framing the story as a conventional rags-to-riches narrative, believing instead that long-term stability and modest work lives are valuable and worthy of recognition.
While some readers may find the tone introspective and slow-moving, most critics agree that the novel’s emotional authenticity, compassion, and attention to intimacy mark a clear literary success. Readings Books praised its ability to anchor a compelling bond between Hai and Grazina within “harsh realities” of class, addiction, and aging.
The Emperor of Gladness cements Ocean Vuong’s evolution—melding poetic force with narrative clarity. It stands as a clear-eyed, emotionally raw examination of memory, loneliness, and the power of care to transcend boundaries of age, culture, and despair.
