With 10 stories that move from the barrios of the Dominican Republic to the struggling urban communities of New Jersey, Junot Diaz makes his remarkable debut. Diaz's work is unflinching and strong, and these stories crackle with an electric sense of discovery. He evokes a world in which fathers are gone, mothers fight with grim determination for their families and themselves, and the next generation inherits the casual cruelty, devastating ambivalence, and knowing humor of lives circumscribed by poverty and uncertainty. In Drown, Diaz has harnessed the rhythms of anger and release, frustration and joy, to indelible effect.
Download and start listening now!
"Diaz's prose can be trusted to look you in the eye and punch you in the gut. "Drown" is a little book that offers entire worlds to its readers. It's peppered with a beautiful subtlety coupled with a bold fierceness. Rich in language and imagery, many of the stories read like fluent poetry. I have yet to come across another author who can so skillfully scalp two cultures at once. "Drown" asks readers to examine the underbelly of immigrant reality, of Latino reality, of American reality. The machismo, the poverty, the loneliness of "Otherhood," the rat-race, the skin-color complex, are all brought out to expose a brutal yet quantifiable reality. Memories of Santo Domingo mix with the sounds of Washington Heights and, despite the reader's own reality, before long he/she finds themselves amidst a world whose complexities quickly become engrained as if they had been the reader's very own all along. "Drown" is a little sliver of literary perfection." — k_manks (4 out of 5 stars)
"Diaz's prose can be trusted to look you in the eye and punch you in the gut. "Drown" is a little book that offers entire worlds to its readers. It's peppered with a beautiful subtlety coupled with a bold fierceness. Rich in language and imagery, many of the stories read like fluent poetry. I have yet to come across another author who can so skillfully scalp two cultures at once. "Drown" asks readers to examine the underbelly of immigrant reality, of Latino reality, of American reality. The machismo, the poverty, the loneliness of "Otherhood," the rat-race, the skin-color complex, are all brought out to expose a brutal yet quantifiable reality. Memories of Santo Domingo mix with the sounds of Washington Heights and, despite the reader's own reality, before long he/she finds themselves amidst a world whose complexities quickly become engrained as if they had been the reader's very own all along. "Drown" is a little sliver of literary perfection."
" Shorts, sortof funny, all a little depressing but more so b/c they seem real. Dominican boys are helluv randy i guess. "
" Gritty, haunting, and unforgettable. Of Junot Diaz's three books, I saved this one-- his first book-- for last. Never imagined it would turn out to be my favorite. It makes me sad to realize that I've now read all the books he's written so far and will have to wait years for him to release another. "
" I have, so far, only read the first story, Ysrael. I have to say, I did not see it going where it ended up. "
" The most real short stories I've ever read. Diaz makes no apologizes for his writing style, and makes the reader feel connected whether they're from the area or not. These stories first got me into Junot Diaz years ago, and left me eagerly awaiting his next novel. "
" This a book full of short stories that are very interesting because the author has a very unique writing style and he is more for the older crowd so he talks about things that us young teenagers would take intrest into that would keep us occupied "
" These interesting short stories take you deep into the lives of strangers... Loved every page. Read it in two nights (2 thumbs up) "
" Powerful stories that will flip your emotions. Every story has a wallop. Don't miss this book! "
" I was not a short story fan until reading this book... "
" I really enjoyed this book. I jsut love Junot Diaz. Some of the stories are really intense, but that's not a bad thing. i prefer Oscar Wao, but I definitely recommend this book... "
" Shatteringly sharp - Diaz wields his skills with grace. "
" I really didn't get this. Some of the stories connected and then others seemed completely random and out of place. Half of them had no real ending. This just wasn't for me at all. "
" This book really struck me as special. Not only did it feel real, but I could relate. The relationship between the two brothers was very similar to me and my brothers relationship. My older brothers name is even Rafael too "
" Looks really good from the back information. "
" A short read. I liked his other novel better, "
" Thought this was a great book---very different from what I've read in the past. Consists of 10 short stories so is a quick read "
" This is, by far, one of my favorite compilations of short stories. SO GOOD! I recommend "How to Date a Brown Girl, Black Girl, White Girl, or Halfie. However, they are all great! Read and reread. "
" The book draws the reader in the more you read. The collection of short stories are very enjoyable to read and connect to. The book definately paints a picture of the authors childhood. The spanish draws the writing back to its roots. You wont set the book down, each story keeps you wanting more. "
" Definitely a mixed bag. "
" Awesome book....love how the author was so real. "
" In all fairness, I listened to the audio version and had read the wondrous life of Oscar Wao first. I find Oscar Wao an amazing work and a great story of so many young adults that goes unnoticed. Drown may have gotten Junot initial fame, but I find too much self-pity on the characters. "
Audiobooks Were Restored to Your Cart
[ShoppingCartItemsAddedOnMerge] audiobook(s) were left in your cart from a previous visit, and saved to your account for your convenience. You may view or remove these audiobooks on the shopping cart page.