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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
O’Brien’s a spectacular writer. His ability to successfully render the abstract emotions of war is incredible. O’Brien brought all the different characters to life every chapter, and it was hard not to sympathize with the soldiers. The blurring of fact and fiction was strange at first, but I actually think it’s kind of cool how you can’t tell what’s real and what’s made up. And does it really matter what’s true and what’s fake? War is war, after all.
Was it the greatest book I’ve ever read? Probably not. But it’s a damn good one, and I think every person should give it a read.
Was it the greatest book I’ve ever read? Probably not. But it’s a damn good one, and I think every person should give it a read.
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Vietnam hasn't been a subject I ever had much interest in. After reading this collection, I haven't stopped thinking about it. I'm interested in reading all of O'Brien;s work now. Some of these stories will stay with you long after you've finished them
dark
emotional
informative
inspiring
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I wish O'Brien had written a straight-up memoir of his Vietnam experiences instead of this book that rides the fence between memoir and fiction so much that the reader doesn't even know what to think about its contents.
I went into the novel knowing it was fiction based on fact, but O'Brien treats it like a memoir. He even dedicates the book to some of the fictional characters in it and names the main character after himself. This feels like an odd blending of the truth, an excuse to exaggerate or even put lies into a book that acts like a factual work. Some scenes in this book made me physically nauseous, but then I would wonder if they really happened or not. It kept taking me out of the book.
I went into the novel knowing it was fiction based on fact, but O'Brien treats it like a memoir. He even dedicates the book to some of the fictional characters in it and names the main character after himself. This feels like an odd blending of the truth, an excuse to exaggerate or even put lies into a book that acts like a factual work. Some scenes in this book made me physically nauseous, but then I would wonder if they really happened or not. It kept taking me out of the book.
dark
informative
sad
slow-paced
I liked this book. It gave me an entryway into reading. While this isn't the genre I really gravitate towards, I still enjoyed the short stories.
reflective
sad
slow-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Plot
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Painful. Beautiful. And that confusing and important mix of reality and fiction.