- Things have never been easy for Oscar. A ghetto nerd living with his Dominican family in New Jersey, he"s sweet but disastrously overweight. He dreams of becoming the next J.R.R. Tolkien and he keeps falling hopelessly in love. With dazzling energy and insight, Diaz immerses us in the tumultuous lives of Oscar and his family and their attempts to find love and belonging. Rendered with uncommon warmth and humour, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao is an exciting and completely original first novel from Junot Diaz.