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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
I have never been a big fan of war stories, but this novel left me in awe. This may be, though, because of the fact that this really isn't a story about war. In reality, this is a novel about people who just happened to have served in the Vietnam War and the complex emotions and experiences they have. This is a text about stories and how they fuel the human existence. O'Brien's writing is extremely profound and his commentary about the human experience is even more so. This is definitely a novel that everyone should read because one can gain a lot of understanding about the human condition as well as more skills in the literary craft.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Can't believe I'm just reading this for the first time in my late 20s! This book was fascinating. I loved the craft of the writing and the way it was broken up into these really compelling and at first seemingly disjointed stories. Highly, highly recommend! And I look forward to teaching this in the fall!
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Wonderfully written. And by "wonderfully" I mean "makes you feel incredibly sorry for Tim and his fellow soldiers. This is the kind of book people should think of when talking about war.
Content warning: gore, language
Content warning: gore, language
“In the end, of course, a true war story is never about war. It’s about the special way that dawn spreads out on a river when you know 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.”
I really wish I could say I liked this book. I love the concept and I love the message O’Brien is trying to deliver through poetic truths. But it just wasn’t enough for me.
I think my problems with this book were the metafiction aspects. Blurring the line between fiction and reality seems to have a big impact on some who read this, but to me it makes certain stories seem pointless. Which I guess, is the point, but the philosophical loops the author does just takes me away from the stories. I’m not quick to call this a horrible writing choice though, because what O’Brien is doing is very important, and I can’t say he’s wrong when I have never been to war, but I feel like the intensity of this could have been so much more.
The stories themselves are mostly mediocre. There are some good ones here and there, specially Norman’s story and Linda’s. Which, having done research on some interviews from the author, are the most grounded in his personal life and in real “truth.” The overall message is definitely delivered, showing that soldiers are just young men trying to find their way, which is eye-opening and painful.
The writing seemed almost too descriptive. Of course, to produce a poetic style, this has to be the case, but it distracted me from multiple stories at certain points, just trying to figure out what O’Brien was trying to say. I feel like he should have directed this energy into describing panic attacks and flashbacks rather than another character.
I do support and respect this book for what it is trying to, and has done for people, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
I think my problems with this book were the metafiction aspects. Blurring the line between fiction and reality seems to have a big impact on some who read this, but to me it makes certain stories seem pointless. Which I guess, is the point, but the philosophical loops the author does just takes me away from the stories. I’m not quick to call this a horrible writing choice though, because what O’Brien is doing is very important, and I can’t say he’s wrong when I have never been to war, but I feel like the intensity of this could have been so much more.
The stories themselves are mostly mediocre. There are some good ones here and there, specially Norman’s story and Linda’s. Which, having done research on some interviews from the author, are the most grounded in his personal life and in real “truth.” The overall message is definitely delivered, showing that soldiers are just young men trying to find their way, which is eye-opening and painful.
The writing seemed almost too descriptive. Of course, to produce a poetic style, this has to be the case, but it distracted me from multiple stories at certain points, just trying to figure out what O’Brien was trying to say. I feel like he should have directed this energy into describing panic attacks and flashbacks rather than another character.
I do support and respect this book for what it is trying to, and has done for people, but I didn’t particularly enjoy it.
dark
emotional
informative
sad
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
N/A
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
fast-paced
emotional
informative
reflective
sad
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes