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Summary: O'Brien powerfully reveals the painful truth about Vietnam
Review: There were no heroes. It was not about patriotism.As Tim O'Brien explains, the war in Vietnam consisted of the futile and senseless destruction of the minds, bodies & spirits of countless lives. Numerous victims were entirely too young to witness such meaningless destruction. This novel was very addictive because O'Brien successfully places the reader right next to him on the warfield. Reading this novel made me very emotional because it is not merely a haunting account of the war, but it is an EXPERIENCE.
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Summary: Absolutely amazing
Review: One of the greatest war novels of all time and the best novel about the Vietnam Conflict ever written.
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Summary: Powerful!
Review: Only the WWII epic THE TRIUMPH AND THE GLORY can rival THE THINGS THEY CARRIED as a profoundly insightful novel of men at war. I was awed by this book, it is simply magnificent.
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Summary: Finally, some closure to the emotions of the Viet Nam era.
Review: Growing up in the 60's and 70's, one could hardly escape the reality of the Viet Nam War. Everyone knew someone who was going, was there, was returning, or was not. When I began reading "The Things They Carried," I was flooded with emotions that had been supressed for nearly 20 years. I had finally found a release; some answers to questions I never dared ask. I finally knew how it felt to recieve that notice; and worse, how difficult it was to deal with it. Somehow, through the collection of stories, I was able to truly experience the emotions of surviving the time spent in Viet Nam, more so than in any other movie or book I had seen or read. I read and cried and could not put the book down. Thank you, Tim O'Brien, for helping me understand more than I thought I was capable of.
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Summary: It's one of its kind.
Review: What made this novel so special to me is its great intepretation of the reality of war on paper. I have never truly experienced war, and thanks to this book, which made the cruelty of human slaughter (war) more clear to me than I want it to be. I see it as a series of lessons and warning signs that keep on reminding us the evilest side of human beings. After all, I enjoyed the various quirks reside throughout the story. Read it, you'll understand war.
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Summary: Terrific
Review: "The Things They Carried" is a magnificent achievement, one of the best accounts I've read of war since The Triumph and the Glory."
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Summary: Same entries as below
Review: I'm pretty much saying the same things as all those who have reviewed before me: absolutely great book. I have heard him speak at Univ. of Mass. and he is great. A gifted mind and memory. I want more....
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Summary: O'Brien has scripted a masterpiece!
Review: Never before have I read a war novel with such sincerity and raw truth. O'Brien not only has a war hero's knack for storytelling, but a literary talent that should not be overlooked. The Things They Carried is full of clever, thoughtful language and concrete vivid detail. It is clearly evident that O'Brien's novel is fictitious non-fiction, so to speak, as it is easily recognizable that this author knows his subject matter thoroughly. The reality of his writing gives any reader a feeling of belonging to an often misunderstood war. I loved it!
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Summary: Couldn't put it down once....best book i've ever read!!
Review: I am 17 years old and I read this book for a project. Usually when I read books for school I don't like them too much, but when I read this book-it hit me hard. I got pulled so deep into the novel, I felt like I was actually there listening to his great stories about the war. You can feel every emotion they feel, and it gives you a much better sense of the war than any history book would. You definately need to read it...I recommend it to everyone. And now I am going to read even more books by Tim O'Brien because he is an outstanding author!
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Summary: Summary of O'Brien's "The Things They Carried"
Review: This book, a collection of short stories written by a Vietnam Vet, are some of the most powerful stories I have ever read. 2 months ago, O'Brien did a reading at my college, St. Larence University. His retelling of the only man he killed during his tour in Vietnam was truly a work of art. I have never read a war-writer, who writes with such passion and human emotion. He does a great deal of story-telling, which makes his book extremely interesting and hard to put down. O'Brien points out the fact that he was fighting Vietnam, the country itself instead of the people of the country. I have this book the highest ranking possible because of its ability to consume the reader into the fears and hopes and wishes of a Vietnam footsoldier. O'Brien is a brilliant writer who turn s a horrible ordeal into a beautiful painting. I commend O'Brien on his work, and can't wait to see him again next spring in northern New York.
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