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ford_every_stream 's review for:
The Things They Carried
by Tim O'Brien
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
One of if not the single best book I’ve ever read? I’m not even a war guy like that, this book is just something else. Every story has an enormous sort of gravity to it, simultaneously drawing the reader in and crushing them under its weight. O’Brien openly contorts and obscures the objective reality of his experiences in Vietnam to expose the emotional core of each story, giving each retelling a hazy filter that somehow offers profound, intimate clarity.
I read this book in a high school english course and it was the most transformative experience I’ve had as a reader and as a writer. I went back and re-read some of it a bit more recently to make sure I wasn’t crazy about how good this book was, and I wasn’t. The chapter with the water buffalo sticks with me like nothing else.
I read this book in a high school english course and it was the most transformative experience I’ve had as a reader and as a writer. I went back and re-read some of it a bit more recently to make sure I wasn’t crazy about how good this book was, and I wasn’t. The chapter with the water buffalo sticks with me like nothing else.