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.

When it comes to literature about the Vietnam War, Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried is the standard-bearer. A collection of interlinked short stories, it explores a platoon of soldiers before, during, and after their service in Vietnam. It's told through the perspective of a young solider, also named Tim O'Brien, who is not only a writer but specifically writing these stories, and as the book is rooted in author Tim O'Brien's own experiences with the war, it's all very meta, even including a short story about figuring out how to tell a war story. Though O'Brien's character is the most central one, he explores several other perspectives besides his own.

The central plot, such as there is one (which is loose at best and completely out of chronological order), tells the story of Tim O'Brien the character. When drafted to fight, he's afraid, and very nearly crosses the Canadian border to escape. Ultimately, though, he returns home and then is shipped off to Vietnam, where he joins a platoon, gets to know his fellow soldiers, and watches them kill and be killed. He is wounded a few times, the second of which is serious enough that he's removed from the fighting and taken to the hospital, and shortly thereafter goes back to the US. After the war, he and his fellow veterans struggle to make sense of their experiences. While Tim finds some level of solace in becoming a writer, others can't make the readjustment.

As in any collection of short stories, some are particularly strong and others are weaker. The title story, the first in the book, detailing the baggage both physical and emotional that the soldiers carry with them through the jungle, is the standout. I'm not much of a short story person, but this one is about as close to perfect as any I've ever read. The language, the characterization, the pacing, all of it is amazing. It's the perfect way to start things off. “On The Rainy River”, which details Tim's flight to the Canadian border and near-crossing of it, is also beautiful and poignant. And “Speaking Of Courage”, about one of Tim's platoon-mates who can't seem to figure out how to fit into the world again after the war, is absolutely heartbreaking. On the weirder side, “Sweetheart of Song Tra Bong”, about an urban legends shared among the soldiers of a girlfriend who came over to visit and became more and more immersed in martial culture until she disappeared into the wild like a ghost, never to return, has compelling echoes of Heart of Darkness.

I will say that some of the more meta aspects of the book didn't quite work for me, like the “How to Tell a True War Story” piece that I mentioned earlier, as well as “Good Form”, a story that reveals a previous story to have been told in a way that is factually incorrect but emotionally true. Though ultimately it didn't take away from the writing or its impact on me, I did wish the book was either straight fiction or straight nonfiction. That's a minor quibble, though. On the whole I thought this book was very well-executed and incredibly affecting. It gave me perspective into and empathy with the lives of those who have lived through something I never will, which honestly is one of the biggest points of reading for me. I would highly recommend this book for all readers.

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?