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The Things They Carried, by Tim O'Brien
Aug. 26th, 2008 11:30 pmThe Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
246 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary
After skimming the Amazon PW reviews, I decided to read this book last out of the three assigned for the summer; and I guess I'm glad I did, because it was a pleasure and my favorite of the three. O'Brien tackles a serious topic--war, specifically the Vietnam war--with innovative technique and realism. As a fictional memoir, it succeeds admirably; I flipped back to the title page more than once, rereading the "work of fiction" subtitle with disbelief. I admit that I wasn't drawn deeply into the characters, because I had nothing to connect to. But I could spend ages analyzing the style and structure manages to carry ("hump") such a weighty load all the way from America to Vietnam and back again. The first chapter, from which the novel's title is drawn, wowed me enough to grab my interest. I continued reading to see what else the author could pull off, and I wasn't disappointed. And I don't think I understand his meaning completely, which is the best way to finish a first reading.
by Tim O'Brien
246 pages (trade paperback)
Genre: Fiction/Literary
After skimming the Amazon PW reviews, I decided to read this book last out of the three assigned for the summer; and I guess I'm glad I did, because it was a pleasure and my favorite of the three. O'Brien tackles a serious topic--war, specifically the Vietnam war--with innovative technique and realism. As a fictional memoir, it succeeds admirably; I flipped back to the title page more than once, rereading the "work of fiction" subtitle with disbelief. I admit that I wasn't drawn deeply into the characters, because I had nothing to connect to. But I could spend ages analyzing the style and structure manages to carry ("hump") such a weighty load all the way from America to Vietnam and back again. The first chapter, from which the novel's title is drawn, wowed me enough to grab my interest. I continued reading to see what else the author could pull off, and I wasn't disappointed. And I don't think I understand his meaning completely, which is the best way to finish a first reading.
