A review by eowyns_helmet
Redeployment by Phil Klay

4.0

Reading these stories is a glimpse behind the news most of us read as our only connection to US military operations, in the Middle East of really anywhere. Klay captures the fear, the idiocy, the numbness, the dark humor and the way war both erases and heightens human connection. There's a variation in the tone and perspective of the stories that's welcome. Otherwise, the collection might seem too similar (the same story repeated). The language is as stripped down and utilitarian as a rifle -- no furbelows. Often, the stories end as if some essential paragraph has been snipped off. I came to like that. My only reason for not giving this a fifth star is that I wasn't really surprised by any of the stories. I knew something of the book (and Klay's well-deserved NBA win) and the writing was as expected. What I really love about reading is when my expectation is challenged by something especially remarkable and fine.