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Summary: "The Things They Carried" and others...
Review: I want to visit Vietnam. Tim O'Brien painted a masterpiece of geography and landscape out of the most vile and disgusting conflict our nation has ever embarked upon. After finishing "If I Die In A Combat Zone: Box Me Up And Ship Me Home," "Going After Cacciato" and "The Things They Carried," arguably the finest of these three works of literature, I have become intrigued with this episode in history, more so than any history book could have ever accomplished. I detest this period in history, as a historian of late 17th to middle 18th century American history. This period is mere current events still. However, O'Brien is a master. His words are beautiful. "The Things They Carried" is the only work of literature I hated to see end. "If I Die In A Combat Zone" was wonderful; he made Vietnam sound beautiful and captivating. I would loved to have continued reading his memoirs of his tour of duty, however, I'm glad his memoirs ended. The last few lines of "IIDIACZ" are exquisite. I cried. I cried out of jealousy of his talents. I graduated with an English/Writing minor and I hate Tim O'Brien for how well he writes. "Going After Cacciato" is phenomenal. It is engrossing. You can know nothing about Vietnam ahead of time, read these works and learn more from the source than some second hand account in a text book could ever offer. He teaches now in Texas, creative writing, and I would kill to be able to hear his wisdom on the craft. Every American entering college programs should be required to read one of, if not all, of his works. They are vivid and descriptive and overflowing with artistry. He has taken writing to a new level of accomplishment. To understand what it means to write is to read Tim O'Brien. I'm not going to try and sell you on the technical aspects of his writing, I could care less. The substance and story stand alone. His language, voice and other grammatical jargon are meaningless when you read him. It can't be described, just experienced. EXPERIENCE TIM O'BRIEN!!!
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Summary: Senior novel
Review: We read this novel in my senior English class this year--definately a book that should be taught to students before they graduate high school!
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Summary: Great Book
Review: When I first bought this book I decided to flip through it, maybe read the first few pages to get a feel for O'Brien's style and narrative. I ended up reading the first two chapters, and finished the book in just a few days. I chose to read this not because I have any interest in the Vietnam war, but for exactly the opposite reason. I don't know very much about it, which is likely due to the United State's indifference to this 'conflict' as it was often called. I'm not generally a big fan of war fiction, or war movies, but there is a certain intensity, a blood and guts reality. These soldiers were without the technology we have today, without 'bio weapons', without heat seeking missiles. O'Brien held my attention in his stories of how he and his platoon passed the hours with practical jokes, stories of home, and of course the preoccupation of death as one thinks of the life they are taking to spare their own. There's a section in the chapter entitled "On the Rainy River" where the author describes what he did during the final months the summer before going off to Vietnam. He had the unfortunate job of working in a meat packing plant, and describes the job with such visceral detail that one can completely understand and even sympathize with his need to run from this awful job. He writes of trying to scrub the smell and grime from his body and clothing. It's entirely repulsive and brilliant. Though I enjoyed this, and tore thorough it I believe O'Brien gives away too much at times. He writes about writing entirely too much and it distracted me from the stories by pulling me closer to the author. He explains his constructions and takes away some of the mystery and magic of his creation. In one story he writes of how he brought his daughter, Kathleen, to Vietnam many years later so that she might see where her father had been and understand that period of his life. But then O'Brien explains that he doesn't have a daughter, Kathleen, that he took on a trip to Vietnam. There's a recurring 'just because it didn't happen doesn't mean that it's any less untrue', and although this idea is original and I understand the concept I believe it was utilized too much and he returns to it excessively. I wasn't so interested in knowing about "How to tell a war story" as I was about reading them. But brilliant nonetheless. I'll likely read another O'Brien novel
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Summary: my review for "the thing they carried"
Review: i liked this book , it was really intresting learing about all the war in a sodlier point of view. i was mad when ted lavender died he seemed like a cool dude. i thought it was funny when when curt lemon passed out at the dentist. thats all !!!!
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Summary: Todd's Review
Review: This is a very good book, that keeps you interested the whole way through. Tim O'Brien does a good job of showing what it was like to be a soldier in Vietnam. You learn alot of things about the war and why people have flashbacks about stuff that happened in 'Nam.
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Summary: The Things They Carried
Review: I found the book to be very intreging. It made me realize the things that people were going through and the reasons why. I never heard as many stories about Vietnam, especially in history class. I look forward to reading other books by Tim O'Brien in the future.
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Summary: they carried things
Review: I am not a book reader I realy do not like to read. But i guess this book realy is not to bad. It tells you a lot about the war in a real life way. I would tell anyone to read it if they can stay awake.
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Summary: things they carried
Review: I thought that this book was good and holds the attention of the reader. I think it portrays the vietnam war in a way that a documentary can not. It gives personal feelings, experiences, and views of the war. I think that this book is good but, it is more opinionated than it is factual. All and all I think it is a good book and if you want to read a book about the vietnam war I suggest this book.
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Summary: Paul's review of Things they carry
Review: I tought the book was good, because someone that was actually in the war wrote it and not someone that just heard about the war and wanted to become famous and write about Vietnam. He told some true stories about Vietnam and made some up, but they werent actually made up they happened but he made them more detailed than they were to get you to feel the way he felt. He took his daughter there to experience the atmosphere that he felt when he was in war. He feels guilty for Kiowa's death but there was nothing any of them could of done to save his life. Some of them playied games everynight to relax after a long day at war.
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Summary: matts review
Review: i didnt care that much for the book, thats why i gave it a 2. it seemed rather boring to me. i geuss i just dont like that kind of a book.
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