The Things They Carried

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.