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4.12 AVERAGE
4.12 AVERAGE
The Things They Carried is a really weird book to like. I mean, to like it too much is to be almost a bit sardonic. I mean, who seriously enjoys books about young soldiers sent into needless war, dying their heads off? Maybe someone out there does. While this contained excellent prose and writing, I have a difficult time calling such a story excellent or anything of the kind.
On the other hand, to say it's a bad books seems a bit rude too. I mean, it's depressing and it makes me lose faith in humanity and all that jazz but these stories...they are more or less real. And to discredit this book entirely feels a bit douchebaggy.
So. Without doing any of the above, I'm in this weird gray area. I have mixed feelings about this book in general.
I knew this wouldn't be a fun book from the moment I started it as a high school war unit book. No sir. I, by definition, hate war. But, with historical pretexts and all, I decided that this would be a pretty interesting read if nothing else (and it's not like I had much choice in the matter, as it was assigned reading).
I read about what these Vietnam war soldiers carried. Narrated by the author, Tim OBrien, it chronicles his time in Vietnam in nowhere near chronological order. There are many flashbacks to the past and forwards to the future. There is death amongst a rather tight knit unit which includes Jimmy Cross, Rat Kiley, Norman Bowker, Curt, Azar, Ted Lavender, Mitchell...you know...
Kiowa.
Darn it.
These soldiers all carry something from home or what they believe will protect them in a war they didn't even choose to be in. There is death and heartbreak and oBrien illustrates somewhat, what these soldiers carried back home with them (at least, those that lived).
My teacher told us that this is semi-autobiographical or...roman-a-chef which was nice, as OBrien actually served in the war and it came off as realistic and grounded in reality. There was no semblance to the valor and glory of war and it was often disheartening to read how helpless most of the soldiers were during their battles in Vietnam.
Again, it is difficult to rate this on any level of enjoyment. There were parts that made me really sad which, from a literary standpoint, make this story a good one. However, I wouldn't necessarily want to read this again, and I'd only recommend it to someone who has delusions about how great war is. War really sucks. Not the soldiers who fight in them. But war itself is a racket. That's the basic summary of what I took from The Things They Carried.
On the other hand, to say it's a bad books seems a bit rude too. I mean, it's depressing and it makes me lose faith in humanity and all that jazz but these stories...they are more or less real. And to discredit this book entirely feels a bit douchebaggy.
So. Without doing any of the above, I'm in this weird gray area. I have mixed feelings about this book in general.
I knew this wouldn't be a fun book from the moment I started it as a high school war unit book. No sir. I, by definition, hate war. But, with historical pretexts and all, I decided that this would be a pretty interesting read if nothing else (and it's not like I had much choice in the matter, as it was assigned reading).
I read about what these Vietnam war soldiers carried. Narrated by the author, Tim OBrien, it chronicles his time in Vietnam in nowhere near chronological order. There are many flashbacks to the past and forwards to the future. There is death amongst a rather tight knit unit which includes Jimmy Cross, Rat Kiley, Norman Bowker, Curt, Azar, Ted Lavender, Mitchell...you know...
Kiowa.
Darn it.
These soldiers all carry something from home or what they believe will protect them in a war they didn't even choose to be in. There is death and heartbreak and oBrien illustrates somewhat, what these soldiers carried back home with them (at least, those that lived).
My teacher told us that this is semi-autobiographical or...roman-a-chef which was nice, as OBrien actually served in the war and it came off as realistic and grounded in reality. There was no semblance to the valor and glory of war and it was often disheartening to read how helpless most of the soldiers were during their battles in Vietnam.
Again, it is difficult to rate this on any level of enjoyment. There were parts that made me really sad which, from a literary standpoint, make this story a good one. However, I wouldn't necessarily want to read this again, and I'd only recommend it to someone who has delusions about how great war is. War really sucks. Not the soldiers who fight in them. But war itself is a racket. That's the basic summary of what I took from The Things They Carried.
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
medium-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
emotional
inspiring
tense
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
medium-paced
dark
emotional
sad
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
emotional
reflective
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
It's hard to sum up what I think and feel about this book besides just saying that it's a masterpiece. It's hard to explain how this book and the stories within it meant so much to me as not just a reader, but also a writer. Tim O'Brien understands something about the pull towards stories and storytelling that I have felt as long as I can remember.
This was an incredible book. Thank you for your stories, Tim.
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes