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ngallion 's review for:

The Things They Carried by Tim O'Brien
4.0
dark emotional hopeful reflective sad medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven: A mix
Strong character development: Complicated
Loveable characters: Yes
Diverse cast of characters: No
Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

A well written book that is an organized connection of scattered thoughts about the author’s time serving in Vietnam.  This isn’t about telling you specifics regarding the war.  There’s not a lot of historical retelling going on here at all, but rather recollections of memories and feelings.  While that could lead to a colossal misfire, O’Brien does a great job of expressing what goes on in his mind when he thinks back on Vietnam.  There’s joy, melancholy, nostalgia, and hatred here in a way that’s unique and powerful.  Overall this isn’t really the kind of book I love, but I recognize good writing and applaud him for his work.