The Emperor of Gladness is a compelling and intriguing novel that is kind of a magical realism mix of an emotional young man, a woman with dementia, a crew at a fast food restaurant, immigrants, a failing Connecticut town, and poor people. Hai, the main character, is a naturally sweet, but a very unsettled guy. Drugs, family, college, and depression, keep him permanently on edge. The rest of the cast are also charming, although off-kilter. Vuong's writing is poetic and at times dreamy...to me, the language occasionally seemed to ask for more attention then the story when it reached for image over plot. On the whole, the story made me feel a little sad for how many people can easily get lost in our world.
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