A review by lckeser7
July, July by Tim O'Brien

4.0

The Things They Carried is one of my favorite books of all time. I also loved Going After Cacciato, and I have an autographed copy of In the Lake of the Woods. Meeting Tim O'Brien was an honor that I'll remember forever, even if it was only a 10-minute conversation with a few other students. There's always been this question lingering in the back of my mind, and in the minds of other fans too, I'm sure: can O'Brien write a great book without writing about Vietnam? without writing a war story? without the war being the main thrust of character motivation? With this book, the answer is a resounding yes. Now, Vietnam is an element of this story, even a major element for a few characters, but not for most of them (excusing the fact that the war was happening in the background of their lives).
I think the blurb on the back of the book explains my feelings about what O'Brien has written here: "July, July is a book for all seasons. Funny and poignant, it looks into the nature of our dreams and how fulfillment eludes us." In a way, this could also be called The Things They Carried.