---
product_id: 719102843
title: "The Emperor of Gladness: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel"
brand: "ocean vuong"
price: "€ 42.34"
currency: EUR
in_stock: true
reviews_count: 8
url: https://www.desertcart.sk/products/719102843-the-emperor-of-gladness-oprahs-book-club-a-novel
store_origin: SK
region: Slovakia
---

# The Emperor of Gladness: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel

**Brand:** ocean vuong
**Price:** € 42.34
**Availability:** ✅ In Stock

## Quick Answers

- **What is this?** The Emperor of Gladness: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel by ocean vuong
- **How much does it cost?** € 42.34 with free shipping
- **Is it available?** Yes, in stock and ready to ship
- **Where can I buy it?** [www.desertcart.sk](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/719102843-the-emperor-of-gladness-oprahs-book-club-a-novel)

## Best For

- ocean vuong enthusiasts

## Why This Product

- Trusted ocean vuong brand quality
- Free international shipping included
- Worldwide delivery with tracking
- 15-day hassle-free returns

## Description

The Emperor of Gladness: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel

## Images

![The Emperor of Gladness: Oprah's Book Club: A Novel - Image 1](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/71EzqzMiadL.jpg)

## Customer Reviews

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ "My ghost is in pieces:" another masterpiece by Ocean Vuong
*by W***D on May 30, 2025*

When Ocean Vuong's On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous was published, the book club group I was facilitating at the time wondered if the author would be able to make the transition from poet to full-fledged novelist---because the first novel flew primarily on the wings of poetry.His second novel---The Emperor of Gladness--- does seem to lack the poetry of his first book. Nevertheless, it is poignant and powerful---and it is at its very best when the author explores the profound and touching relationship between the central protagonist Hai and the demented old woman Grazina. Grazina is, in fact, the glue that holds this book together. And yet, the novel's other characters who live in the fast-food world of Home Market, are just as significant in their own way and connect powerfully to the mood, tone and themes of the author's book.The novel does seem pretty dismal, and I was reminded again and again of its epigraph from Act 4, scene 3 of Hamlet: the true emperor of the world is the worm. "We fat ourselves for maggots."So, the world is a wasteland of sorts in which, in the end, the American Dream ends most logically in a nursing home or in a dumpster where we sit contemplating stars in the night sky that we can neither reach nor comprehend. Where is the beauty in our lives? "What good is beauty if nobody wins?" The lies we tell ourselves and one another. The delusions we use to cope with trauma, with the brutality of war and the senseless slaughter of humans and animals. The numbing realities of our existences. It is all pretty grim.But the writing is breathtaking, and many of the scenes in this novel are unforgettable and brilliant, including a pill-popping Hai (as "Sgt. Pepper") sitting in a bathtub with the demented Grazina as they take a midnight ride in a "jeep" that sweeps them across war-torn Europe on their way to the battlefields of Gettysburg. And the final section of the novel (Spring) is so powerfully imagined and rendered that the last pages of the book might leave you in tears.What are we? Who are we supposed to be? Do we ever rise above the level of our own mediocrity? What happens now? The Emperor of Gladness provides much food for thought, and I can only continue to admire its sensitive and intuitive author who is so very young and yet writes with such compassion and wisdom.

### ⭐⭐⭐⭐ Stick with it.
*by M***L on September 13, 2025*

The writing is wonderful. Story was a little off track at times.

### ⭐⭐⭐ Overloaded with too many poetic images that impede the story's flow
*by B***R on July 29, 2025*

I have bought 'The Emperor of Gladness", after watching Ocean Vuong'd interview on Oprah Winfrey's award show plus a couple of other rich interviews. Ocean is a poet of great talent. His generous character is attractive and his 1940's quote of Simone Weil that 'Attention is the rarest and purest form of generosity" is telling about himself.However, I have difficulty reading Ocean's novel. Almost every sentence of "The Emperor" is overloaded with poetic imagery. Reading this novel feels like trying to cross a room floor filled with flowerpots of all shapes and height standing everywhere, which you keep hitting at every step. I was tired after three chapters.Ocean Vuong still has a way to go before his prose reaches the powerful clarity and poetry that flows with the narrative and moves the reader forward of novels of Korean writer Han Kang, who won the Nobel this year.

---

## Why Shop on Desertcart?

- 🛒 **Trusted by 1.3+ Million Shoppers** — Serving international shoppers since 2016
- 🌍 **Shop Globally** — Access 737+ million products across 21 categories
- 💰 **No Hidden Fees** — All customs, duties, and taxes included in the price
- 🔄 **15-Day Free Returns** — Hassle-free returns (30 days for PRO members)
- 🔒 **Secure Payments** — Trusted payment options with buyer protection
- ⭐ **TrustPilot Rated 4.5/5** — Based on 8,000+ happy customer reviews

**Shop now:** [https://www.desertcart.sk/products/719102843-the-emperor-of-gladness-oprahs-book-club-a-novel](https://www.desertcart.sk/products/719102843-the-emperor-of-gladness-oprahs-book-club-a-novel)

---

*Product available on Desertcart Slovakia*
*Store origin: SK*
*Last updated: 2026-02-01*