Review by Library Journal Review
Lin-Manuel Miranda has another hit on his hands with this jaw-dropping performance of Diaz's Pulitzer Prize-winning novel, originally published in 2007. With its lyrical mix of standard and slang English and Spanish and nonstop barrage of references to often obscure academic and pop culture topics, Diaz's phenomenal debut presents a distinct challenge to any narrator. Miranda's energy and melodious reading invigorates listeners and prevents them from feeling too overwhelmed by any unfamiliar allusions or phrases. While the novel centers on the struggles of three generations of the de Leon family under the brutal Dominican dictator Rafael Trujillo and their eventual immigration to the United States, the voice of the novel is Yunior, a bilingual Dominican American who roomed with Oscar de Leon at Rutgers University. Miranda is spot-on as the somewhat slippery, often raw Yunior-listeners are transported to his dorm room, hearing him spin these tragicomic tales over a beer or two. Karen Olivo chips in with a spirited performance of the chapter featuring Oscar's sister, Lola. Diaz's novel, sensational in print, is exponentially enriched by the performances of these Broadway stars. -VERDICT Essential for all libraries.- Beth -Farrell, Cleveland State Univ. Law Lib. © Copyright 2017. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
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