The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao

The narrator of The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao, Yunior, is highly unreliable. Yunior is a close friend of Oscar’s, and he is writing this biography after Oscar has died. Yunior doesn’t claim to be reliable. In fact, he explicitly tells readers that he might be fabricating many details, drawing attention to his narrativization. In Chapter 6, after Yunior narrates the meeting of Oscar and Ybón, Yunior explains: 

Would it be better if I had Oscar meet Ybón at the World Famous Lavacarro [...] where a brother can get his head and his fenders polished while he waits, talk about convenience? Would this be better? Yes? But then I’d be lying. I know I’ve thrown a lot of fantasy and sci-fi in the mix but this is supposed to be a true account of the Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. Can’t we believe that an Ybón can exist and that a brother like Oscar might be due a little luck after twenty-three years?

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