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shirleytupperfreeman's review against another edition
I couldn’t put this powerful book down. It seems important to understand the physical, mental and spiritual effects of the current wars on the folks doing the fighting. The contrast between Klay’s gorgeous writing and the tragedies about which he writes is stunning.
ncarter5069's review against another edition
4.0
Where I originally went into this book expecting fluff, some sort of Clint Eastwood delivery similar to American Sniper or Flags of our Fathers, I actually got much more out of it. Klay succeeds in painting veterans at home moreso than overseas, but he doesn't fail there either. I haven't yet compared a collection to Tim O'Brien's The Things They Carried, but this may be it. Klay creates an all-too-real veteran struggling for answers against the atrocities he was forced to commit. Good work. I would've liked to see more from the Iraqi side of things, but Klay stuck with what he knew from his time served.
mary_soon_lee's review against another edition
5.0
This is a collection of short stories. All but one of the stories are first-person accounts of a soldier's experience during or after deployment in Iraq. Every single story is good. Every single story made me think. They are quick to read, but not easy to read. There are accounts of retrieving bodies; of devising insults to shout at insurgents in order to get them to run out into the open; of killing; of casualties; of veterans struggling with civilian life. In fiction and movies, war often has an escapist, heroic, romantic aspect. In contrast, "Redeployment" shows war as grim rather than glorious. Both the narrators and the Iraq war are shown as flawed. Against that backdrop, there are moments when the bonds between soldiers stand out as redemptive. A very good book.
the_enobee's review against another edition
5.0
During one of the stories in this book, a marine returned from duty tells a civilian they don't want to be respected for what they did in Iraq. The civilian asks, what do you want? After thinking a moment, the marine says, I want you to be disgusted.
The author succeeds, but also catches the pain of all involved with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars trying to find some meaning in their actions.
I highly recommend this book, not just for the subject matter, but the concise, clear, and strong writing. These stories should be savored. In fact, I would recommend reading one per week. That will let them soak in and prevent the subject matter from running together.
A great collection of work, and I would love to read a novel by this author.
The author succeeds, but also catches the pain of all involved with the Iraq and Afghanistan wars trying to find some meaning in their actions.
I highly recommend this book, not just for the subject matter, but the concise, clear, and strong writing. These stories should be savored. In fact, I would recommend reading one per week. That will let them soak in and prevent the subject matter from running together.
A great collection of work, and I would love to read a novel by this author.
cseibs's review against another edition
3.0
We need more of this. Though maybe not exactly this, as several of the stories felt like drafts to be workshopped in his MFA. I could have seen this better as a novel than a collection; even though the stories changed, the point of view felt the same. A novel would have given continuity without that feeling of sameness that dogged a lot of the stories. That said, many of the stories were powerful and well-written and, on the whole, deeply disturbing.
beastreader's review against another edition
4.0
I did not give this book a second thought when I saw the chance to read it. This is because it is military related. Well I have to say this collection of short stories really brings the human aspect of the men and women that serve in the armed forces. Mr. Klay takes the readers on journeys that will leave them feelings grateful to these brave souls. Mr. Klay holds nothing back in these stories. Warning as there is a lot of strong language used, especially the "f" word. Reading this stories, I felt the emotions that the people were going through. It is for this reason that it did make it hard at times to read these stories. In fact, I had to put this book down and regroup and then dive back in again. So for anyone that enjoys reading military stories then you should pick up a copy of this book today.
tstuppy's review against another edition
5.0
Read in 2015, reread 2021. Holds up, stellar and moving stories that convey more feeling than plot. Walking away with little memory of what was said, but with a gut feeling of truth and impact.