Reviews

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien

zastudiln's review against another edition

emotional medium-paced

3.0

gadicohen93's review against another edition

5.0

I wish I'd read this in high school. This is a book that can change a writer's whole world view on his craft. Every page, every story, every sentence, Tim O'Brien walks such a fine line between fiction and non-fiction I didn't even know if that line actually existed or not. It was amazing, manipulative in the most refreshing way. Really, what tied all the stories together wasn't that they all featured the same characters and settings and themes--it was the concreteness of that idea, of how the essence of life flows in and out of truth. And the ambiguity of O'Brien's genre--was he just putting his memory down on paper? or was he making up entire characters, settings, even themes, only inspired by a random thought from his past?--seems like the most powerful method one could use to pinpoint it down on a page and say "This is it--this is what Vietnam was, what life there was, what life is," and actually, totally make the reader feel the essence of the war, and of the soldiers' lives.

Basically, what I'm trying to say is--I had no idea if the stories he was telling were true or false. But I understood what they were trying to say. And my understanding made everything worth it. It's been an hour and I'm still shell-shocked. Some of O'Brien's images and ideas are going to stick with me for a long time.

Beautiful writing. I was especially moved by the final story.

billmorrow's review

dark reflective sad medium-paced

3.75

devoreads's review against another edition

emotional informative inspiring reflective sad tense slow-paced

3.0

holly_young's review against another edition

adventurous dark emotional reflective tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? It's complicated
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

reader4evr's review against another edition

2.0

I really didn't like this book. I thought the first chapter was so juvenile with so and so carried this and he carried this, blah blah blah. It was like it was written by a high school student.

The last chapter was probably the best because of the story about Tim & Linda, very sweet.

I have read other war stories that have been better but this will suite the curriculum at my school for a book to read in class.

daddysprincess's review against another edition

2.0

My son told me what a good book this was. To each their own. I had a really hard time finishing it.

I usually enjoy reading, learning about history. This book bored me to tears. I’m not sure why. The writing style? Who knows.

Anyway. I’m sure I’m the oddball as most of the reviews are favorable.

I would like to say God bless our men and women of the military. Past and present.

erikajay's review against another edition

5.0

What a fantastic book! I really enjoyed the writing. It seems like you sat down and said “Tim, tell me about the war”, and then you get to hear a collection of stories and thoughts in a conversation.

This book will also make you think and challenge your ideas about Vietnam and soldiers. One of my favorites was that he didn’t go to war because he was brave; he went to war because he was a coward.

I think this should be required reading for 20th century history classes.

m3ii's review against another edition

adventurous emotional inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

4.5

achillesheeled's review against another edition

5.0

And in the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It's about sunlight. It's about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know that you must cross the river and march into the mountains and do things you are afraid to do. It's about love and memory. It's about sorrow. It's about sisters who never write back and people who never listen.

oh my god this was good. god. such good writing