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pitosalas's review against another edition
5.0
I read this book in practically one sitting. It is fiction, but it reads like non-fiction. It's a collection of short, really vivid and gripping stories. I have nothing to compare it to but they read so realistic and believable and move along at a great pace. It doesn't really have any super graphic war violence.
shailydc's review against another edition
1.0
Overall, I didn't enjoy reading Redeployment and none of the stories stood out to me. There was no change in tone or attitude among the different narrators; perhaps that was intentional but it made for a uninteresting read. Also, I understand that using a ton of acronyms gives a real view into the mind of a Marine, but couldn't the editors add in a glossary for those without a military background?
cassidybone's review against another edition
2.0
Okay, this one I read for class and while I see literary merit in it and it fits with what I’m doing in my class, but personally I definitely did not like this book. It’s a compilation of war stories and they’re so dark and crass and just not my typical cup of tea. I don’t mind a sad story and I don’t even mind a dark one, but this was way too gruesome for my taste. Again, great writing and I see all the merit, but if it was a book I was reading for myself I would have stopped after the first story.
calville's review against another edition
Short story collections are like coffee... every couple of years, I tell myself, "Other people like this, you should try it again, maybe now you'll like it!" And every time, it turns out wanting to like something isn't enough to make me actually like it. The quality of these stories was very high! But it's just not my thing.
abitters's review against another edition
5.0
Many will make the comparison to Things They Carried. Each chapter reads as a standalone short story that fills out a bigger picture of the war. Set in the Middle East the war stories are more modern and hit home as they were more recent. The inside looks the narrative gives the reader open give insight into a soldiers psyche that a non soldier/vet would never have access to otherwise. Phil Clay deserves any accolade that he has coming his way. This is a book I have been recommending to anyone that will listen. Pick up a copy and read it now. I read the book in one work shift because I could not put it down (and I admittedly didn't have much to do that day).
aglaia0001's review against another edition
4.0
I picked up Phil Klay's [b:Redeployment|18114068|Redeployment|Phil Klay|https://d.gr-assets.com/books/1417987993s/18114068.jpg|25441299] on a whim because the first few pages intrigued me and I found a signed, first edition at a good price. I had never heard of Klay or of his short story collection. The next week, it was announced that Klay was awarded a National Book Award. Upon completing the collection, I fully agree with his award.
This collection of stories centers around the experiences of soldiers at or returning from war. Klay writes with a masculine yet emotional voice as he explores the nuances of war psychology both on and off the battlefield. Touching on the sometimes absurd politics of war, Klay manages to convey the tension that veterans experience as they return and reintegrate into a civilian society. His prose is simple with a vaguely distant voice that manages to simultaneously defamiliarize and personalize the stories.
While all the stories in this collection are interesting, there are a few that particularly stand out. The title story introduces the theme of reintegration in the form of a returning veteran who must perform the same duty stateside as he did when deployed -- he must shoot a dog. Only this time, rather than shooting dogs that are devouring the dead, he must put down his own aging pet. "Bodies" emphasizes the narrator's awareness of bodies -- both the bodies he processes as a Mortuary Affairs marine and his own living body. "Psychological Operations" explores the emotions of a veteran who is faced with a newly converted Muslim.
The closing story, "Ten Kliks South," perfectly concludes this collection. Weaving the struggle of an artillery man who is grappling with how unreal a distant warfare can be with the reality of killing someone, Klay explores a redeployment of a different kind as the narrator reflects on a fallen soldier who is returned home.
Overall, I found this collection solid. Some stories are stronger than others and, when read too closely together, the common theme between many of the stories can seem a bit pondorous. However, Klay excels best at subtly stressing the horrific nature found in the very mundanity of war.
This collection of stories centers around the experiences of soldiers at or returning from war. Klay writes with a masculine yet emotional voice as he explores the nuances of war psychology both on and off the battlefield. Touching on the sometimes absurd politics of war, Klay manages to convey the tension that veterans experience as they return and reintegrate into a civilian society. His prose is simple with a vaguely distant voice that manages to simultaneously defamiliarize and personalize the stories.
While all the stories in this collection are interesting, there are a few that particularly stand out. The title story introduces the theme of reintegration in the form of a returning veteran who must perform the same duty stateside as he did when deployed -- he must shoot a dog. Only this time, rather than shooting dogs that are devouring the dead, he must put down his own aging pet. "Bodies" emphasizes the narrator's awareness of bodies -- both the bodies he processes as a Mortuary Affairs marine and his own living body. "Psychological Operations" explores the emotions of a veteran who is faced with a newly converted Muslim.
The closing story, "Ten Kliks South," perfectly concludes this collection. Weaving the struggle of an artillery man who is grappling with how unreal a distant warfare can be with the reality of killing someone, Klay explores a redeployment of a different kind as the narrator reflects on a fallen soldier who is returned home.
Overall, I found this collection solid. Some stories are stronger than others and, when read too closely together, the common theme between many of the stories can seem a bit pondorous. However, Klay excels best at subtly stressing the horrific nature found in the very mundanity of war.
holly_117's review against another edition
5.0
There's no real way to write a review for this book, other than to say that you should read it yourself. Really, everyone should, though I don't know how it will affect people whose contact with the military (and Marines specifically) is limited to saying "thank you for your service" on Veteran's day - it might not have the same impact, or a totally different feel when you can't identify with the characters as placeholders for real people you've known. Just like I'm sure it would have an entirely different feel and impact on my husband than it did on me, since I only experienced his deployments second-hand from home.
Even though I didn't live the events like he did, the stories took me right back to the conversations we had while he was deployed, especially because a lot of the stories take place in Fallujah around the time he was there. It's definitely well written and authentic and I couldn't put it down.
Even though I didn't live the events like he did, the stories took me right back to the conversations we had while he was deployed, especially because a lot of the stories take place in Fallujah around the time he was there. It's definitely well written and authentic and I couldn't put it down.
jnblmnop's review against another edition
3.0
not terribly written but I'm not a big fan of short stories and the acronyms in this book made it a difficult and sometimes confusing read
allsmile's review against another edition
4.0
Really, really good. There were some stories that grabbed me more than others, but no real duds. I loved all the different perspectives we get to see. The writing was great at setting the mood, and the narrator was perfect for this book.