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kmanis 's review for:
The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
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.