Ocean Vuong began writing The Emperor of Gladness as a way to process his grief after losing his mother to cancer in 2019. The book was published in 2025 by Penguin Press. Set in the fictional town of East Gladness, Connecticut, the novel follows a young Vietnamese American named Hai as he deals with loss, addiction, and family conflicts.
Vuong structures the book as an anti-rags-to-riches tale, countering the typical escape and improvement arcs that appear in other American stories. The novel begins with Hai dropping out of college and returning to his mother's house. Unable to stand her bitter disappointment, he fabricates his acceptance into medical school in Boston, and instead checks himself into rehab. Upon his release, his suicide plan is interrupted by an elderly woman named Grazina. Hai moves in with her in exchange for helping with certain caregiving tasks such as ensuring that she takes her dementia medication. Eventually, Hai finds employment at a fast-casual restaurant called HomeMarket. He comes to know his coworkers (Maureen, Wayne, Russia, Sony, and BJ) over time, and they experience several adventures and misadventures together. These include calling emergency services after someone overdoses at the restaurant, taking a weekend gig slaughtering hogs, attending BJ's wrestling match, saving a freezing houseless man during a snowfall, and going on a near-mythical quest to recover a diamond from Sony's deceased father. Meanwhile, Hai connects with Grazina in her own frame of mind by role-playing in elaborate, therapeutic war games. Grazina's son eventually intervenes and moves her into a nursing facility. Hai subsequently gives Sony all his money to pay for Sony's mother's bail. Hai climbs into a dumpster and has a profound, existential experience. The novel ends on this ambiguous note.
Highly anticipated by critics and readers alike, The Emperor of Gladness is largely praised as an important but challenging contribution to literature. Many critics note Vuong's profound exploration of themes such as found family, class struggles, and marginalization. This is also Vuong's first work in which he infuses a sense of humor, albeit a dark one. As one reviewer from The Guardian notes, the "experiences and situations" portrayed in the novel "move steadily towards surrealism" (Harrison). In 2025, The Emperor of Gladness was chosen as an Oprah's Book Club pick for its depiction of love, labor, and the day-to-day struggles of ordinary people.
