The Things They Carried

The first chapter of Tim O'Brien's “The Things They Carried” is riveting - putting some hard perspective on the front-end of a very personal set of short stories that are otherwise difficult to explain using hard facts. The novel isn't autobiographical but it is written as though it were non-fiction, drawing inspiration from the authors personal experiences in Vietnam. These are deep and metaphysical journeys into the souls of the soldiers involved. This isn't a novel about the war, but more about what war does to human beings. One of my favourite chapters takes place well before the war, as draft dodger struggles with his decision to skip the border to Canada. Not every chapter is quite this engaging, but overall there's a wonderful arc to this book, and O'Brien has a wonderful way of talking about the violence of war without descending into cliche or melodrama.

I read this book in high school for my english class and it turned out to be one of the best books I've ever read. The way it's written is unique, SPOILER ALERT the fact that the narrator admits most of the book is a lie is just fascinating to me. I love the idea that a story cannot truly capture a moment without lying about the details. Overall it's just an amazing book and I would read it again and again.

Talk about reading outside your comfort zone! Are there ever any happy war stories? Certainly not in this book. It is a book of sorrow and death and remorse and gore and misery, but every word feels very real, very true. The stories edge, at times, into the surreal, but that never takes away from the truth of the book.

I read the first chapter of this in an English class (high school maybe?) and for some reason I thought “The Things They Carried” was just a standalone short story? But I remembered LOVING the short story. And then, embarrassingly late in the game, I realized there's a whole book of it. It's all amazing. Beautifully written & unafraid to tackle huge human truths. Highly recommended (if you didn't already know that this was a book).

I've had mixed emotions about this book from start to finish. It's been sitting on my shelf for over a year now and I was excited to finally get to it. There were times I wanted to put it down because it was too gruesome (I know, that comes with war) and vulgar. Then other times I lost all concept of time because I was so enthralled with the story.

Overall, I found the story repetitive in parts and difficult to follow in other areas. It did add to the tone of the book which I can appreciate. The emulation of the madness of a soldier's mental state after the war wasn't lost on me. It's definitely played on my own emotions which is a telltale sign of good writing. I'll definitely need a break from war stories for a little while though. So many things are left unfinished leaving an empty knot in my stomach. The book even has a passage that mentions this feeling. The constant question of what's true and what's untrue adds to this. Again, good writing.

I struggled with how many stars to give this book. I wish there was an option for 4 1/2. There were times where I felt I was being lectured and being told I'm a fool to think any differently from the narrator. I don't care for that kind of reading. Fortunately the spots were few and far between, but they were there.

Summary: This book is a series of stories about the American soldiers of the Alpha Company who fought in the Vietnam War. The stories include tales from the war as well as what life was like after the soldiers returned home. The book gives a heartbreaking and emotionally gripping look into the lives and minds of the men who have been scarred by the things they have witnessed in war.

A well written book. I read the Audible edition which had the author read a 1994 article about his return to Vietnam years latter. The most disturbing part related to current events, was when a former Vietcong soldier explained that the American troops were easy to kill. Bright Green uniforms, lots of equipment so they couldn't hide. The Vietcong wanted to kill the ARVN. When they died or deserted there would be no justification for America to stay. So the disturbing question I have now is the reason that we have troops around the world in areas of conflict is as decoys. We aren't there to win since we don't even have any idea of what victory is. Are we there just to distract the enemy into killing us instead of the local army?

“In June of 1968, after graduating from Macalester College, I was drafted to fight a war I hated. I was 21 years old. Young, yes, and politically naive, but even so, the American war in Vietnam seemed to me wrong. Certain blood was being shed for uncertain reasons...“

This story is a frank account about the author's experiences in the war and his observations on how it shaped the rest of the men of Alpha Company. He survives the war and years later goes back to Vietnam to pay honor to those in Alpha who didn't. “It was very sad, he thought. The things men carried inside. The things men did or felt they had to do.”

Fortunately, I never fought in a war. My brothers and other loved ones haven't either. With that said, I want to thank those who have - the ones mandated by the government, and the ones who have out of a sense of duty. Thank you.  It is because of you that I've lived a happy and fulfilling life and I hope that you do too. You, above anyone else, deserves it most of all. And for those who weren't as fortunate to make it back home, let us not forget them. Let's keep them alive by sharing their stories, their dreams and aspirations. Their quirks and vulnerabilities. Their smiles. Their joy for life. For as the author points out: “...in a story, which is a kind of dreaming, the dead sometimes smile and sit up and return to the world.”