I've had this novel on my shelf for a year or more and meant to get around to reading it. After Diaz' entertaining appearance on the Colbert Report, I thought it was time to grab it and begin. I'm so glad I did.

This is a hip, fast-moving, deeply loving ode to chubby and geekish Oscar, the least Dominican of Dominicans, the most nerdly of his neighborhood. I LOVED Diaz' use of language throughout, especially of his characters' slang (most of which I didn't understand, but could either guess at or grab a quick Google translation for) - there's no stilted speech here. Instead there is fire and depth and fascinating, broken, yearning characters plunging headlong into a cursed life. Fuku indeed.

A ton of reviews here on GR have slammed this book for its unclean language, its frivolous descriptions of love and sex - but that dirty reality seemed like truth to me, even though that culture isn't my own.

I'll read more of Diaz for certain, and I'm passing this book around to folks who I think will also appreciate it.