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Summary: The best in war stories
Review: More than anything, O'Brien hits on one of the most key points of not only the Vietnam war, but of humans themselves. Easy to read, easy to understand, O'Brien writes of human beings and the burdens they carried in Vietnam, both emotional as well as physical. The characters in the stories are clear and strong and the short stories stand alone, but compliment each other. The emotions in the Vietnam war are impossible to fully express, but The Things They Carried comes pretty close.
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Summary: The Things They Carried
Review: O'brien's language is some of the most vivid I have ever come across. He recreates a story through sensory detail unlike any other modern author. This anti-war novel is not a political statement as much as it is a photo album of the men who fought in Vietnam. "The Things They Carried" is as close as one can come to experiencing what the American soldier felt in Vietnam. Immerse yourself in O'Brien's prose!
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Summary: i dont like reading, but this was the best
Review: i'm not a big fan of books,i'm only writing this because im bored and have nothing better to do. i read this one as an assignment for history class (im a junior in highschool) and i have to say this was one of the best books i have ever read. i truely dont believe that this could have been a work of fiction, and no one can convince me of it. it kept me interested the entire time and it was actually hard to put the book down. i recommend this to anyone, it's an awesome book.
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Summary: Amazing
Review: This is a really great book. In no way can I say I know how the Vietnam vets felt during the war, but it gives me a pretty good picture. I really enjoyed this book and I think this is definitely a must read for anyone interested in history, war stories, or is just simple looking for something good to read.
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Summary: "Stories Can Save Us"
Review: "But this too is true; stories can save us." And that's exactly what Tim O'Brien's words do--they work to save us. If ever an author reached out to its reader and took hold of him/her by the very gut, slowly, painfully, wonderfully dragging it up and out into the air for a good fresh breath, Tim O'Brien does just that. This is more than a collection of war stories--this is a collection of human stories.
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Summary: the best work of Vietnam fiction I have ever read
Review: Tim O'Brien's stories tell us as much about truth and memory as they do about the Vietnam War. The stories in this collection are about characters' search to find ways to deal with what was happening in the war, both during and after the horrors of combat. The characters try to reconcile their sometimes atrocious acts in war with their kinder selves in the real world: they try to explain to themselves how they can kill a man in battle, yet have jobs and hobbies and lovers at home.Veterans of the war have told me that this book more than any other raised the questions that they themselves faced. It gives few answers, but it is a wonderful and beautiful contribution to literature.
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Summary: The Best Book!
Review: If you love to read AND you love to write, this is the best book you'll ever experience, without question.
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Summary: Read this!
Review: I agree with Rick Bass (see above), I've got to make you read this book! As the author, Tim O'Brien says in this collection, it isn't a "war story, it's a LOVE story." Calling this book a collection of Vietnam stories is a fallacy. This is a book about love, loss, and the power and truth in storytelling.
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Summary: The Things They Carried
Review: very introspective look at the life of a soldier through the eyes of a soldier.
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Summary: Efficiency of words, richness of images
Review: Since first reading two Tim O'Brien novels back-to-back several years ago, he has remained my favorite fiction author. Rarely have I experienced the work of an author who so efficiently uses words to create vivid, rich images of the war and the people who were changed by it. Not only is this novel a masterpiece of creative writing, it is an unforgettable account of a group of warriors. Written in first person, it appears to be an autobiographical novel and certainly is a believable account of one man's war and the variety of characters who shared it. It is moving, suspenseful, and most important of all, easily read. O'Brien's ability to allow the reader to create his own mental images without superfluous detail is, in my opinion, his greatest strength as a novelist. This work is recommended especially for Vietnam veterans but also for anyone who considers writing a true art form. It will inspire you to read O'Brien's other works.
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