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The Emperor of Gladness

By Ocean Vuong
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Brief Description
The instant Sunday Times bestseller, a vibrant and heartbreaking story of unexpected friendship and how far people go to find a second chance. One late summer evening in the town of East Gladness, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge, ready to jump, when... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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The instant Sunday Times bestseller, a vibrant and heartbreaking story of unexpected friendship and how far people go to find a second chance.

One late summer evening in the town of East Gladness, nineteen-year-old Hai stands on the edge of a bridge, ready to jump, when he hears someone shout across the river. The voice belongs to Grazina, an elderly widow.

From this moment, his second chance begins. Over the course of the year, Hai's story takes new and unexpected turns, as his life-altering bond with Grazina transforms his relationship to the community, his family and, most powerfully of all, to himself.

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781529945850

Publisher: Vintage Publishing

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 28 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Vintage

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 35.0mm

Width: 129.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 500g

Pages: 416

Collections

2025 Best Sellers Best Sellers at Book Hero Best Selling Books Cultural & Diverse Poetry Dylan's Books Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books Literary Fiction New Release Fiction Ocean Vuong Penguin Books Win a Father's Day Giftbox

About the Author

Ocean Vuong is the author of the critically acclaimed poetry collections Night Sky with Exit Wounds and Time Is a Mother, as well as the Sunday Times and New York Times bestselling novel On Earth We're Briefly Gorgeous. A recipient of the MacArthur 'Genius Grant' and the American Book Award, he was born in Saigon, Vietnam, and currently splits his time between western Massachusetts and New York City.

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