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Summary: Wow!! I Could Not Belive I Enjoyed It!!
Review: If someone had described the book to me I never would have read it ... but now I am happy I did. What a great piece of literature!
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Summary: One of the best books ever written..
Review: If you want a book that will show you body counts and statistics on the Vietnam War.. this isn't the one you want. But if you want to see the effects of the war on a soldier.. if you want to see inside a soldier's mind.. if you want to be affected by a man's soul rather than how many men he's killed.. then The Things They Carried is perfect. This book is one of the greatest pieces of literature I've ever read. It shows the war through experiences, but more importantly, the feelings and reactions of those experiences. It's truly a wonderful book. I can't sing its praise enough.
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Summary: I found the book "contrived" and possessed of a whiny charac
Review: Does anyone ever write negative reviews. As a veteran of almost four years in Viet-Nam, I was very disappointed by the book in its attempts to say, in effect, "Look how sensitive I am; Oh, I am such a sensitive caring person." I found the fictional adventures totally without merit and I am glad I didn't pay any money for this book. If you want to read a fictional book about real, adult meaningful "truths" concerning Viet-Nam, then read Nicholas Proffitt's "Gardens of Stone". If you want fiction, at least he delivers the real thing instead of some vapid, made up mish-mash like this one.
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Summary: As a gen-X'er and a SGT in the USMC, the writing is valuable
Review: Tim O'Brien does an excellent job in depicting the mindset of the confrontation. Forget about textual analysis; disregard analytical numerology of the Viet Nam war. O'Brien embraces the mental process that brings you into the heart of conflict, both mental and physical. Feel what it means to be in the middle of the war, with friends around you, and the enemy surrounding you.
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Summary: Beautiful.
Review: Simply beautiful. Buy it
Rating:
Summary: Is 5 Stars enough?
Review: This book was by far one of the best reading experiences that one could have. I would recommend to anyone that they read and reread it because it rings so "true". If this is a work of fiction, Tim O'Brien has the most profound inner realities I've ever seen. And if it is not a work of fiction, then he has let us into his shoes in a way that no other author ever has. Buy it!
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Summary: Undeniably powerful and riveting
Review: I read this book in conjuction with Neil Sheehan's "A Bright Shining Lie" -- which followed the Vietnam War through the experiences of American soldier and civilian advisor John Paul Vann (I highly recommend the book). Looking to get a little more perspective on the lives of soldiers -- and hoping to learn more about what they encountered in Vietnam, I picked up a copy of Tim O'Brien's book.Although most of the stories are relatively short, they are so well-written and full of detail that one gets the feeling these are characters you really know and understand, perhaps even sympathize with. This is a book I want to own, put on my bookshelf and read from time to time just so I won't forget it.
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Summary: hmmmm
Review: not that its blatent or anything jus take a quick gander at how many stars everyone who read it gave it and you decide!
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Summary: Compelling. Should be read by every veterans wife.
Review: I couldn't put it down. Although some of the chapters were hard to read, emotionally, the book really rang true. Anyone, friend, wife, or child who has trouble understanding what the Vietam veteran in his or her life went through should read this book. The book is well written, by turns horrifying and funny. I have recommended it to other veteran's wives, but some had trouble dealing with it. I also recommend "Snow Falling on Cedars".
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Summary: Must read for would-be authors
Review: While this book shines for a myriad of reasons, I found the book an interesting entry on the syllabus of a creative writing course. O'Brien's perspective on truth and creating truthful statements with lies is invaluable to a creative writer.
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